Seoul Beauty Week highlights AI tech, K-Beauty extends to inner care

Seoul Beauty Week 2026, themed "Beautiful Life in Seoul," has opened at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), marking its largest iteration yet with 152 participating companies. The event highlights the evolving landscape of K-Beauty, demonstrating a significant shift from external skincare to a more holistic approach encompassing medical aesthetics, healthy eating, and advanced AI technology.

South Korea's cosmetics industry is experiencing robust growth, with exports totaling $11.4 billion last year, surpassing the United States to become the world's second-largest exporter. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a crucial role, with their share of exports increasing from 63.6% in 2023 to 72.5% in the past year. Seoul Beauty Week serves as a vital platform for these businesses, facilitating connections with domestic and international buyers to expand their global market reach.

A key trend at this year's event is the integration of "Inner Beauty" concepts, merging medical aesthetics and nutrition with traditional beauty products. Furthermore, AI technology has emerged as a central focus, with numerous companies presenting AI-assisted beauty solutions. Notably, Lululab's AI Kiosk analyzes skin conditions in real-time, providing precise data on metrics like elasticity and pigmentation across nine indicators, and recommending personalized products.

Lululab aims to leverage accumulated global skin data to eventually extend its services into healthcare, moving beyond conventional cosmetics. Concurrently, the inaugural "Seoul Beauty Forum" is taking place, focusing on "K-Beauty 2.0, Towards Global Standards." Experts are discussing topics such as AI beauty technology, international regulatory compliance, and platform circulation strategies.

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The system can analyze skin condition in real-time while taking a picture of the face, providing data on wrinkles, melanin precipitation, and other indicators, and recommending suitable skincare products.