"I can't go back to American sunscreen"
Korean sunscreen gains popularity among U.S. consumers
Stockpiling a year's supply amid price hike concerns
As American consumers, worried about soaring prices due to U.S. President Donald Trump's 'tariff threats,' rush to stockpile goods, the inclusion of 'Korean sunscreen' among the hoarded items has drawn attention.
A cosmetics shopping mall in Myeongdong, Seoul is bustling with foreign customers. Photo by Heo Young-han
On the 10th (local time), The Washington Post (WP) compiled a list of '8 items consumers are stockpiling' based on social media and online communities, as Americans fear price increases on imported goods within the U.S. due to the Trump administration's tariff imposition.
Among these items was 'Korean sunscreen,' which functions as both a sunscreen and a cosmetic product. WP analyzed that Korean sunscreen is popular because it meets three conditions: effective UV protection, a light texture, and good compatibility with other cosmetics, leading consumers to stockpile it.
Unlike Asia and Europe, the U.S. regulates sunscreens as pharmaceuticals, making it difficult to produce products that meet all three of these conditions like Korean sunscreen. On the U.S. social media platform Reddit, Korean sunscreen was also highlighted as a 'beauty product to buy now,' proving its popularity. One Reddit user said, "I bought a year's supply of Korean sunscreen in advance," adding, "I can never go back to American sunscreen."
Thanks to the recent global K-pop and Hallyu wave, the K-beauty trend is booming worldwide, and Korean cosmetics are gaining popularity in the U.S. According to Bloomberg News on the 31st, Korea's cosmetic exports to the U.S. last year reached $1.701 billion (about 2.5 trillion KRW), surpassing France ($1.263 billion, about 1.8 trillion KRW). Canada ranked third with $1.022 billion (about 1.5 trillion KRW), followed by Italy, China, Mexico, the UK, and Japan.
The K-beauty craze is attributed to the popularity of K-culture. The Korean cosmetics industry is benefiting from the global popularity of K-pop and K-dramas, and companies are leveraging product sponsorships to sell various products in the U.S. market, the media reported. Earlier, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced that the scale of Korean cosmetics exported worldwide, including to the largest market, the U.S., increased by 20.6% year-on-year to $10.2 billion (about 15 trillion KRW), surpassing $9.2 billion (about 13.5 trillion KRW) in 2021 and breaking the $10 billion mark for the first time.
Meanwhile, according to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), a poll conducted over six days from the 27th of last month with 1,500 U.S. voters showed that 54% opposed President Trump's tariff policy. Three-quarters of respondents expressed concern that prices at the grocery store could rise significantly following Trump's import tariff bomb. The recent stockpiling frenzy is interpreted as reflecting these concerns.
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