At Cosmoprof Bologna—the world’s biggest beauty trade show—the integrated Korean pavilion, the largest ever staged, turned heads among global buyers and closed roughly $20 million in on-site export deals.
Korea Trade‑Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) ran the integrated Korean pavilion at the Cosmoprof Bologna beauty fair in Italy from the 26th for three days.
Co‑hosted by KOTRA and five partner organizations, the pavilion featured more than 3,000 exhibitors from 65 countries and drew about 250,000 visitors. Buyers from top global beauty retailers like Sephora, Douglas and Naima kept coming through. A record 279 Korean companies participated.
K‑beauty has long led U.S. and Japanese import markets and is now gaining serious momentum across Europe.
South Korea’s cosmetic exports to the European Union surged 305%, jumping from $280 million in 2022 to $1.13 billion in 2025. By contrast, global exports rose 44% over the same period, from $8 billion to $11.5 billion, highlighting Europe’s standout growth.
On Douglas’s online marketplace, roughly 650 K‑beauty products were listed as of July 2025—more than 30 times the 22 items available four years earlier.
Products showcased at the pavilion are also diversifying. While skincare and dermocosmetics still account for 54%, ICT‑integrated beauty‑tech devices now make up 14%, alongside color cosmetics and hair and nail care. Hair‑care exports rose 16% last year to $480 million, driven by a trend to treat the scalp like skin.
KOTRA arranged meetings between pavilion companies and 83 high‑potential buyers from 26 countries, invited by its European trade offices. Local buyers and observers pointed to several K‑beauty success factors: carving out differentiated skincare niches, using natural ingredients and innovative production methods, social‑media marketing tied to the Korean Wave, and excellent value for money.
Kim Hwe‑suk, CEO of Woori Idul Plus, a finalist for the Cosmoprof Awards, said, “We developed a sheet cleanser that foams when it meets water, and buyers were very interested in our zero‑waste packaging that dissolves in water. KOTRA connected us with a vendor in Italy’s OVS retail network, and we landed a major export contract.”
KOTRA President Kang Kyung‑sung said, “K‑beauty’s achievements in Europe—the historic heart of the beauty industry—create ripple effects in other markets. We’ll expand K‑beauty beyond skincare into ICT‑ and medical‑linked beauty tech, as well as color cosmetics and hair and nail care, to build a virtuous cycle of consumer goods and cultural exports.”
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