Pharmacies Become New K-Beauty Hubs as 'Pharm Beauty' Gains Ground
Creatrip Team
19 days ago
Korean pharmacies are emerging as a fast-growing sales channel for K-beauty by combining functional skin-care products with professional pharmacist consultations, a trend dubbed “pharm beauty (팜뷰티).” Unlike traditional cosmetic retail that focuses on brand and product appeal, pharm beauty emphasizes expert advice to help consumers choose treatments tailored to their skin concerns. Demand from foreign visitors is rising: medical spending by foreigners in Korea jumped 77.2% year-on-year in June, and the share of pharmacy-related medical spending rose from 57.9% to 69.0%. Pharmaceutical companies are expanding into pharmacy beauty: brands such as Noscana (노스카나) and Melatonin cream (멜라토닝크림) have already succeeded through pharmacy channels, and firms like Pharmaresearch’s subsidiary launched a pharmacy-only line “Rejuvi (리쥬비)” featuring PDRN-based barrier care products derived from regenerative medicine technology. Industry sources say pharmacies’ expert service and trust make them well suited to sell high‑functionality beauty products, positioning pharm beauty as a key future channel.
