Cosmetics Company Embraces "Kimchi" as Kolmar Korea Targets Global Market with "K-Ingredients"

"Kimchi" Selected as Next-Generation Cosmetic Ingredient
Ingredient Database Accelerates Expansion of Product Lines and Markets

A researcher at Kolmar Korea is conducting research and development using materials. Kolmar Korea

Kolmar Korea has recently selected "kimchi" as a next-generation cosmetic ingredient and is leveraging this uniquely Korean material to target the global cosmetics market. The company is going beyond simply incorporating Korean ingredients into product concepts, and instead is systematically managing the entire process-from sourcing materials and verifying efficacy to applying them in products-to secure long-term technological assets.

In December of last year, Kolmar Korea signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the World Institute of Kimchi, a government-funded research institute under the Ministry of Science and ICT, and began research on using kimchi-derived microorganisms as cosmetic ingredients. The plan is to reinterpret Korea's representative food culture as a next-generation microbial resource and develop it into a new cosmetic raw material.

Research utilizing native plants is also a key pillar. Through an agreement signed in December last year with the National Institute of Biological Resources, the company has established a foundation to secure native plant resources from pristine regions in Korea with rich biodiversity, such as Jeju Island and Ulleungdo, which had not been utilized previously. The discovered materials will be compiled into a database and used as core technologies in the high-performance cosmetics sector.

In fact, Kolmar Korea was the first in the cosmetics industry to prove the hair loss alleviation effects of Sophora flavescens, a native leguminous plant. The company confirmed that Sophora flavescens extract causes less skin irritation and offers superior safety compared to synthetic ingredients previously used in products, leading to the development of the new functional ingredient "ScalpPrime." Additionally, Kolmar Korea was the first in the world to demonstrate the anti-aging effects of Spiraea prunifolia extract, which is found throughout the Korean Peninsula, and has developed and patented skin-protective ingredients from sunflower, Stellaria, and lingonberry extracts. The company has also launched products featuring recreated scents such as hibiscus and rape flowers from Sanbangsan in Jeju, and has so far obtained patents for more than 10 types of native plant fragrances.

As research data on ingredients accumulates, a virtuous cycle has formed, with the range of applicable product categories and markets expanding in tandem. For example, Beplain's "Mung Bean Mild Acidic Cleansing Foam," which contains domestically sourced mung bean ingredients, surpassed cumulative sales of 10 million units after its launch and has entered overseas markets including the United States, China, Vietnam, and France.

A Kolmar Korea representative stated, "Through continuous research and development, we are building a database of uniquely Korean ingredients that can be applied to a wide range of fields and products," adding, "We will continue to secure differentiated competitiveness in the global market based on 'K-ingredients' that cannot be found anywhere else in the world."