K-Beauty in 2025: New hero ingredients, concise regimens and more

In the 2022 show Business Proposal, Manasa Garamella, co-founder, Kindlife, an online platform curating and retailing K-Beauty and other global cosmetics, recalls how the Kahi Wrinkle Bounce Moisturizing Multi Use balm became a talking point after the lead actor used it. “This was a product in a format that had existed for a long time in South Korea, but it was interesting to see the product become a talking point in the Indian context as well,” she says. 

In 2025, the K-Beauty, which is an integral part of the hallyu or the global popularity of South Korean culture which also includes K-Pop and K-Dramas, continued to find a growing audience in India. And this, is projected to grow even further. A study carried out by Kindlife and Datum Intelligence, projected K-Beauty to be the fastest growing segment in the Beauty and Personal Care category, from 11.9 million buyers in 2024 to an estimated 27.2 million K-Beauty buyers in India, in 2030. 

“K-beauty’s rise in India has been incredible, and we’re only just beginning to see its full impact,” Manasa says. Quoting the report, she says that the category is projected to cross  $1.5B by 2030, growing at 25.9% CAGR(Compound Annual Growth Rate), making it India’s fastest growing beauty segment. “This rise can be attributed to the growing influence of clinical-led brands and high-efficacy formulations, reflecting a clear cultural shift toward skin health over quick trends,” she says. 

Manasa Garemella
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

K-Beauty user trends are, however, evolving. While it initially grabbed eyeballs in India in the past for its elaborate skincare routines, Kindlife’s study suggests that 51% of K-Beauty users they survey use three to four products per day. Manasa also points to how the 10-step Korean routine has now been more ‘Indianised’ to a practical three or four step daily regimen. 

“Moisturisers, sheet masks and serums continue to be the most popular. But what we were very bullish about is how people have been taking to different ingredients. A few years ago, people were hesitant about snail mucin but this soon became popular as a hero ingredient and inspired by K-Beauty brands, we began to see Indian brands introduce it into their skincare lines,” she says. In 2025, Manasa points to how PDRN, a compound derived from salmon DNA, steadily became popular. “It will be interesting to see how category innovation continues to happen; across formats and formulations,” she adds. 

2026 predictions

With all the data knowledge from 2025, Manasa says 2026 will be an exciting year as well, as they enter a new era defined by science-led beauty, personalisation and holistic wellness. 

“Consumers increasingly want efficacy, longevity, and multi-tasking performance. We’ll see a stronger move toward barrier-first skincare and the modern ‘gwang’ philosophy — healthy, glowing skin from the inside out — powered by actives like exosomes, PDRN, NAD+, and peptides,” Manasa says. 

These innovations, she further predicts, will make a leap towards influencing haircare as well, with trends like glass hair, scalp rejuvenation, and hair longevity. And what about those very futuristic LED masks and contraptions for skincare you see on reels? “These tools will become a lot more mainstream as well,” she adds.