The rise of Korean beauty and skincare felt near unstoppable for years. Attracted by the aspirational “glass skin” of K-pop idols and K-drama actors and captivated by the almost meditative flow of the skincare routines, American consumers quickly embraced the K-beauty range.
But Donald Trump’s sudden imposition of import tariffs on South Korea threatens to disrupt that momentum, with fans bracing for price hikes and shortages of products that have come to define their skincare rituals.
