The multi-billion dollar Beauty Industry has been on steady shift from traditional Western ideals to the exotic East; companies that once hailed the benefits of ingredients from Switzerland or France have now turned their sights to China, Japan and most notably, South Korea. The quest to capture youth and vitality in a bottle has millions of beauty seekers trading French Lavender for Panax Ginseng, as K-Beauty takes root in the skincare lexicon. And the company at the helm of this massive shift in beauty consciousness is Amorepacific. Founded in 1945, it has gone from producing a single product to establishing itself as an authority in the quest to harmonize science and nature, and produce clear flawless skin at every age. We sat down with US President Jessica Hanson, to learn more about Amorepacific and the ever-evolving concept of K-Beauty.

AGENDA: At its core, what separates k-beauty practice and performance from traditional Western beauty habits?

HANSON: Many Western beauty habits focus on problem-solution and stem from what you see on the surface. Korean Beauty concentrates on the health of the skin and using makeup to enhance your beauty through a complete skincare ritual.

AGENDA: Amorepacific has been instrumental in bringing K-Beauty to the United States. What once was novel is now part of the beauty mainstream. How do you continue to stand out among so many other K-beauty options today?

HANSON: At Amorepacific, we pursue harmony between inner and outer beauty, which is quite relevant to the priorities of the US consumer today. Our portfolio in Korea offers 28 beauty brands that cater to a broad range of consumers and their beauty needs. We were K-Beauty pioneers in the United States with the launch of our flagship brand, Amorepacific, in 2003. All of our brands are developed by our company, and each brand has its own story and potent ingredients. Amorepacific R&D center is one of the largest in Asia and our scientists are continuously researching cutting-edge technologies and new ingredients to ensure we offer innovative and high quality products to our consumers globally.

AGENDA: With the exception of Amorepacific signature, which seems to focus on anti-aging formulations and technology, are any other brands that are age specific?

HANSON: Our portfolio of brands offers a diverse range of products that can meet beauty needs of customers of all ages and focus on efficacy. Of course, some brands, such as LANEIGE and Mamonde, appeal more to Millennial and Generation Z consumers, offering trendy ingredients, innovative delivery forms and formulations as well as colorful packaging. Our luxury brands – Amorepacific and Sulwhasoo – cater to a more sophisticated audience, however, it is less about the age but rather skin benefits and a skincare routine as both brands offer a variety of products that resonate well with younger and more mature consumers alike.

AGENDA: K-beauty brands have often been criticized for not including warmer (neutral and yellow undertones, versus pink) and darker skin tones in their base makeup offerings. Has Amorepacific taken this criticism into consideration when formulating new makeup products?

HANSON: At Amorepacific, our consumers are our top priority. Before launching a new brand in the US, we do a lot of research on consumer needs and the best ways to address them. Since American consumers have a broad range of skin tones, our cushion shades are specifically selected for this market compared to the selection available in Asian countries. Most of our brands offer six to seven shades, and Innisfree has 14 shades to offer more shade diversity, but we are in the process of expanding our shade range to address additional skin tones and undertones.

AGENDA: What’s next for Amorepacific? Can we look forward to any new additions from the company in general, or any of the specific brands?

HANSON: US is such an important market for our company and we will expand our current brands over the next few years and introduce new brands to the US market. Each one of our brands plays an important role in the consumers life and above all, we want them to experience the world of beauty from Korea. For example, LANEIGE will be available in over 1,000 doors as we deepen our relationship with Sephora, expanding to Sephora inside JCPenney coming this fall!