How does Korea have an effect on Indonesia’s Magnificence Requirements?
Ok-Magnificence has considerably reshaped magnificence beliefs in Indonesia. The pursuit of “glass pores and skin” and a vibrant complexion, popularized by Ok-pop idols and Ok-dramas, has created aspirational requirements.
These beliefs hyperlink magnificence to confidence, success, and modernity, making Korean aesthetics extremely fascinating. Ok-Magnificence merchandise additionally resonate deeply as a result of their light-weight, hydrating, and pure formulations swimsuit Indonesia’s tropical local weather and Asian pores and skin varieties higher than heavier Western alternate options.
This wave of Ok-beauty fervour has sparked a surge in native product innovation, with quite a few Indonesian manufacturers eagerly imitating Korean cosmetics, from core ideas and formulations to eye-catching packaging and branding methods.
Take Somethinc, a rising native powerhouse, which has crafted merchandise like its HYALuronic9+ Superior + B5 Serum and AHA BHA PHA Peeling Resolution, echoing the Korean staples from COSRX, full with smooth, minimalist bottles that scream premium Ok-skincare.
Emina, Indonesia’s go-to teen beauty line, mirrors this by providing shiny lip stains and compact cushions in playful, pastel-hued packaging impressed by the lovable aesthetics of Etude Home.
Much more telling are manufacturers like Avoskin, Hanasui, and Miss Glam, which draw inspiration from Korean giants comparable to By Wishtrend, Nature Republic, and COSRX.
These diversifications spotlight how native gamers infuse Ok-beauty’s tech-driven traits with cultural relevance, fueling a homegrown motion the place entrepreneurs aspire to duplicate, and maybe in the future rival, South Korea’s international magnificence dominance.
A Story of Inspiration: Evaluating Korean and Indonesian Skincare Improvements
Indonesia’s Magnificence Market Dynamics
Younger and quick rising, the entire cosmetics market income of Indonesia has reached US$ 9.17 billion and is projected to succeed in practically US$10bn as of 2028, rising yearly by 4.6% (CAGR 2025-2028) (Perception of Consulting, 2024).
A number of components drive this enlargement: a rising center class, elevated urbanization, and higher magnificence consciousness for each ladies and men. Crucially, Indonesia has a youthful demographic profile, with Gen Z alone constituting roughly 27.9% of the inhabitants, about 75 million folks, and when mixed with Millennials, over 52% of the inhabitants is underneath 35 years previous (VOI, 2021).
This large, trend-conscious younger client section is the explanation why Indonesians are extremely influenced by international popular culture, particularly the Korean Wave (Ok-pop, Ok-drama, Ok-beauty).
In response to Kantar, the sweetness and private care class grew 16% yearly as of Q1 2025, 4 occasions sooner than common FMCG. In 2024, Indonesia imported roughly $317 million in cosmetics, with ~$56.7 million from Korea, making Korea the 2nd largest cosmetics importer in Indonesia. (Kantar, 2025)
Prabowo (Indonesia’s President) and Lee Jae-myung (South Korea’s President) vow to deepen strategic ties © The Korea Information
Indonesia and South Korea get pleasure from a powerful financial partnership (IK-CEPA free-trade settlement) that reduces the commerce limitations (Kumparan, 2022).
This has inspired many Korean magnificence manufacturers and OEM giants—comparable to COSMAX, a Korean firm that expanded to Indonesia in 2013.
As of August 2025, Cosmax Indonesia has achieved stellar progress, attaining annual gross sales of KRW 113.2 billion in 2024 (+31.9% YoY) and KRW 29.6 billion in Q1 2025 (+22.8% YoY), boasting a median annual progress price of 48% over the previous three years (TopDaily, 2025).
Globally, Cosmax has secured its place because the No.1 cosmetics ODM worldwide. Current in 100 nations, Cosmax has consolidated gross sales of KRW 2.166 trillion in 2024, surpassing Italy’s Intercos and Korea Kolmar, and recording a 51.6% YoY surge (The Dong-A Ilbo, 2025).
Within the first half of 2025 alone, the corporate posted KRW 1.21 trillion in gross sales and KRW 112.2 billion in working revenue (+30.2% YoY), underscoring its drastic worldwide progress momentum.
These achievements are pushed by Cosmax’s strategic localization and its skill to adapt Ok-beauty traits into international contexts, making Indonesia a key driver for the Group’s worldwide success (MK Korea, 2025).
© Cosmax.com
Indonesian distribution corporations additionally continuously associate with Korean suppliers (e.g. Infinisia Sumber Semesta Co., Ltd., an Indonesian cosmetics uncooked supplies distributor has 7 suppliers from Korea (Infinisia, 2025).
Many native model homeowners use Korean ODM (unique design producer) providers to develop merchandise aligned with Ok-beauty traits. Conversely, Korean companies faucet Indonesia as a manufacturing base or funding location, attracted by its massive client base and decrease labour prices.
Indonesian Meals and Drug Regulatory (BPOM) even exhibits hundreds of recent product registrations annually, reflecting each imports and native creations (Perception of Consulting, 2024).
E-commerce is the driving pressure behind this progress. With round 189.6 million digital commerce customers, magnificence and private care maintain the most important share at 54.4% of complete transactions.
Platforms like Tokopedia, Shopee, and Lazada have made Korean merchandise extra accessible throughout the archipelago. Analysis exhibits that that includes Ok-pop idols as model ambassadors on Tokopedia boosted buy curiosity by 46.1%, whereas on Shopee, 80.3% of surveyed Gen Z college students stated their shopping for choices had been influenced by their idols.
Furthermore, Gen Z in Indonesia exhibits a powerful tendency to purchase throughout reside streaming (62% made purchases by way of reside procuring primarily based on a 2024 information), making options like Shopee Stay and TikTok Stay highly effective conversion instruments.
After TikTok Store reopened in Indonesia, the variety of magnificence merchandise offered surged by 250%, underscoring the explosive adoption of social commerce (Meals Navigator Asia, 2025).
Globally, TikTok Store’s magnificence class recorded much more dramatic progress, with GMV reaching US $2.1 billion in This autumn 2024, up 153% year-on-year (InfoCharm.io, 2025).
Furthermore, the sweetness and private care sectors dominate the platform: 9 out of the highest ten shops and eight of the highest ten best-selling merchandise belong to this class. Moreover, magnificence is essentially the most energetic class on TikTok Store, with 63% of all manufacturers and 87% of native magnificence manufacturers working a TikTok Store account (Momentum Works, 2025).
Greatest Promoting Merchandise from Korea at Sociolla © Sociolla.com
As of 2025, Indonesia has roughly 1,292 beauty corporations, underscoring a thriving magnificence panorama.
Nonetheless, the nation nonetheless faces a crucial problem: the lack to supply uncooked supplies domestically. Most native producers depend on primary pure extracts, whereas South Korea has soared forward with superior applied sciences comparable to PDRN, exosomes, and encapsulation.
In a current FGD with Paragon, Dra. Mediana Hadiwidjaja from Infinisia Sumber Semesta, appearing as a key respondent, identified that on the undergraduate stage, Indonesia nonetheless has no devoted diploma in beauty science; the topic is barely supplied as an elective course.
She is actively advocating for the institution of a specialised beauty science program to strengthen native analysis and innovation. With out concerted authorities assist, within the type of coverage, analysis funding, and academic infrastructure, this hole in uncooked materials manufacturing stays certainly one of Indonesia’s most urgent weaknesses within the cosmetics sector.
Mediana Hadiwidjaja attending the Annual BKKPII 2025 Assembly (RRI.com, 2025)
Rising Tendencies and Substances
Each markets are witnessing speedy evolution in magnificence traits and elements:
- Skincare dominance: Shoppers deal with zits care, brightening, and anti-ageing. Key elements embrace multi-type hyaluronic acid, ceramide, retinol, and peptides. Korean clinic-grade actives like vegan PDRN, microneedles, and exosomes are gaining recognition in Indonesia.
- Digital and social affect: Indonesians are tech-savvy and beauty-obsessed. Korean celebrities and influencers assist manufacturers have interaction native audiences. As an example, Hanasui’s income surged by 252% after optimistic critiques from viral influencer Dokter Detektif amid the overclaim skincare controversy.
- Worth and flexibility: Worth-sensitive shoppers need multifunctional merchandise (e.g. SPF + moisturizer + brightening). Manufacturers like Skintific reply with inexpensive, multi-active formulation. A research discovered 60% of Indonesians now learn packaging to verify elements.
- Clear and sustainable magnificence: Demand for pure, “clear” formulations is rising. Native manufacturers emphasize halal-certified, eco-friendly elements and packaging. Korean manufacturers, too, are advertising and marketing inexperienced credentials and transparency (for instance, vegan skincare).
Key Takeaways
- Indonesia’s magnificence market is booming due to its massive youth inhabitants (over 270M folks, 52% underneath 35) and rising middle-class. Skincare is king (projected >$800M by 2026), and shoppers are longing for innovation, usually from Korea.
- The Hallyu impact means Indonesian shoppers closely observe Korean magnificence requirements. Commerce information confirms this linkage: Indonesia is certainly one of Korea’s key export markets for cosmetics. In the meantime, international manufacturers (Korean, Chinese language, Western) compete for market share, with Chinese language manufacturers rising quick attributable to affordability.
- Magnificence traits proceed to evolve: Korean improvements (microneedles, PDRN, exosome, snail mucin, and so forth.) and Indonesian preferences (brightening, multifunctional, halal/pure) are merging. Staying up to date on these traits is essential for model homeowners, suppliers, and distributors in each nations.
General, Indonesia and South Korea type a dynamic magnificence symbiosis. Indonesia’s younger shoppers gasoline demand for Ok-beauty, whereas Korea contributes innovation and international affect.
But as Chinese language manufacturers rise, the panorama is shifting. Wanting ahead, with stronger analysis, smarter regulation, and higher training, will Indonesia have develop into “the following Korea” in magnificence innovation—transferring from a trend-follower to a trendsetter?
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