August 20, 2026 6:21AM

How K-Beauty and J-Beauty are Gaining Ground in Malaysia

K-Beauty and J-Beauty are becoming a much stronger part of how Malaysians think about skincare. What was once seen mainly as a trend or imported alternative is now becoming a more established choice, with Korean and Japanese brands appearing more often among the brands Malaysians know, consider and compare with local and other international options.

This shift is changing the competitive landscape. Malaysian skincare brands still benefit from familiarity and local relevance, but K-Beauty and J-Beauty are bringing different strengths into the market, from contemporary product experience and distinctive branding to trust, formulation quality and gentleness. It is part of a wider change in Malaysian skincare behaviour explored in our Malaysia Skincare Market Trends 2026: What Brands Need to Know.

The more important question is no longer whether Korean and Japanese skincare have a presence in Malaysia. It is how quickly they are gaining ground, which Malaysians are driving that growth, and which brands are turning that interest into stronger preference and recommendation.

Research Methodology

This article is based on findings from the Malaysia Skincare Study 2026 conducted by Vodus Research. The study explored how Malaysians use skincare, the concerns and benefits that shape their choices, their skincare routines, purchase behaviour, brand preferences and attitudes towards different skincare products and brands.

The survey collected responses from 2,221 Malaysian adult skincare users across Peninsular and East Malaysia, spanning different age groups, income levels, ethnic backgrounds, regions and skincare user types. Respondents were asked about their skincare habits, skin concerns, product preferences, purchase behaviour and perceptions of brands and country of origin. Fieldwork was conducted from 28 May to 15 June 2026.

Insights were gathered through Vodus Research’s proprietary OMTOS online survey method, which reaches Malaysian consumers through the Vodus Media Network. The network includes major media channels such as Astro, Media Prima and TVS, enabling broad coverage across Peninsular and East Malaysia.

Korean and Japanese Skincare Are Moving Rapidly into Consideration

The strongest sign of K-Beauty and J-Beauty’s growing influence is not simply that more Malaysians recognise them. It is that far more are now willing to consider buying them.

South Korean skincare awareness rose from 47% in 2025 to 75% in 2026, while consideration increased from 36% to 57%. Japan followed a similarly strong path, with awareness rising from 41% to 64% and consideration from 28% to 51%.

That is a substantial shift in just one year. Korean and Japanese brands are not only becoming more visible; they are entering many more Malaysians’ skincare shortlists.

Both countries also strengthened at the final preference stage, while preference for Malaysian-origin skincare eased from 38% to 34%. Malaysian brands remain the strongest overall, but South Korea and Japan recorded the largest gains across awareness, consideration and preference.

Together, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan now account for 80% of Malaysians’ first country preference for skincare brands. By comparison, brands from countries such as France, the United States, China, Indonesia and Singapore account for much smaller shares of first preference.

What this points to is a more competitive market. Local brands still have the advantage of familiarity, but Malaysians are increasingly comfortable putting Korean and Japanese skincare alongside them when deciding what to buy.

K-Beauty Is Growing Beyond Its Trend-Led Image

K-Beauty initially attracted attention through fast-moving trends, distinctive packaging, new product formats and strong digital visibility. Its appeal in Malaysia today, however, appears to be broadening beyond that image.

South Korean skincare has particularly strong consideration among Malaysians aged 35–44, those living in the Central region and higher-income groups. Nearly 2 in 3 Malaysians aged 35–44 would consider Korean skincare, while consideration reaches 68% among those earning more than RM10k a month.

This suggests K-Beauty is not relying only on younger Malaysians following the latest skincare trends. It is also reaching more established and higher-income skincare users, giving Korean brands access to audiences that may be comparing products more closely on ingredients, effectiveness and suitability.

The brands themselves help explain why.

Beauty of Joseon has built particularly strong advocacy around trust and formulation quality. It records the highest recommendation score among the Asian masstige brands analysed, at NPS +54. Among Malaysians who recommend it, around 7 in 10 point to its trusted reputation, high-quality ingredients and gentle, safe formulations.

COSRX wins for a somewhat different mix of reasons, with effectiveness, trust and value among the strongest reasons for recommendation.

Laneige is also closely associated with product performance and formulation, while Innisfree stands out more clearly around ingredient quality and sustainability.

That variety is an important part of K-Beauty’s strength. Malaysians are not choosing from one generic Korean skincare proposition. Different brands offer different reasons to enter K-Beauty, whether through efficacy, ingredients, gentleness, sustainability, value or product experience.

J-Beauty Is Building Strength Through Trust and Product Credibility

J-Beauty is gaining ground through a somewhat different route.

Japanese skincare has developed a broad reputation around reliability, quality and gentleness. Among Malaysians familiar with Japanese skincare, some of the strongest associations are high-quality ingredients, products designed for specific skin concerns, gentle formulations and trusted brands. Japan leads or shares the lead across 10 of the 14 country perceptions measured in the study.

The Malaysians drawn to Japanese skincare are also somewhat different.

Nearly 2 in 3 Chinese Malaysians would consider Japanese skincare, while more than half of Malaysians aged 55 and above would do the same. Interest is also particularly strong in the Northern region.

This points to a more established, trust-led form of appeal, particularly among groups that may be looking for dependable formulations and products suited to specific skincare needs.

Hada Labo provides one of the clearest examples of how that reputation can translate into brand strength.

Although it competes in the mass and mainstream set alongside several brands with wider reach, Hada Labo records the highest first preference in that group at 17%. It also turns 54% of those who would consider the brand into first choice.

Its recommendation story reflects many of the same qualities associated with J-Beauty more broadly. Three in four Malaysians who recommend Hada Labo cite effective products, while high-quality ingredients and brand trust are also among its strongest recommendation drivers.

Hada Labo also performs particularly strongly among Malaysians aged 35–44 and those with combination or sensitive skin, showing how a clear product proposition can turn wider perceptions of Japanese skincare into relevance for specific skincare needs.

Biore shows another side of J-Beauty. Its strongest recommendation driver is good value for money, cited by nearly 3 in 4 promoters, followed by trust and product effectiveness.

Together, these brands show that J-Beauty can stretch from efficacy- and trust-led skincare to more accessible, value-oriented propositions.

Korea and Japan Are Gaining Ground for Different Reasons

K-Beauty and J-Beauty are often grouped together as part of the broader rise of Asian skincare, but Malaysians do not appear to see them in exactly the same way.

South Korean skincare has a more contemporary image. It stands out particularly for attractive packaging, while sustainability, natural ingredients and pleasant product experience are also strong associations.

Japanese skincare has a broader reputation around trust, ingredient quality, gentleness and products designed for specific skin needs.

These perceptions also separate Korean and Japanese skincare from brands originating elsewhere.

In our country imagery analysis, Southeast Asian skincare, including Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, stands out more strongly around value for money, personal values and natural ingredients. French skincare has stronger associations with trust, ingredient transparency and dermatological credibility, while skincare from the United States is particularly associated with ingredient quality and dermatological testing. Chinese skincare has a stronger value and product-experience image.

The growing importance of dermatological reassurance is itself becoming a distinct part of skincare choice. We explore that shift in more detail in Dermocosmetics in Malaysia: How Consumers Choose Clinical Skincare.

For Malaysian brands, these different country associations create a much wider competitive benchmark. A local brand may be compared with a Korean brand on product experience and contemporary appeal, a Japanese brand on trust and formulation quality, or a clinically positioned international brand on dermatological reassurance.

Country Reputation Gets Brands Noticed, but Performance Still Wins

The rise of K-Beauty and J-Beauty does not mean Malaysians choose skincare simply because it comes from South Korea or Japan.

Country of origin can shape first impressions and expectations, but the individual brand still has to deliver.

Across the countries analysed in our study, effective results, pleasant product experience and brand trust are the strongest factors linked to country preference. Ingredient quality and products that address specific skin concerns also matter.

The individual brand findings reinforce this.

Beauty of Joseon earns recommendation through trust, quality and gentle formulations. COSRX benefits from effectiveness, trust and value. Hada Labo builds advocacy through product effectiveness, ingredient quality and brand reputation.

In other words, being Korean or Japanese may help get a brand noticed or considered, but it does not replace the need for a convincing product proposition.

That is especially important as Malaysians compare more options. Across most of the countries measured, the final move from consideration to first preference weakened in 2026, suggesting people are building broader shortlists before deciding which skincare they prefer most.

More brands are getting into consideration. Fewer can assume that consideration will turn into preference.

What the Rise of K-Beauty and J-Beauty Means for Malaysian Brands

Malaysian skincare brands remain in a strong position. Local-origin skincare still leads overall awareness, consideration and preference.

But the rapid growth of Korean and Japanese skincare is changing the standards Malaysians use when comparing brands.

The answer for local brands is not simply to copy Korean packaging or Japanese formulation language.

K-Beauty shows how distinctive brands and products can appeal to different groups through clear propositions around experience, ingredients and performance. J-Beauty shows the value of trust, formulation quality, gentleness and dependable results.

Malaysian brands have their own strengths, particularly around familiarity, value and relevance to local needs. The opportunity is to build on those strengths with clearer product benefits, stronger evidence of performance and more distinctive positioning.

This wider competitive shift goes beyond K-Beauty and J-Beauty alone. Our Malaysia Skincare Market Trends 2026: What Brands Need to Know looks at how changing skin needs, routines, purchase behaviour and brand expectations are reshaping the category more broadly.

As Malaysians gain more choices, being familiar may help a brand enter the shortlist, but it will not always be enough to win.

K-Beauty and J-Beauty Are Becoming Part of Malaysia’s Skincare Mainstream

The growth of Korean and Japanese skincare is not being driven by one brand, one demographic group or one beauty trend.

K-Beauty is broadening through brands that offer different combinations of efficacy, ingredients, product experience and contemporary appeal. J-Beauty is strengthening through trust, quality and dependable product performance, with brands such as Hada Labo and Biore showing how those broader perceptions can translate into clear reasons to choose them. 

Most importantly, the rapid growth in awareness and consideration since 2025 suggests Malaysians are increasingly comfortable looking beyond familiar local choices when deciding what deserves a place in their skincare routine

For brands competing in Malaysia, that is the bigger shift. K-Beauty and J-Beauty are not simply adding more products to the market. They are giving Malaysians more reference points for what good skincare should offer, from effectiveness and ingredients to trust, experience and value.

And as those expectations rise, every brand has to work harder to be considered, chosen and recommended.

Explore the Full Malaysia Skincare Study 2026

The findings covered here represent only part of our Malaysia Skincare Study 2026.

The full report examines how skincare preferences and behaviour differ by age, gender, income, region, skin type and consumer profile, alongside detailed analysis of country-of-origin perceptions, brand awareness, usage, consideration, preference, recommendation and purchase behaviour.

For brands competing with K-Beauty, J-Beauty or established local players, the report provides a deeper view of who different brands attract, what Malaysians expect from them and what ultimately influences their choice.

Download the full Malaysia Skincare Study 2026 to explore the consumer segments, brand opportunities and competitive shifts shaping Malaysia’s skincare market.

Vodus Research pioneered the OMTOS survey method to deliver accurate, fast and affordable market research in Malaysia, supported by actionable consumer, brand and industry insights. Our research solutions include brand health tracking, product innovation research, target market research, customer satisfaction surveys and advertising research, helping organisations understand consumer behaviour, evaluate brand performance, identify market opportunities, improve customer experience and strengthen marketing effectiveness.

To learn how Vodus can help your organisation uncover opportunities and make more informed business and marketing decisions, contact us at contact@vodus.com.