Beauty of Joseon: The Heritage K-Beauty Brand Taking the World by Storm
Few K-beauty brands have experienced as meteoric a rise as Beauty of Joseon. What started as a small Korean brand inspired by traditional Joseon Dynasty beauty recipes has transformed into one of the most sought-after names in global skincare. For wholesale buyers and retailers, Beauty of Joseon represents an incredible opportunity — a brand with explosive growth trajectory, cult-favorite products, and a unique positioning that resonates across cultures.
In this deep dive, we’ll cover everything wholesale buyers need to know: the brand’s story, its most profitable products, sourcing strategies, and why this brand might be the most exciting addition to your K-beauty lineup right now.
The Brand Story: Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Skincare
Beauty of Joseon draws its inspiration from the skincare traditions of Korea’s Joseon Dynasty (1392–1897), a period during which Korean women developed sophisticated beauty rituals using natural ingredients like ginseng, rice, plum, and hanbang (traditional Korean herbal medicine). The brand’s founding principle is to reinterpret these time-tested ingredients through the lens of modern cosmetic science.
This “heritage meets innovation” narrative is extraordinarily powerful in today’s market. Consumers are increasingly drawn to brands with authentic stories and natural ingredient philosophies. Beauty of Joseon offers something that most K-beauty brands can’t — a genuine connection to centuries of Korean skincare tradition, backed by modern formulation technology.
The brand’s packaging reflects this duality beautifully. Clean, minimalist designs feature traditional Korean art motifs and a muted color palette that stands out on shelves cluttered with flashy, over-designed competitors. It photographs beautifully for social media, which partly explains its viral success.
The Viral Phenomenon: How Beauty of Joseon Conquered Social Media
Beauty of Joseon’s rise is inseparable from social media, particularly TikTok and Instagram. The brand didn’t achieve its status through massive advertising budgets. Instead, genuine user enthusiasm created a snowball effect that traditional marketing can’t replicate.
The Sunscreen That Changed Everything
The Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics SPF50+ PA++++ is arguably the product that catapulted Beauty of Joseon from a respected niche brand to a global phenomenon. In a market obsessed with finding the “perfect sunscreen” — one that protects without white cast, greasiness, or pilling — this product delivered on every front. TikTok creators couldn’t stop talking about it, and their content drove millions of views and an unprecedented sales surge.
At its peak, the Relief Sun was consistently sold out across every major platform. Retailers who had stocked it saw 10-15x their normal sunscreen sell-through rates. Even now, demand remains extremely strong, making it one of the most reliable wholesale SKUs in the entire K-beauty space.
The Ginseng Line: Building a Franchise
While the sunscreen gets the headlines, Beauty of Joseon’s ginseng-based products have built the brand’s core identity. The Revive Serum: Ginseng + Snail Mucin combines two of K-beauty’s most beloved ingredients into a single potent formula. The Dynasty Cream and Ginseng Cleansing Oil round out a complete ginseng-focused routine that gives retailers a cohesive product story to sell.
Product Guide for Wholesale Buyers
Absolute Must-Stock
- Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics SPF50+ PA++++ (50ml): The brand’s #1 product globally. Universal appeal, incredible reviews, strong repeat purchase rate. Stock this in significant volume — it will sell.
- Revive Serum: Ginseng + Snail Mucin (30ml): The hero serum that defines the brand’s identity. Combines trending ingredients (ginseng + snail mucin) in an elegant formulation.
- Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide (30ml): Targets brightening and nourishing — two of the most universally desired skincare benefits. Strong cross-cultural appeal.
Strong Performers
- Dynasty Cream (50ml): Rich, ginseng-infused moisturizer. Particularly popular in fall/winter and in markets with cold, dry climates.
- Ginseng Cleansing Oil (210ml): The double-cleanse trend continues to drive demand for quality cleansing oils. This one performs excellently.
- Revive Eye Serum: Ginseng + Retinal (30ml): Eye-area products have high perceived value and strong margins. This one combines anti-aging appeal with the brand’s ginseng heritage.
Growing Products
- Glow Deep Serum: Rice + Alpha-Arbutin (30ml): Brightening serum targeting hyperpigmentation. Strong potential in diverse skin-tone markets.
- Matte Sun Stick SPF50+ PA++++ (18g): Portable sun protection in a convenient stick format. Growing demand in the on-the-go sunscreen category.
- Relief Sun Aqua: Fresh variant for oily skin types: Extends the brand’s sunscreen franchise to cover more skin types.
The Wholesale Opportunity: By the Numbers
Let’s talk about why Beauty of Joseon makes financial sense for wholesalers:
Margin Structure
Beauty of Joseon’s wholesale pricing typically allows for 45–65% margins at retail, depending on your sourcing channel and market. The brand’s perceived value is high relative to its wholesale cost — consumers willingly pay $15–22 for products that cost wholesalers $6–10. Compare this to mass-market brands where margins might be 25–35%.
Sell-Through Velocity
Products from Beauty of Joseon consistently rank among the fastest-moving K-beauty items on Amazon, Olive Young, and independent retailers. The Relief Sun and Ginseng Serum have maintained top-100 positions in skincare categories across multiple countries for over two years running.
Customer Lifetime Value
Beauty of Joseon has high brand loyalty. Consumers who try one product frequently return to buy others from the same line. The ginseng range is particularly effective at this — a customer who starts with the serum often adds the cream, the cleanser, and the eye serum over subsequent purchases. For retailers, this means each new Beauty of Joseon customer represents multiple future transactions.
Sourcing Beauty of Joseon: Practical Guide
Authorized Distribution
Beauty of Joseon works with authorized distributors in key markets. The brand has become increasingly protective of its distribution channels as its popularity has grown, which is actually good news for authorized retailers — it means the market won’t be flooded with grey-market discounted inventory.
Korean B2B Platforms
Several Korean wholesale platforms carry Beauty of Joseon at competitive prices:
- StyleKorean B2B: Wide selection, reasonable MOQs
- BeautynetKorea: Competitive pricing for volume orders
- Tradekorea: B2B matching platform for connecting with distributors
Direct Sourcing
For larger operations (10,000+ units per order), approaching Beauty of Joseon directly through their parent company or official export channels can yield the best pricing. Expect formal business documentation requirements and longer negotiation timelines.
Pricing Expectations
Here are approximate FOB Korea wholesale prices for reference (actual prices vary by volume and relationship):
- Relief Sun (50ml): $6–8 wholesale / $16–20 retail
- Ginseng Serum (30ml): $6–9 wholesale / $15–22 retail
- Dynasty Cream (50ml): $8–11 wholesale / $22–28 retail
- Ginseng Cleansing Oil (210ml): $7–10 wholesale / $18–24 retail
Market Positioning and Target Demographics
Understanding who buys Beauty of Joseon helps you merchandise and market it effectively:
Primary Demographics
- Age 18–35: The core demographic, driven by social media discovery
- Skincare-educated consumers: People who read ingredient lists and follow skincare influencers
- Value-conscious beauty enthusiasts: Willing to spend on quality but seeking better value than luxury brands
- Cultural explorers: Consumers attracted to the Korean heritage story
Geographic Strength
Beauty of Joseon performs strongly across diverse markets:
- United States: Largest international market, driven by Amazon and specialty retailers
- Southeast Asia: Natural cultural affinity with K-beauty, strong sunscreen demand
- Europe: Growing rapidly, particularly in France, UK, and Germany
- Middle East: Sunscreen demand and premium positioning drive growth
- Latin America: Emerging market with increasing K-beauty awareness
Challenges and Considerations
No brand analysis is complete without addressing potential challenges:
Supply Constraints
Beauty of Joseon’s explosive growth has occasionally outpaced production capacity, leading to stockouts — particularly for the Relief Sun. The brand has been investing in expanded production, but demand remains strong enough that supply tightness can occur during peak seasons.
Competition from Dupes
The success of products like the Relief Sun has inspired numerous “dupes” and similar products from competitors. While this hasn’t significantly impacted Beauty of Joseon’s sales (consumers tend to prefer the original), it does mean the broader sunscreen and ginseng skincare categories are getting more crowded.
Price Sensitivity
As more retailers carry Beauty of Joseon, price competition can intensify, particularly on platforms like Amazon where multiple sellers compete for the same products. Maintaining healthy margins requires careful pricing strategy and potentially diversifying your sales channels.
Authenticity Concerns
The brand’s popularity has attracted counterfeiters, particularly for the Relief Sun and Ginseng Serum. Ensure you source from verified channels and educate your customers about how to identify authentic products.
How to Merchandise Beauty of Joseon for Maximum Impact
The “Routine” Approach
Display products as a complete skincare routine rather than individual items:
- Ginseng Cleansing Oil (first cleanse)
- Glow Serum or Revive Serum (treatment step)
- Dynasty Cream (moisturizer)
- Relief Sun (sun protection)
This approach increases average transaction value and helps customers visualize how the products work together.
Seasonal Merchandising
- Spring/Summer: Lead with the Relief Sun and lighter serums
- Fall/Winter: Highlight the Dynasty Cream and nourishing ginseng products
- Holiday season: Create gift sets combining 2–3 bestsellers
Cross-Merchandising
Place Beauty of Joseon next to complementary brands that fill product gaps the line doesn’t cover. For example, pair with a brand that offers strong toner or essence options, since Beauty of Joseon’s lineup is serum and cream-heavy.
The Bottom Line
Beauty of Joseon is one of those rare brands that combines cultural authenticity, product efficacy, social media momentum, and wholesale profitability into a single package. For retailers looking to capitalize on the K-beauty trend with minimal risk, this brand is among the best bets available today.
The key to success with Beauty of Joseon is securing reliable supply, stocking the right products for your market, and leveraging the brand’s organic social media presence to drive customers to your store. Do these three things well, and Beauty of Joseon can be one of the most rewarding brands in your portfolio.