"From Eating to Wearing and Applying" The Vegan Craze Keeps the Beauty Industry Busy

Vegetarian Population Increases About 13 Times in 14 Years
Rapid Growth in Users of Cosmetics Beyond Food and Clothing
"Vegan Line Launches to Become More Active"

Kim Sun-young (30), an office worker living in Guro-gu, Seoul, has been practicing vegan consumption since last year. Except when meeting people, she purchases and uses all vegan products, from food to clothing. Recently, she switched her basic cosmetics to a vegan line that does not conduct animal testing during the manufacturing process. Kim said, "When I first started living vegan, I thought the inconveniences in daily life would be significant, but I have been maintaining it more easily than expected," adding, "Recently, there are restaurants, clothing stores, and cosmetic shops for vegans, so the range of choices is not narrow."

As the vegan craze continues, centered on the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z), vegan products are expanding beyond food to clothing, cosmetics, and daily necessities. Experts analyze that the vegan craze is intensifying as the ‘Meaning Out’ trend, where people express their beliefs and values through consumption patterns, spreads. Interest in ethical consumption is increasing not only for diet or health but also for the environment, climate, animal protection, and issues related to factory farming, leading to a growing demand to participate through consumption.

Beauty brand Hourglass of Shinsegae International launched the 'Phantom Volumizing Glossy Balm' last year.
[Photo by Shinsegae International]

According to the Korea Vegetarian Union on the 12th, the domestic vegetarian population was estimated to be about 2 million last year. The number of vegetarians, which was 150,000 in 2008, has increased about 13 times in 14 years. This accounts for about 3-4% of the domestic population, and the proportion is expected to be higher when including consumers who prefer vegetarianism beyond strict vegetarians.

Recently, the cosmetics industry has been an active area for vegan consumption. The global market research firm Statista forecasted that the vegan cosmetics market size will exceed approximately 23 trillion won by 2025. Considering that the vegan cosmetics market size was 17 trillion won in 2020, this represents about a 35% expansion in five years. The domestic vegan cosmetics market size is also growing day by day. According to the Korea Vegan Certification Institute, the domestic vegan cosmetics market size was only about 160 billion won in 2013 but surged nearly fourfold to 570 billion won last year. It is estimated to approach 1 trillion won by 2025.

Amorepacific launched the vegan brand Longtake, including hair products, in April last year. LG Household & Health Care also introduced the vegan makeup brand Freshian in May last year, which uses plant-based ingredients not only for the main ingredients but also for the sub-ingredients. Freshian’s average quarterly growth rate last year reached about 68%.

Shinsegae International’s lifestyle brand JAJU recently launched the eco-friendly ‘JAJU Wellness’ line and newly introduced vegan-exclusive skincare. This line exceeded 200% of its sales target last year, gaining popularity among young consumers.

Another vegan-oriented cosmetics brand, Hourglass, also posted sales from January to March this year that increased by 120% compared to the same period last year, exceeding expectations. Hourglass analyzed that the increase in sales was due to the growing preference of the MZ generation, the main consumer group, considering that 85% of all purchasing customers are in their 20s to 40s. LF’s vegan brand Atte’s ‘Vegan Relief Sun Essence’ also aggressively targets the market by expanding distribution channels after achieving more than twice its sales target.

Professor Lee Eun-hee of Inha University’s Department of Consumer Studies said, "Vegan cosmetics are popular not only for expressing personal beliefs such as animal welfare and environmental issues but also for meeting the needs of those who want to take care of their skin health," adding, "While practicing vegetarianism in food is quite difficult, the relatively low entry barrier to practicing vegetarianism in cosmetics is also a factor in the popularity of vegan cosmetics."