A K-beauty turf war is brewing in the US

• The US loves Korean beauty, which is sparking a turf war among America’s biggest beauty retailers.
• Sephora and Ulta Beauty are signing exclusive sales partnerships with K-beauty brands.
• This comes ahead of South Korean retailer Olive Young’s much-awaited US debut.

As South Korea’s beauty giant Olive Young gears up to land on US shores, American retailers are jostling for a share of the K-beauty pie.

US beauty retailers like Sephora and Ulta Beauty are snapping up South Korean beauty brands and inking exclusive sales partnerships to capitalize on the K-beauty trend.

Skincare brand Hanyul announced in May that it was exclusively launching in the US via Sephora. Aestura, a sensitive skincare brand, said the same in February.

And Ulta Beauty is the only major US retailer selling products from Medicube, a beauty tech company whose skincare devices have been touted by celebrities like Kylie Jenner and Hailey Bieber.

This turf war over K-beauty in the US is unfolding before Olive Young, South Korea’s answer to Ulta Beauty, makes its much-awaited US debut in 2026. The retailer, which has over 1,300 stores in South Korea, is known for stocking top-ranking K-beauty brands and focusing on trendy and affordable products.

K-beauty, known for its innovative formulations, gentle ingredients, and multi-step routines, means big money. According to data from marketing research firm NielsenIQ, it was a $2 billion industry in the US in the year leading up to July 2025 — up 37% from the same period the year before.

US retailers are betting big on K-beauty

Sephora stocks many big-name Korean brands, such as Beauty of Joseon, Dr. Jart+, Laneige, Aestura, Hanyul, and others.

Ulta Beauty execs said on an earnings call in August that the company is expanding its K-beauty assortment, with new additions like Anua and Peach & Lily joining its existing portfolio of Korean brands like Medicube, Belif, COSRX, and others.

Ashley Kang, the global beauty director of Chicago-based market research company Worldpanel, said K-beauty is still a niche product category. Its core audience consists of Asian consumers and younger demographics, ranging from Gen Alpha to millennials.

“Until the rise of K-culture, Asian beauty outside of Japan had little global recognition,” Kang said. “The growing influence of Korean pop culture and dramas allowed people to see the flawless skin of Korean celebrities, building trust and belief in K-beauty products.”

High-quality beauty at affordable prices

K-beauty differs from clean skincare brands from the US, like Hailey Bieber’s Rhode, in several ways.

Larissa Jensen, the global beauty industry advisor of Chicago-based market research firm Circana, said brands like Rhode home in on ethical ingredient sourcing. In contrast, K-beauty brands have carved out a niche in preventive care and long-term skin health.

Anna Keller, a senior beauty and personal care analyst from London-based market research firm Mintel, told Business Insider that K-beauty has a price advantage over US brands.

“They’re super affordable, so you’re getting high-quality, effective products without breaking the bank,” Keller said.

Sephora and Ulta Beauty are choosing K-beauty brands that have already proven themselves to US consumers, she said. These brands, like Beauty of Joseon and Medicube, have been popular on online platforms like Amazon.

“A lot of this success comes from social media buzz — think TikTok trends like ‘glass skin’ and the hype around ingredients like snail mucin,” Keller said. “Sephora and Ulta are essentially riding the wave of this existing demand, bringing in brands that are already popular and have a strong following in the US.”

Olive Young will be entering a tough US market

With US retailers snapping up K-beauty brands before Olive Young’s debut next year, the Korean company is set to enter a competitive landscape.

“Unlike Sephora and Ulta, which focus on a handful of big-name brands, Olive Young is more about discovery,” Keller said. “They’re known for curating a mix of well-known and up-and-coming Korean brands, which makes them a go-to for people who want to explore beyond the mainstream.”

Kang from Worldpanel said Olive Young needs to “position itself as a K-beauty specialist, ensuring that its competition does not directly overlap with Sephora or Ulta.”

She said that the retailer can take advantage of the tariff turmoil. Olive Young can provide US consumers easy access to a broad range of K-beauty brands now that there are fewer ways to obtain them.

Kang said that K-beauty is a trend that is set to get even stronger in the US market.

She added, “This trend is not limited to skincare — it is expected to extend into hair care, makeup, fragrance, beauty devices, and beyond.”

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