South Korean beauty products are moving from social media feeds to UK high streets, as retailers capitalise on viral trends for ingredients like snail slime and salmon sperm. The K-beauty phenomenon, driven by TikTok and Instagram, is prompting physical store openings and brand launches across Britain.
According to market research firm Mintel, 34% of UK users have bought a beauty product after seeing it on social media, rising to 58% of Gen Z consumers. A fifth of Gen Z (aged 13-28) use K-beauty products, compared with 8% overall, and are more likely to follow the 10-step skincare routines popular in South Korea.
Products such as Cosrx's snail mucin essence and Anua's face serum containing PDRN from salmon sperm are now available at Boots and Superdrug. Boots reported selling a Korean skincare product almost every 15 seconds between December and February, and has expanded its range. Barclays data shows spending on health and beauty was 10.2% higher in the first quarter of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024.
Korean retailer Moida opened its first UK store in west London in December and a second this month near Leicester Square. Rival PureSeoul now has eight outlets across the UK, including Birmingham and Manchester, with two more planned this year. Skin Cupid has signed a 10-year lease for a central London store after a successful pop-up.
Electronics giant LG, which started as a cosmetics company in 1947, is expanding its beauty arm LG Household & Health Care. It launched its K-beauty brand Belif in the UK in May, initially online and at two stores.
