How does Korea affect Indonesia’s Beauty?
K-Beauty has significantly reshaped beauty ideals in Indonesia. The pursuit of “glass skin” and a bright complexion, popularized by K-pop idols and K-dramas, has created aspirational standards.
These ideals link beauty to confidence, success, and modernity, making Korean aesthetics highly desirable. K-Beauty products also resonate deeply because their lightweight, hydrating, and natural formulations suit Indonesia’s tropical climate and Asian skin types better than heavier Western alternatives.
This wave of K-beauty fervour has sparked a surge in local product innovation, with numerous Indonesian brands eagerly imitating Korean cosmetics, from core concepts and formulations to eye-catching packaging and branding strategies.
Take Somethinc, a rising local powerhouse, which has crafted products like its HYALuronic9+ Advanced + B5 Serum and AHA BHA PHA Peeling Solution, echoing the Korean staples from COSRX, complete with sleek, minimalist bottles that scream premium K-skincare.
Emina, Indonesia’s go-to teen cosmetic line, mirrors this by offering glossy lip stains and compact cushions in playful, pastel-hued packaging inspired by the cute aesthetics of Etude House.
Even more telling are brands like Avoskin, Hanasui, and Miss Glam, which draw inspiration from Korean giants such as By Wishtrend, Nature Republic, and COSRX.
These adaptations highlight how local players infuse K-beauty’s tech-driven trends with cultural relevance, fueling a homegrown movement where entrepreneurs aspire to replicate, and perhaps one day rival, South Korea’s global beauty dominance.
A Tale of Inspiration: Comparing Korean and Indonesian Skincare Innovations
Indonesia’s Beauty Market Dynamics
Young and fast growing, the total cosmetics market revenue of Indonesia has reached US$ 9.17 billion and is projected to reach nearly US$10bn as of 2028, growing annually by 4.6% (CAGR 2025-2028) (Insight of Consulting, 2024).
Several factors drive this expansion: a rising middle class, increased urbanization, and greater beauty awareness for both women and men. Crucially, Indonesia has a youthful demographic profile, with Gen Z alone constituting approximately 27.9% of the population, about 75 million people, and when combined with Millennials, over 52% of the population is under 35 years old (VOI, 2021).
This massive, trend-conscious young consumer segment is the reason why Indonesians are highly influenced by global pop culture, especially the Korean Wave (K-pop, K-drama, K-beauty).
According to Kantar, the beauty and personal care category grew 16% annually as of Q1 2025, four times faster than general 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 News
Indonesia and South Korea enjoy a strong economic partnership (IK-CEPA free-trade agreement) that reduces the trade barriers (Kumparan, 2022).
This has encouraged many Korean beauty brands and OEM giants—such as COSMAX, a Korean company that expanded to Indonesia in 2013.
As of August 2025, Cosmax Indonesia has achieved stellar growth, achieving annual sales of KRW 113.2 billion in 2024 (+31.9% YoY) and KRW 29.6 billion in Q1 2025 (+22.8% YoY), boasting an average annual growth rate of 48% over the past three years (TopDaily, 2025).
Globally, Cosmax has secured its position as the No.1 cosmetics ODM worldwide. Existing in 100 countries, Cosmax has consolidated 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).
In the first half of 2025 alone, the company posted KRW 1.21 trillion in sales and KRW 112.2 billion in operating profit (+30.2% YoY), underscoring its drastic worldwide growth momentum.
These achievements are driven by Cosmax’s strategic localization and its ability to adapt K-beauty trends into global contexts, making Indonesia a key driver for the Group’s international success (MK Korea, 2025).
© Cosmax.com
Indonesian distribution companies also frequently partner with Korean suppliers (e.g. Infinisia Sumber Semesta Co., Ltd., an Indonesian cosmetics raw materials distributor has 7 suppliers from Korea (Infinisia, 2025).
Many local brand owners use Korean ODM (original design manufacturer) services to develop products aligned with K-beauty trends. Conversely, Korean firms tap Indonesia as a production base or investment location, attracted by its large consumer base and lower labour costs.
Indonesian Food and Drug Regulatory (BPOM) even shows thousands of new product registrations each year, reflecting both imports and local creations (Insight of Consulting, 2024).
E-commerce is the driving force behind this growth. With around 189.6 million digital commerce users, beauty and personal care hold the largest share at 54.4% of total transactions.
Platforms like Tokopedia, Shopee, and Lazada have made Korean products more accessible across the archipelago. Research shows that featuring K-pop idols as brand ambassadors on Tokopedia boosted purchase interest by 46.1%, while on Shopee, 80.3% of surveyed Gen Z students said their buying decisions were influenced by their idols.
Moreover, Gen Z in Indonesia shows a strong tendency to buy during live streaming (62% made purchases via live shopping based on a 2024 data), making features like Shopee Live and TikTok Live powerful conversion tools.
After TikTok Shop reopened in Indonesia, the number of beauty products sold surged by 250%, underscoring the explosive adoption of social commerce (Food Navigator Asia, 2025).
Globally, TikTok Shop’s beauty category recorded even more dramatic growth, with GMV reaching US $2.1 billion in Q4 2024, up 153% year-on-year (InfoCharm.io, 2025).
Moreover, the beauty and personal care sectors dominate the platform: nine out of the top ten stores and eight of the top ten best-selling products belong to this category. Additionally, beauty is the most active category on TikTok Shop, with 63% of all brands and 87% of local beauty brands operating a TikTok Shop account (Momentum Works, 2025).
Best Selling Products from Korea at Sociolla © Sociolla.com
As of 2025, Indonesia has approximately 1,292 cosmetic companies, underscoring a thriving beauty landscape.
However, the nation still faces a critical challenge: the inability to produce raw materials domestically. Most local manufacturers rely on basic natural extracts, while South Korea has soared ahead with advanced technologies such as PDRN, exosomes, and encapsulation.
In a recent FGD with Paragon, Dra. Mediana Hadiwidjaja from Infinisia Sumber Semesta, acting as a key respondent, pointed out that at the undergraduate level, Indonesia still has no dedicated degree in cosmetic science; the subject is only offered as an elective course.
She is actively advocating for the establishment of a specialized cosmetic science program to strengthen local research and innovation. Without concerted government support, in the form of policy, research funding, and educational infrastructure, this gap in raw material production remains one of Indonesia’s most pressing weaknesses in the cosmetics sector.
Mediana Hadiwidjaja attending the Annual BKKPII 2025 Meeting (RRI.com, 2025)
Emerging Trends and Ingredients
Both markets are witnessing rapid evolution in beauty trends and ingredients:
- Skincare dominance: Consumers focus on acne care, brightening, and anti-ageing. Key ingredients include multi-type hyaluronic acid, ceramide, retinol, and peptides. Korean clinic-grade actives like vegan PDRN, microneedles, and exosomes are gaining popularity in Indonesia.
- Digital and social influence: Indonesians are tech-savvy and beauty-obsessed. Korean celebrities and influencers help brands engage local audiences. For instance, Hanasui’s revenue surged by 252% after positive reviews from viral influencer Dokter Detektif amid the overclaim skincare controversy.
- Value and versatility: Price-sensitive consumers want multifunctional products (e.g. SPF + moisturizer + brightening). Brands like Skintific respond with affordable, multi-active formulas. A study found 60% of Indonesians now read packaging to check ingredients.
- Clean and sustainable beauty: Demand for natural, “clean” formulations is growing. Local brands emphasize halal-certified, eco-friendly ingredients and packaging. Korean brands, too, are marketing green credentials and transparency (for example, vegan skincare).
Key Takeaways
- Indonesia’s beauty market is booming thanks to its large youth population (over 270M people, 52% under 35) and rising middle-class. Skincare is king (projected >$800M by 2026), and consumers are eager for innovation, often from Korea.
- The Hallyu effect means Indonesian consumers heavily follow Korean beauty standards. Trade data confirms this linkage: Indonesia is one of Korea’s key export markets for cosmetics. Meanwhile, global brands (Korean, Chinese, Western) compete for market share, with Chinese brands rising fast due to affordability.
- Beauty trends continue to evolve: Korean innovations (microneedles, PDRN, exosome, snail mucin, etc.) and Indonesian preferences (brightening, multifunctional, halal/natural) are merging. Staying updated on these trends is crucial for brand owners, suppliers, and distributors in both countries.
Overall, Indonesia and South Korea form a dynamic beauty symbiosis. Indonesia’s young consumers fuel demand for K-beauty, while Korea contributes innovation and global influence.
Yet as Chinese brands rise, the landscape is shifting. Looking forward, with stronger research, smarter regulation, and better education, will Indonesia have become “the next Korea” in beauty innovation—moving from a trend-follower to a trendsetter?
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