K-Beauty Shifts to ‘Inner Beauty’ Market, Aiming for $13.1B by 2034
Creatrip Team
a month ago
South Korea’s cosmetics companies are increasingly investing in “inner beauty” (먹는 뷰티 — ingestible beauty supplements) and wellness products as a new growth engine. Global market research projects the category to grow from $4.2 billion last year to $13.1 billion by 2034. Domestic sales are also rising rapidly, with Korea’s inner-beauty market nearly doubling toward 2 trillion KRW. Retailer CJ Olive Young reported a 50% year-on-year rise in inner-beauty sales Jan–May and has launched a wellness platform called OLIVE BETTER (올리브베러) that curates six daily wellness categories; its flagship stores reached over 500,000 visitors. Brands and manufacturers are expanding through partnerships and global push: APR signed an MOU with supplement OEM NaturalWay to co-develop K-inner-beauty products for Southeast Asia, North America and Europe; Cosmax showcased integrated R&D and ODM services at HNC 2026 in Shanghai and held discussions with about 500 brands; women’s wellness brands like Rael released combined glutathione–vitamin mixes. Industry players say the sector is broadening from single-function products (e.g., collagen, diet aids) to everyday wellness solutions for sleep, bloating, gut health and more, making it a strategic extension of traditional beauty retail and a high-potential export category.
