Korean companies were especially visible across the finished products halls at Cosme Week Tokyo, a post-pandemic trend that underscores K-beauty’s sustained momentum in Japan’s retail beauty market, particularly within the mass segment. Here are the standout innovations identified by Premium Beauty News among Korean and Japanese exhibitors:
Korean dermatological face care brand Franz focused on intensive blemish care with the recent launch of their brand new Spot Patches. This is a trio of nearly translucent medicated pimple patches developed for the different stages of pimple inflammation. The UV-blocking Early Spot contains centella asiatica extract and bee venom to calm early inflammation before the spot breaks out. Active Spot Patch is a hydrocolloid patch with antibacterial tea tree oil for maximum skin calming, while the Dark Spot Patch contains niacinamide and madecassoside and helps to fade and brighten discoloured skin patches.
Japanese beauty brand B No Sol presented a new pore care EMS device. The Nose Beauty Device is a USB-chargeable infra-red/EMS device that is clamped onto the nose like a tiny pair of earphones. The wings of the nose are covered with the EMS pads so that the red light and the electro-magnetic stimulation can tackle inflammation, helping to decrease pore size.
Korean newcomer dermo brand Mela-K targets consumers suffering from vitiligo, a chronic skin condition in which melanin production is interrupted, resulting in lighter/whitish skin patches that are particularly visible in darker skin tones. Mela-K’s line-up offers a skin brightening Radiance Ampoule formulated with a patented melanin-regulation ingredients complex to help restore the natural balance of damaged melanocyte activity. The line also includes an innovative foundation pen (available in two shades) with a felt-tip applicator. The foundation is a very liquid formula similar to long-lasting lip stains and the pen is used to precisely colour in lighter skin patches. According to the brand, the colour lasts up to three days.
Japanese tech brand Scentmatic has created Kaorium, an AI system that verbalises olfactory sensations through language to help novice fragrance buyers express what kind of perfume they want . The AI-powered database associates words and emotions with 16 scent samples, guiding consumers through the decision process via a multi-language touch screen interface. Suitable for multi brand and single brand retailers, the system can be installed in-store or used to train perfumery staff.
Korean feminine wellness brand Ovment recently launched Scent Therapy, four functional fragrance blends based on essential oils. Packaged in stylish roller-ball applicators the “therapeutic fragrances” are based on silky processed plant oils and can help relax, invigorate or soothe mood and emotions.
Japanese salon brand Dr. Soie’s new Pro & iPS Re: Cream is a luxurious anti-ageing moisturiser formulated with iPS (induced pluripotent stem cells), one of the most trending new functional actives in the Japanese anti-ageing beauty market. The formula also features senolytic ingredients (targeting senescent/aged skin cells) including hexa-peptide 6 and acetyl tetra-peptides-2, lotus germ extract and sphingomonas extract.
Japanese salon brand Dr. Touhi’s new iPX Scalp Serum also contains an iPS complex. The iPX serum is designed to help improve circulation and reduce inflammation (thus encouraging hair growth) when applied to the scalp but the brand says that the product can also be used as an anti-ageing solution on facial skin or the body.
Korean beauty brand Levero launched a four-SKU range of multi-purpose enzymatic powder cleansers for hair and body. While powder cleansers remain a niche segment in the Korean beauty market, the Japanese powder cleanser market is significantly larger, with an estimated turnover of USD 85.9 million in 2025. Levero’s powder cleansers are based on corn starch, coconut acid as key surfactant, and papain. Other key ingredients include powdered plant extracts such as calendula, neem tree and green tea, oatmeal, barley or rice bran.
Japanese salon manufacturer Wave Corporation introduced Aqua Shift Water in its Spa Treatment brand. Aqua Shift Water is a highly oxidised and weakly acidic electrolysed water to prepare skin for following face care steps. Due to its low surface tension the water easily penetrates the skin, softening dead skin cells and removing the last traces of cleansing lotions/gels from the pores.
Newcomer K-beauty brand Slowment’s 6-sku face care range focuses on slow ageing products. Their Lifting Tension Cream Mask is a particularly interesting launch: the mask sheet is made from highly flexible polyurethane rather than tencel or hydrogel, while the mask essence is a milky lotion, rather than the more common clear essence, and is formulated with hydrolyzed collagen, elastine, young centella callus exosomes and green tea seed oil. The extra stretchy mask material adds a lifting effect to the masking experience.
