As demand grows for at-home skincare, the beauty device market is expanding, and more corporations are rolling out new products. Cosmetic makers that have led the market, as well as pharmaceutical and biotech companies, home appliance companies, and small and midsize businesses, are rushing in, diversifying product types and price ranges.
According to the industry on the 26th, global cumulative sales of Medicube Age-R, a beauty device sold by APR, surpassed 6 million units this month. Sales topped 5 million in September last year and have continued steady growth into early this year, led by overseas markets such as North America and Japan.
Medicube Age-R is a flagship APR beauty device with a steadily expanding lineup. Centered on the bestseller Booster Pro, the lineup incorporates technologies such as electrical muscle stimulation (EMS), radio frequency (RF), and high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). The plan is to accelerate its market expansion with new releases in the second half of this year.
Traditional beauty giants Amorepacific and LG H&H are also focusing on the beauty device market. Amorepacific has built out a premium lineup through the brand "Makeon," which comes at relatively higher price points. The On:face LED mask launched in November last year is priced in the 1.8 million won range.
LG H&H made a full-fledged entry into the market last year by acquiring the LG Electronics beauty device brand "LG Pra.L." The first product released after the brand acquisition was the Superform Galvanic Booster. It stands out for its lower price point than rivals and a compact, lightweight form that improves consumer accessibility.
As the growth potential of the beauty device market draws attention, competition has intensified among pharmaceutical and biotech companies and appliance makers that are not directly related to cosmetics. Dongkook Pharmaceutical, known for products such as Madecassol and Igatan, launched the beauty device brand "Madeka Prime" and even established its own production infrastructure.
Kyungdong Pharm teamed up with Hanil Electric Co. to target the beauty device market. Biotech corporations BNC Korea launched the premium home beauty device brand "Lucenia" in June last year, and Amway Korea unveiled the beauty device "Derma Architect" in September.
CERAGEM Co., which has focused on medical devices such as massagers, is also expanding its beauty device lineup. The Medispa All-in-One, launched late last year, combines five core skincare technologies, including dual ultrasound and microcurrent. It is intended for at-home care of key skin concerns such as elasticity, texture, and brightening.
Small and midsize companies are also entering the market. Because certification procedures are relatively simpler than for medical devices, the barriers to entry are lower. In particular, those with experience handling home appliances have the advantage of applying their own technologies—such as radio frequency and ultrasound—to beauty devices.
AtHome has ramped up its market push under the beauty brand "THOME," unveiling a four-step skincare solution and the droplet ultrasound device "The Glow." AtHome is well known for its compact food waste processor "Minix." Cuckoo, which had focused on rice cookers, also introduced a brand called Renature and launched skincare devices.
According to the "K-beauty industry shifts" report released by Samil PwC Management Research Institute, the global home beauty device market is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 26.1%, from $14 billion (about 20.1 trillion won) in 2022 to $89.8 billion (about 129.2 trillion won) in 2030. The domestic market leading the industry grew about 20-fold, from 80 billion won in 2013 to 1.6 trillion won in 2022.