• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, December 30, 2024

As Korean beauty products continue rebounding, L’Oréal Group is buying Dr.G, a skincare line best known for hit products like R.E.D Blemish Clear Soothing Cream. Dr.G, a dermatologist-founded brand owned by Gowoonsesang Cosmetics Co., is currently owned by Migros, a Swiss retail group.

L’Oreal says the acquisition, which will become part of the company’s consumer products division, will help the beauty giant meet both the growing demand for K-Beauty and effective yet affordable skincare solutions.

Founded by Dr. Gun Young Ahn in 2003, Dr.G emerged as a leader in the exploding K-Beauty category over the last ten years, with targeted and affordable product lines that have made it one of the top three mass-market and dermo-cosmetic skincare brands in South Korea.

K-Beauty products have been global powerhouses for years now, first vaulting into superstardom when elaborate 10-step skincare routines took hold in the early days of Instagram. The popularity of the products, many of them marketed with elaborate scientific claims, helped propel retailers like Olive Young and such brands as Cosrx, Innisfree, Laneige and Dr. Jart+ (the latter owned by Estee Lauder), to international fandom.

And despite a recent lull in sales, particularly in China, K-beauty has come roaring back with the “glass skin” trend, featuring endless social-media posts about skin so perfectly dewy and hydrated it might be made of glass.

As a result, the U.S. is now the second-biggest market, following China, with K-beauty brands booming in Japan, as well. And there are signs of a recovery in the Chinese market, too.

“Dr.G perfectly complements our existing skincare portfolio,” says Alexis Perakis-Valat, global president of L'Oréal's consumer products division, in the announcement. “We have been following the brand and its success for many years, and we look forward to accelerating its growth in South Korea and the rest of the world, staying true to our mission to democratize and premiumize beauty by bringing the best of Korean skincare to consumers everywhere.”