"'That Cream' Only Sold Here... The Place Foreign Tourists Are Flocking to by Word of Mouth"

A Surge in Purchases of Acne Ointments and Skin Regeneration Creams
Available Only at Pharmacies, Not at Olive Young

On the 11th, at a pharmacy in Myeongdong, Jung-gu, Seoul. Jackie (50), a tourist from the Philippines whom we met there, was browsing acne ointment and regeneration cream at the pharmacy's functional cosmetics display. Jackie said, "I saw it on Instagram and came to buy it," adding, "They don't have it at Olive Young, and I heard it's sold cheaper at pharmacies, so I'm busy going around looking for it."

Julia (26), a tourist from Brazil who was nearby, added that she planned to visit two more pharmacies in the Myeongdong area. She wanted to compare the prices of skin regeneration ointments. She said, "Pharmacies in Brazil don't sell skincare products," and added, "There are a variety of ointments for acne, scars, and burns, and it's also an advantage that you can buy them more cheaply than famous overseas brands." She continued, "I have small pimples and am interested in skincare, so I want to try new products while I'm here," and said, "I also like that I can apply it only to the areas where I need it."

Foreign tourists shopping at a pharmacy located in Myeongdong on the 9th. Photo by Lee Eunseo

Foreign tourists visiting Korea are increasingly heading to pharmacies. They are engaging in so-called "pharmacy shopping" to purchase items such as painkillers, skin ointments, and vitamin C.

The most popular products among foreign tourists are acne and scar ointments or regeneration creams from pharmaceutical companies. These products, which are not sold at health and beauty (H&B) stores but only at pharmacies, are selling rapidly.

At the pharmacies in the Myeongdong area that the reporter visited, the skincare section was more crowded than the cold medicine section. Gao Zai (25), a tourist from China, bought four ointments for itchy skin at just one pharmacy. Gao said, "They are widely introduced on Chinese social media, so I wanted to buy them while I was in Korea." Han (40), a pharmacy staff member, said, "Regeneration ingredients are trending, so it seems people are buying ointments or cushions from pharmaceutical companies," and added, "Acne ointments are especially popular among Japanese and Chinese customers."

Videos that appear when searching the hashtag 'Koreanpharmacy'. Tourists watch these videos to find Korean pharmacies. Instagram screenshot

The majority of foreigners visiting Korean pharmacies learned about the products online. On platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, lists of must-buy cosmetics from Korean pharmacies are being shared. Some foreign tourists were seen carrying screenshots of these lists as they searched for products. Misaki On (23), a tourist from Japan who was putting several regeneration creams into her basket, said, "I wasn't particularly interested in skin regeneration, but I saw it on TikTok and came to buy it," and added, "I'm planning to give some as gifts to my friends."

According to Korea Tourism Data Lab, the number of medical consumption cases by foreigners increased, reaching 201,681 in February this year, 308,144 in March, and 379,826 in April, marking the highest figures in the past two years. More than 50% of these cases were at pharmacies, and 21% were at dermatology clinics.

The fact that "pharmacy shopping" has become a part of tourist itineraries is also related to the sharp increase in medical tourists visiting Korea last year. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the number of foreign patients who visited Korea in 2024 was 1.17 million, nearly double the 610,000 recorded in 2023. Kim Namjo, a professor at Hanyang University's Department of Tourism, said, "This is a combination of medical tourism and beauty tourism," and added, "Consumers recognize that the quality of Korea's medical products related to skincare has improved."