{"id":42368,"date":"2026-04-30T16:00:22","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T14:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magazine.luxus-plus.com\/?p=42368"},"modified":"2026-05-05T12:48:58","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T10:48:58","slug":"the-little-story-of-k-beauty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magazine.luxus-plus.com\/en\/the-little-story-of-k-beauty\/","title":{"rendered":"The little story of\u2026 K-Beauty"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the new symbol of global cool, K-beauty (or Korean cosmetics) has ultimately made its mark on global markets not just through its skincare products, but through its cultural uniqueness. Its strength lies as much in rapid innovation as in affordable prices and natural ingredients that are as powerful as they are healthy. Here is its dynamic 300-year history.<\/p>\n

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BB cream, sheet masks, fermented rice ingredients, layering\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Since the 2010s, Korean beauty, or K-Beauty<\/b>, has made its way everywhere in the West\u2014from the bathroom to the screen, via the front rows of fashion shows and social media<\/b>. One might have thought the phenomenon would run out of steam. On the contrary, it continues to gain ground<\/b> to the point of taking market share away from Western beauty players.<\/p>\n

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While the massive spread of the Korean beauty standard relies on all the imagery and cultural products driven by a government determined to make people forget the 1997 Asian economic crisis<\/b>, its roots<\/b> actually trace back to the mythical Joseon Dynasty<\/b>, which continues to inspire pride in the Korean people, if only for its exceptional longevity, spanning from 1392 to 1897\u2014more than 500 years.<\/p>\n

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It is the story of this prescriptive holistic beauty that transcends oceans<\/b> that we present here. Never far from idols, dramas, and wellness<\/b>, this K-beauty is the subject of a special exhibition<\/b> currently on view in Paris at the Guimet Museum<\/b> through July 6.<\/p>\n

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The Mythical Joseon Era<\/h3>\n

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Joseon is not just the name of one of the leading brands in contemporary South Korean cosmetics<\/b> (Beauty of Joseon). This name, a symbol of prosperity, refers first and foremost to a dynasty that ruled the Land of the Morning Calm for 500 years<\/b>, until the 18th century. It was during this period, in fact, that Korean beauty as we know it today began to blossom.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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At that time, women of high society were largely hidden from view<\/b>. It must be said that they lived in quarters separate from men, and their rare outings into the city required them to cover their faces. This scarcity in public spaces sparked the curiosity of artists<\/b> to the point of making women the favorite subject of 18th-century novels and a pictorial genre known as Miindo, or \u201cbeauty portraits.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Rejecting the dominant moral and didactic style of painting, Shin Yun-bok, <\/b>a renowned painter, theorized on canvas what, 300 years later, would still be perceived as the uniqueness of Korean beauty<\/b> and the ideal of beauty in Asia<\/b>. In his works, he was the first to depict women as desiring and individualized subjects<\/b>. This sensitive observation of daily life led him to popularize the archetype of the courtesan (or gisaeng)<\/b>, who was freer than her counterparts in the social elite, whether in her movements within the home or in her grooming.<\/p>\n

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Refined and sophisticated, these Joseon beauties<\/b>, much like those in the webtoon (digital comic) The Red Sleeve<\/em>, launched in 2020, pay particular attention to their style<\/b>. This innovation is already evident in their makeup, which features a more heavily made-up complexion<\/b> than that of their contemporaries, who are reputed to be more virtuous.<\/p>\n

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A Reflection of Neo-Confucianism<\/h3>\n

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Initially, Korean beauty conformed to the expectations of Neo-Confucianism<\/b>, a school of thought of Chinese origin advocating righteousness, respect for elders and propriety, restraint, and discipline<\/b>. These values were themselves conveyed in educational manuals<\/b> intended for young women.<\/p>\n

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In practice, this philosophy crystallized into a feminine aesthetic of restraint<\/b> through the pallor of \u201cporcelain skin\u201d or \u201cwhite jade,\u201d pink lips<\/b>,well-groomed hair<\/b>, simple and neat clothing, and daily ablutions<\/b>. From this emerged the first signs of a Korean beauty routine<\/b> and its multiple steps (or layers)<\/b>, which have become a hallmark of today\u2019s K-beauty.<\/p>\n

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Recipes for skin-lightening powders, scented oils, and protective balms were thus passed down from generation to generation. The 2015 discovery of Princess Hwahyeop\u2019s burial goods was particularly revealing, shedding light on the skincare rituals practiced at court<\/b> and the natural ingredients\u2014such as beeswax, cinnabar, and vinegar\u2014believed to be less harmful for lightening and maintaining the skin than mercury or lead<\/b>.<\/p>\n

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While the preservation of the body and skin is a matter of daily ritual and Confucian morality, so is the hair<\/b>. As such, it must be carefully maintained through the use of combs, perfumed oils, hairpins (binyeo), and ribbons (daenggi). To nourish, strengthen, or darken hair, people readily turned to plants<\/b> such as black sesame, ginger, angelica, or mulberry bark. As a social marker, different hairstyles reflected age, social status, and life stage.<\/b><\/p>\n

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To strictly follow this beauty routine and make daily tasks easier, Korean women rely on pocket mirrors, lacquer or porcelain powder compacts, and compartmentalized cases holding makeup, oils, and brushes.<\/b><\/p>\n

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An influence known as the flapper<\/h3>\n

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While fiercely Korean, K-beauty has nonetheless drawn on numerous foreign influences<\/b>. The 1920s<\/b>, marked by Japanese occupation<\/b> as well as the infiltration of foreign aesthetic standards<\/b>, brought about a profound and rapid transformation of the country. A new beauty standard made headlines in American and Japanese magazines as well as through the translation of literary works: the Western flapper of the Roaring Twenties.<\/strong> A model of independence, the short-haired (bob-cut) gar\u00e7onne came to symbolize modernity. Many Korean women did not hesitate to cut off their long, neo-Confucian hair and modernize their traditional attire, or hanboks.<\/p>\n

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Western style gained even greater prominence following World War II and the Korean War with the importation of Hollywood films.<\/b> Thus, in the wake of the country\u2019s division by the Americans, the 1950s saw traditional beauty and Western aesthetics coexist in everyday life, both in the city and in the arts. The cosmetics industry followed suit. Photographers like Han Youngsoo bore witness to this cultural transformation in the country.<\/p>\n

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Conquering the World<\/h2>\n

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Faced with the severity of the financial crisis that struck South Korea and other Asian countries in 1997<\/b>, the government chose to respond by deciding tomassively export cultural products<\/b> and capitalize on the international recognition the country had gained following the1988 Olympic Games<\/b>.<\/p>\n

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The initial focus was onexporting its cultural creations to its immediate neighbors, particularly through its romantic TV series or K-dramas, before expanding into film and music (K-pop)<\/b>.<\/p>\n

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But starting in the 2010s<\/b>, the government\u2019s strategy shifted in scope to target the West, specifically Europe and the United States<\/b>. At the forefront were music<\/b> (K-pop) and its idols, as well as films and TV series<\/b> (K-dramas), which, through their stars, conveyed all the tenets of K-beauty.<\/p>\n

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An ideal of smooth, refined beauty\u2014based on a ten-step routine<\/b> and aimed at achieving perfectly hydrated and toned skin<\/b>\u2014began to emerge. Dr. Jart<\/b> popularized BB Cream starting in 2011, while at the same time Sulwhasoo<\/b> entered luxury retail channels and LaNeige<\/b> took its first steps in the West. Offering products rooted in a tradition of natural herbs, K-beauty appears healthier and more authentic. Its colorful packaging and value for money make these products bestsellers. So much so that in2014<\/b>,the first Western retailers like Sephora and Glow Recipe<\/b> saw it as a way to refresh their offerings and attract a new customer base.<\/p>\n

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Unlike the corrective culture prevalent in the West, K-beauty focuses on prevention through the layering of different products<\/b>. And the South Korean cosmetics market doesn\u2019t limit itself to a female target audience: men are also being courted.<\/b><\/p>\n

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This constant quest for \u201cperformance\u201d<\/b> is not without consequences. The Land of Morning Calm hides intense pressure on individuals, as seen in major K-pop groups from BTS to BLACKPINK, who are forced to appear perfect inside and out<\/b> according to neo-Confucian principles. Highly appearance-driven, South Korea is also a place of drastic diets and normalized cosmetic surgery. It is therefore no surprise that the radical feminist 4B movement<\/b> emerged in this country. This movement advocates rejecting marriage, rejecting having children, and rejecting romantic relationships and sexual relations with men. It is a movement that has resonated, once again across the oceans, first in the United States and now in Europe.<\/p>\n

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Read also > A Brief History of\u2026 Tanning<\/a><\/p>\n

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Featured Photo: Figure of a courtesan or gisaeng in the Red Channel \u00a9 Dopamine, CreativeSUMM, Mikang Kang\/Haksan Publishing Co. Ltd. \u00a9 Editions Albins Michel for the French edition, comics department<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As the new symbol of global cool, K-beauty (or Korean cosmetics) has ultimately made its mark on global markets not just through its skincare products, but through its cultural uniqueness. Its strength lies as much in rapid innovation as in affordable prices and natural ingredients that are as powerful as they are healthy. Here is its dynamic 300-year history.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":507,"featured_media":42361,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"%%post_title%% %%sep%% %%sitetitle%%","_seopress_titles_desc":"Blending culture, innovation, and well-being, K-beauty\u2014or the Korean cosmetics industry\u2014has conquered the world. Here is its story.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"both","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":301,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[648],"tags":[546,64],"class_list":["post-42368","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-little-stories","tag-beaute-en","tag-history"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.luxus-plus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42368","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.luxus-plus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.luxus-plus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.luxus-plus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/507"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.luxus-plus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42368"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.luxus-plus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42368\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.luxus-plus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42361"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.luxus-plus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42368"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.luxus-plus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42368"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.luxus-plus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42368"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}