Kolmar Korea Leading the K-Sunscreen Trend

Research and development (R&D) are the key drivers of corporate growth.

A robust R&D infrastructure produces high-quality products, which increases sales and enhances consumer trust in the company.

Sunscreens, in particular, have become essential year-round, requiring consideration of various aspects such as convenience, ingredients, formulations, and UV-blocking technology.

Despite the complexity of this process, leading domestic cosmetics companies have heavily invested in the R&D of sunscreens.

As a result, they have produced innovative products with advanced technologies, capturing the domestic market and making significant inroads into international markets, thus sparking the 'K-Sunscreen' trend.

Here, we introduce innovative UV protection technologies and products from prominent companies such as Kolmar Korea, Cosmax, LG Household & Health Care, and Amorepacific. < Editor's Note>

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Kolmar Korea

Cosmax

LG Household & Health Care

Amorepacific

Kolmar Korea allocates approximately 7% of its sales revenue to R&D each year, enhancing its technological capabilities.

In 2022, the company established the 'UV Tech Innovation Research Institute,' the industry's first lab dedicated solely to UV research, where over 40 researchers are currently developing innovative technologies.

The institute is equipped with its own UV clinical testing equipment, which reduces the need for external testing and improves accuracy.

The continuous R&D investment has yielded significant results. Kolmar Korea has obtained over 50 patents related to high-functionality UV protection.

Kolmar Korea has obtained over 50 patents related to high-functionality UV protection.

Notably, in 2019, the company received the Minister of Trade, Industry, and Energy Award for developing a technology that simultaneously blocks UV rays, near-infrared rays, and blue light. This technology was also submitted under the Patent Cooperation Treaty, granting simultaneous application rights in 153 countries, including the U.S., Europe, and China, earning global recognition.

Last year, Kolmar Korea developed and patented a 'cosmetic composition for UV protection stabilizing poorly soluble ingredients.'

This technology enables the stable incorporation of poorly soluble but highly soothing ingredients into solid forms like sunsticks by minimizing the wax content needed for hardness while maintaining stability.

This year, Kolmar Korea became the first to discover a microbiome that inhibits skin aging caused by UV exposure, named 'Kolmabiome20 (KOLBM20)' after the company.

Moving forward, Kolmar Korea plans to develop UV sunscreens optimized for photoaging prevention utilizing KOLBM20.

Kolmar Korea is also accelerating its efforts to penetrate overseas markets. In 2013, it became the first in the industry to obtain OTC (Over-the-Counter) certification from the highly regulated U.S. FDA for its sunscreen products, facilitating its early entry into the U.S. market.

Sunscreens incorporating Kolmar Korea's technology have already gained significant popularity in the United States. For instance, the 'Chosun Beauty Clear Rice Sunscreen,' which utilizes the 'Fitting SPF Boosting' technology to stabilize UV protection ingredients in both water and oil layers, ranked first in the sunscreen category on Amazon during Black Friday and also topped sales at Olive Young Global.

Additionally, Kolmar Korea's clients' sunscreen exports have continued to perform well, leading to a record-breaking first quarter with consolidated sales of 574.8 billion KRW and an operating profit of 36.4 billion KRW.