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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Joanna Partridge

From snail slime to salmon sperm: the K-beauty boom hits UK high streets

United Kingdom London LG South Korea TIKTOK Boots Mintel Savills
A woman rubs face cream on to her skin
K-beauty’s positive reputation stems in part from Korea’s tradition of using natural substances in products. Photograph: tiktok

Korean beauty products are moving from phone screens to UK high streets as social media drives sales of skincare with the help of eye-catching ingredients such as snail slime and salmon sperm.

Retailers are looking to capitalise on the TikTok and Instagram trend for skincare and makeup ranges from South Korea – known as K-beauty – by opening physical stores and launching brands in a push to get consumers to pick up products that havegone viral online.

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