Korean Cosmetics Export Glossary
Plain-English definitions of the ingredient, formulation, regulatory, packaging and trade terms you meet when sourcing Korean cosmetics — written for overseas B2B buyers.
A
Marketing & claims
Anti-pollution claim
Positioning around protection from particulate matter and urban stressors, strong in East and Southeast Asian markets.
Marketing & claims
AOV (Average Order Value)
Average revenue per order. Bundling a hero product with a small companion SKU is the standard lever, which is why Korean brands build so ma…
Marketing & claims
Assortment planning
Choosing which SKUs to list and how deep to go on each.
B
Marketing & claims
Beauty seasonality
Suncare peaks before summer, rich creams and gifting before winter.
Marketing & claims
Before/after claim
A visual or numeric comparison used to demonstrate a result.
Marketing & claims
Brand book
The guidelines governing logo use, colour, tone and imagery.
Marketing & claims
Branded import vs private label
Importing an existing Korean brand buys recognition and marketing support but leaves you competing with other territories on price.
C
Marketing & claims
CAC and LTV
Cost to acquire a customer versus the gross profit they generate over time.
Marketing & claims
Clean beauty
A retailer-defined rather than regulator-defined positioning, built on exclusion lists of ingredients.
Marketing & claims
Conversion rate
The share of visitors who buy. On a B2B sourcing site the equivalent metric is the share of catalog visitors who submit an RFQ, which is wh…
Marketing & claims
Cruelty-free
A claim that neither the finished product nor its ingredients were tested on animals, certified by schemes such as Leaping Bunny.
D
Marketing & claims
Daigou
Personal shoppers who buy in one market — typically Korean duty free or Olive Young — and resell into China outside official channels.
Marketing & claims
Derma cosmetics / cosmeceutical
Positioning that borrows clinical credibility through dermatologist involvement, clinical testing or pharmacy distribution.
Marketing & claims
Dermatologist tested
A claim that a dermatological test — usually a patch test — was conducted under specialist supervision.
Marketing & claims
Dupe
A lower-priced product marketed as delivering the same result as a prestige original.
E
F
G
H
Marketing & claims
H&B store (health and beauty retail)
The multi-brand drugstore-style channel that dominates Korean beauty retail, with Olive Young the clear leader.
Marketing & claims
Hero product
The single SKU that carries a brand's story and the bulk of its repeat sales.
Marketing & claims
Hypoallergenic
A claim of reduced allergy potential with no harmonised legal definition.
I
Marketing & claims
Influencer seeding
Sending free product to creators without a paid contract, hoping for organic coverage.
Marketing & claims
Ingredient minimalism
Short INCI lists sold as a reassurance signal.
Marketing & claims
Ingredient-first marketing
Leading with a named active and a percentage rather than a benefit.
K
L
M
N
O
P
R
Marketing & claims
Repurchase rate
The share of buyers who order again within a period.
Marketing & claims
Retail margin
The retailer's gross margin on RRP, typically 40–55% in beauty specialty and higher in department stores.
Marketing & claims
Review rating and volume
Average star rating and review count, the primary trust signal in online beauty.
Marketing & claims
RRP / MSRP
The recommended retail price, used to model channel margin backwards to your landed cost.
S
Marketing & claims
Scalp care
Treating the scalp as skin — serums, scalp masks, exfoliants and targeted tonics.
Marketing & claims
Sell-in
The volume shipped from brand or distributor into the retailer.
Marketing & claims
Sell-through
The share of shipped stock actually sold to consumers in a period, and the metric that decides whether a listing is renewed.
Marketing & claims
Sensitive skin positioning
The fastest-growing segment in Korean skincare exports, built on barrier ingredients and short ingredient lists.
Marketing & claims
Shade range
The set of colour variants offered in a base or lip line.
Marketing & claims
Skin barrier
The stratum corneum's protective lipid-and-cell structure, and the organising concept behind Korea's largest skincare segment.
Marketing & claims
Skinification
The trend of bringing skincare actives and claims into adjacent categories — body, scalp, hair, lip and makeup.
Marketing & claims
Skip-care
The Korean counter-trend to the 10-step routine: fewer, more multifunctional products.
Marketing & claims
SKU
Stock Keeping Unit — one uniquely sellable variant, so every shade, size and refill is its own SKU.
Marketing & claims
Slugging
Sealing the final skincare step under a heavy occlusive overnight.
Marketing & claims
Subscription and replenishment
Recurring delivery models. They suit consumables such as cleansers, masks and sunscreen and improve forecasting, which in turn makes MOQ co…
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