Why Korean Pharmacies Are the New Ultimate K-Beauty Destination

I just got back from a work trip to Seoul, and I’ve got to say—every visit to the city comes with an overflowing dose of discoveries and inspiration. From food to beauty, nature, and music, the South Korean capital never fails to amaze me and leave me in awe. 

For us beauty girls, no trip to Seoul is complete without a visit to Olive Young—the city’s counterpart to Sephora; only it’s 100X more stimulating and decked out with thousands of infinitely more interesting products to look at, try, and experience for hours on end. 

Last year, I visited the Olive Young N Seongsu branch in Seongsu-dong, a five-storey building that houses nothing but the ultimate best and newest in Korean beauty and beyond. There are different experience zones, a special section for men, a personalization section, and on the top floor, a wellness section and an advanced skincare section. That was the first time I had noticed the K-Dermo trend. 

Just a few days ago, I visited the Hongdae branch for the very first time, and the three-storey building was not as overwhelming as the Seongsu branch, but equally fun and inspiring. There was a special Dermo Cosmetics section on the third floor as well. At that point, I knew that K-beauty isn’t the same as it was. Gone are the days when 10-step skincare routines, aegyosal eyes, and gradient lips were all that you’d think about when you came across K-beauty. Today, it’s about post-treatment care and medicinal, pharmacy-grade skincare products that work even harder. 

According to CJ OLIVE YOUNG statistics, “Advanced Derma has seen rapid growth, emerging as a new growth driver for the K-Derma market. Sales in June increased by more than 260% compared with April, the first full month following the category’s launch. Interest from global customers is also growing rapidly. Foreign customers account for approximately 70% of sales, driven in part by growing demand for professional skincare treatments in Korea. The Advanced Derma Beauty Consulting service, recently introduced at Beauty Mansion Seongsu, has also received a strong response, with more than 80% of users being international customers.”

Thanks in part to Korean dermatologists and content creators going on TikTok and Instagram to give their pharmacy skincare recommendations, and thanks in part to the unstoppable rise of beauty tourism, the K-Derma trend is going nowhere but up.

It’s no secret that Koreans are envied for their poreless, flawless complexions. Perhaps it’s the copious amounts of kimchi they consume, but we’re pretty sure it has something to do with their dedication to their skincare routines. 

With this, there’s also no surprise that people from all over the world flock to Seoul to get their fair share of glass skin and porcelain complexions. Beauty tourism has risen over the years, with Korean content creators and dermatologists sharing their best-kept aesthetic havens and their suggested treatment stacks (think Ultherapy-Belotero-Radiesse-Xeomin in one clinic visit) freely for the world to join in. 

Korean clinics are no longer reserved for Hangul readers; instead, there are English-speaking concierges at Korean beauty clinics now, especially for international travelers hoping to go back to their countries looking better than ever before. 

After these treatments, consumers are looking for ways to prolong and maintain the glow with post-treatment care products that do the heavy lifting after all the clinic work is done. While getting supplies from dermatologists is still a great idea, Korea realized that the missing piece in the puzzle is accessibility of these products long after the treatments are done.

Enter: Korean pharmacies, or “yakguk“. The new trend, K-Pharmacy, is quickly becoming the must-do for beauty enthusiasts traveling to Seoul. I have personally experienced the rise of this trend just when the Rejuvenex and Reju-all PDRN serums were making the rounds in Korean pharmacies. These viral products were being sold at exorbitant prices online, so I knew I had to go the other route. I had friends who went to Seoul, and I simply could not resist the urge to make “pasabuy“.

During my earlier trips to Seoul, Korean pharmacies looked as clinical as can be. They were white, devoid of any merchandising design, and were places quite literally for buying cold and indigestion medicine. Right now, K-Pharmacies are the it beauty spots to be. Case in point: Onnuri, a decades-old pharmacy chain that functions as a traditional drug store, is now a trendy go-to for beauty must-buys. 

In the university crowd central of Hongdae, I chanced upon Onnuri Beauty, obviously a pharmacy, but most definitely a beauty store as well. With Rx signs all over the place, you know that what you’re getting is medicinal-grade products, expertly backed and tested, superior in their claims. The only difference is that it’s now lined with pink walls, prettier shelves, and the viral products (think PDRN serums, retinal creams, and advanced sheet masks) are displayed front and center. K-Pharamacy really is a thing in Korea right now.

You’ve gone to Olive Young and Onnuri. You’ve seen the shift. Medicinal-grade products are the it girls in Korean skincare right now. While the retail giant Olive Young started creating its own Dermo Cosmetics section, Onnuri started a makeover for its key stores, and you now have an industry that is bursting at the seams with high-grade skincare solutions. Pharmaceutical brands like Centellian24 by Dongook Pharmaceutical, CNP Laboratory, and Bioheal BOH have worked overtime to start offering their products to the masses, but most are left even more overwhelmed and confused. 

Yes, we love that medicinal-grade skincare products are within reach, but as with any other medication, expert guidance is still key. We don’t just go to a Mercury Drug, buy a random cough medicine, and think it will cure our ailments. More often than not, consulting your doctor is the best way to go about shopping for medications. 

In this case, we suggest talking to your go-to dermatologist before hopping on the K-Dermo trend. A lot of these products contain active ingredients that might counteract other ingredients in your existing routine, so it’s best to be sure. You don’t want to end up with burnt skin or a compromised skin barrier. 

Treat the K-Pharmacy or K-Dermo trend as you would your regular drugstore—with caution and with a huge dose of advice from your licensed professional! 

Happy shopping, chingus!