South Korean cosmetics exports to Russia rise 20.3% to $287.7 million
South Korea exported $287.7 million of cosmetics and skincare products to Russia in the first eight months of 2026, up 20.3% year on year. Shipment volume fell 6.2% to 8,550 tonnes, while skincare and broader makeup products drove the increase in value.
Export value rises as shipment volume contracts
South Korean exports of cosmetics and skincare products to Russia reached $287.7 million in the first eight months of 2026, an increase of 20.3% from the same period a year earlier, Kommersant reported, citing RIA Novosti and data from South Korea’s customs service.
The rise in value came despite a decline in physical shipments. Export volume fell 6.2% to 8,550 tonnes. The divergence between higher revenue and lower tonnage indicates that the product mix, declared values or both shifted toward more valuable goods during the period.
The figures underline the continuing role of South Korean suppliers in Russia’s imported beauty market. The performance was not uniform across the sector: broad skincare and makeup products expanded, while several narrower decorative-cosmetics categories recorded sharp declines.
Skincare and broader makeup category drives growth
The main contribution came from the combined category of makeup and skincare preparations. Its exports to Russia rose 24.5% year on year to $277 million, accounting for most of the reported cosmetics and skincare trade by value.
Several specific decorative categories moved in the opposite direction. South Korean exports of lip makeup to Russia declined 15.2% to $6.9 million. Eye cosmetics fell 60.8% to $2.5 million, while powder shipments decreased 40% to $967,000. Manicure and pedicure preparations dropped 21.6% to $367,000.
This split suggests that Russian demand for Korean beauty products remained concentrated in the larger skincare-led segment rather than spreading evenly across color cosmetics. For manufacturers and distributors, the data point to stronger commercial momentum in broader facial-care and related preparations, while suppliers focused on eyes, lips, powders or nail products faced a more difficult market.
August maintains the value-growth pattern
In August alone, South Korean cosmetics and skincare exports to Russia increased by almost 9% to $33.2 million. The combined makeup and skincare category again led the result, rising 13.7% to $32.2 million.
The weakness in narrower categories also continued during the month. Powder exports fell by almost 84%, eye cosmetics by 61.7% and lip products by 45%. The August breakdown therefore broadly matched the pattern for the first eight months: growth was concentrated in the dominant product group, while multiple decorative segments contracted.
For Russian importers, retailers and marketplace sellers, lower total tonnage alongside higher customs value raises the importance of assortment and purchasing costs. For South Korean producers, the market still delivered substantial revenue growth, but the category data show that access to Russian demand depended heavily on product positioning. The next phase will be shaped by whether skincare-led sales can continue offsetting weaker demand in specific decorative lines.
