[My Person] Cosmetics Holding the Key to the 1 Trillion Won Club in Pharmaceutical Companies... I am in Charge of Beauty at Dongkook Pharmaceutical

⑦Dongkook Pharmaceutical Beauty Division Product Planning Department
Head Lee Hyunjin, Centellian24 Planning
"Madeca Cream took a full 2 years to develop"
"Emphasizing sincerity... human application tests are important"
Aiming to achieve 1 trillion KRW in sales by 2025

Dongkook Pharmaceutical, well known for the wound ointment ‘Madecassol’ and the gum medicine ‘Insadol,’ has transformed into a comprehensive domestic beauty company, led by the dermocosmetic (pharmacy cosmetics) brand Centellian24. We met with Lee Hyunjin, head of the Product Planning Department in Dongkook Pharmaceutical’s Beauty Business Division, who oversees the overall planning, development, and launch of Centellian24 brand products.

In an interview with Asia Economy on the 27th, Lee frequently used the word “authenticity” while explaining Madeca Cream. He said, “As the leading brand of domestic dermocosmetics, Centellian24 is continuously striving to plan and develop authentic products and deliver fast and definite effects that match.”

On the 25th, Lee Hyunjin, Head of Product Planning Department, Beauty Business Division, Healthcare Business Headquarters, was met at Dongkook Pharmaceutical headquarters in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Hyewon

Centellian24 is a brand that develops and launches cosmetics made by extracting a high concentration of TECA, the Centella leaf ingredient mainly used in Madecassol. It pioneered the domestic dermocosmetic market by launching ‘Madeca Cream’ for the first time in 2015. It achieved sales of 16 billion KRW in its first year and has recorded a cumulative 490 billion KRW as of the end of last month.

The success of Madeca Cream became a decisive turning point in raising the presence of the Centellian24 brand within Dongkook Pharmaceutical. Until 2015, Centellian24’s sales accounted for about 6% of Dongkook Pharmaceutical’s total sales, but it has recorded an annual growth rate of more than double each year and now accounts for 26%. Accordingly, the cosmetics product planning department has emerged as a proud ‘cash cow’ within the company.

Lee said, “Consumers purchase cosmetics that match their concerns, but there is a limit to buying based solely on the story behind the product or brand’s creation,” adding, “In an era where thorough verification and expertise on the efficacy of cosmetics are essential to survive, it is important to provide authentic solutions to consumers’ skin concerns.”

He also hinted, “Product planning starts from consumers’ skin concerns,” and “It usually takes more than two years for a product to be born.”

He continued, “We develop products based on differentiated ingredients and technical know-how to quickly, safely, and reliably care for various skin concerns according to skin type, age, and gender,” adding, “During this process, multiple tests are conducted, and the final developed product proves its effectiveness through clinical trials.”

The great success of Madeca Cream laid the foundation for Dongkook Pharmaceutical to expand into home beauty businesses such as beauty devices. Dongkook Pharmaceutical entered the home beauty device market last year with ‘Madeca Prime’ and has been demonstrating its presence in the beauty device market by releasing a high-end lineup in the first quarter and new products in the second quarter of this year.

Dongkook Pharmaceutical, which achieved its highest-ever sales of 731 billion KRW last year, aims to reach 1 trillion KRW in sales by 2025, riding this momentum.

"The beauty market is one where countless cosmetic brands are born and disappear. It is very rare and difficult for a single product like ‘Madeca Cream’ to be consistently loved over a long period amid rapidly changing beauty trends. Ultimately, I believe that maintaining brands that are chosen by consumers and operated for a long time is an important role of our product planning department."