SKINFOOD

SKINFOOD, styled as SKINFOOD and known in Korean as 스킨푸드, is a South Korean skincare and cosmetics manufacturer and retailer headquartered in Seoul. The brand presents food-derived ingredients and food-related formulations as a central part of its beauty proposition, positioning skincare and makeup through the language of nourishment, natural ingredients, and everyday care. Its business combines product development and retail distribution rather than operating solely as a cosmetics label. The brand's documented headquarters is in the DaeRyung Scecho Tower in Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul. Public reference material does not establish a founding year, founder, ownership structure, parent company, or current corporate leadership, so those fields remain unspecified here. The available record instead emphasizes the brand's retail presence, overseas expansion, product lines, and promotional activity. SKINFOOD has operated beyond South Korea in a range of Asian markets, including Taiwan, the Philippines, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, and Hong Kong. It has also had a presence in Europe and the Americas. Its international visibility has been linked in the available reference material to visits by foreign shoppers as well as the broader overseas distribution of Korean cosmetics. In August 2012, the brand was included in a replica of Seoul's Myeong-dong shopping district at a new Lotte Department Store location in Tianjin, China, alongside Missha and The Face Shop. The placement formed part of Lotte's expansion program in China and represented SKINFOOD within a curated presentation of Korean retail culture. The brand's documented best-selling products include Carrot Carotene Calming Water Pad, Royal Honey Propolis Enrich Barrier Cream, and SKINFOOD Black Sugar Mask. These products illustrate several recurring categories in the portfolio: soothing and hydrating treatment pads, barrier-supporting creams, and exfoliating or skin-texturizing masks. The product naming also reflects the brand's ingredient-led identity, drawing attention to carrot, honey, propolis, and black sugar. SKINFOOD has used South Korean actors and entertainers in its advertising and promotional communications. The recorded spokesperson and model roster includes Lee Min-jung in 2011, Ha Yeon-soo in 2013, Kim You-jung in 2015, Shin Eun-soo in 2017, Hwang Kwang-hee in 2021, and Soyoon in 2022. Other Korean performers associated with SKINFOOD commercials include Shin Won-ho, Lee Jong-suk, Kang Tae-oh, Yim Si-wan, Ryu Jun-yeol, Sung Yu-ri, and Lee Min-jung, as well as Brazilian singer Stephanie Garden. These associations indicate a promotional strategy based on recognizable entertainment figures, although the available material does not provide campaign performance data or contract details. SKINFOOD has also faced product-safety scrutiny. In August 2012, Hong Kong's Consumer Council reported that two SKINFOOD nail products contained benzene, a substance associated with serious health risks including leukemia. The company denied using benzene in its products. The available sources do not establish the final regulatory outcome, any recall, or financial effect. Accordingly, the incident is recorded as a reported controversy rather than as a confirmed finding of wrongdoing. Overall, the available evidence describes SKINFOOD as an active, internationally distributed Korean beauty brand with a food-inspired product identity, a multi-market retail footprint, and a history of celebrity-led promotion.

SKINFOOD is a South Korean skincare and cosmetics manufacturer and retailer headquartered in Seoul. The available reference material does not state the company's founding year, founder, original launch circumstances, or early corporate history. Its documented identity is instead defined by a food-inspired approach to beauty products and by the combination of manufacturing, brand management, and retail activity. The brand's headquarters is located in the DaeRyung Scecho Tower in Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul. SKINFOOD's product concept uses food and food-associated ingredients as a central part of its naming and presentation. The best-selling products identified in the available record include Carrot Carotene Calming Water Pad, Royal Honey Propolis Enrich Barrier Cream, and SKINFOOD Black Sugar Mask. Together, these products represent calming and hydrating care, barrier-focused moisturization, and mask-based treatment or exfoliation. The available sources do not provide a complete catalog, launch chronology, sales figures, or detailed formulation history. SKINFOOD developed an international retail and distribution footprint across Asia and other regions. Documented Asian markets include Taiwan, the Philippines, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, and Hong Kong, while the reference also notes outlets or market activity in Europe and the Americas. The brand's overseas exposure was associated in part with increased purchases by foreign visitors. In August 2012, SKINFOOD appeared in a replica of Seoul's Myeong-dong at a new Lotte Department Store in Tianjin. The presentation was part of Lotte's China expansion program and placed SKINFOOD with other Korean beauty brands, including Missha and The Face Shop. This event connected the brand with the international retail presentation of Korean shopping and beauty culture. Promotion has been an important visible element of SKINFOOD's public history. The documented spokesperson and model sequence includes Lee Min-jung in 2011, Ha Yeon-soo in 2013, Kim You-jung in 2015, Shin Eun-soo in 2017, Hwang Kwang-hee in 2021, and Soyoon in 2022. The brand's commercials have also featured a broader group of Korean actors and actresses, including Shin Won-ho, Lee Jong-suk, Kang Tae-oh, Yim Si-wan, Ryu Jun-yeol, Sung Yu-ri, and Lee Min-jung, together with Brazilian singer Stephanie Garden. The sources do not specify the individual products, media channels, budgets, or measured outcomes associated with these appearances. In August 2012, SKINFOOD became the subject of a product-safety controversy in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Consumer Council stated that two SKINFOOD nail products contained benzene, a chemical identified in the reference as a known carcinogen associated with leukemia. SKINFOOD denied using benzene in its products. The available material does not establish whether the products were recalled, whether authorities issued a final finding, or whether the episode produced litigation or financial penalties. It is therefore best described as a reported consumer-safety controversy and a disputed product-quality allegation. The available record supports describing SKINFOOD as an active Korean beauty brand with international distribution, food-oriented ingredient storytelling, and a portfolio spanning skincare, masks, treatment products, and cosmetics. It does not support firm conclusions about its current ownership, management, financial condition, or detailed corporate structure.

1. 2022Soyoon recorded as spokesperson

   Soyoon was listed among SKINFOOD's spokespersons or models.

   Source
2. 2021Hwang Kwang-hee recorded as spokesperson

   Hwang Kwang-hee was listed among SKINFOOD's spokespersons or models.

   Source
3. 2017Shin Eun-soo recorded as spokesperson

   Shin Eun-soo was listed among SKINFOOD's spokespersons or models.

   Source
4. 2015Kim You-jung recorded as spokesperson

   Kim You-jung was listed among SKINFOOD's spokespersons or models.

   Source
5. 2013Ha Yeon-soo recorded as spokesperson

   Ha Yeon-soo was listed among SKINFOOD's spokespersons or models.

   Source
6. 2012Tianjin retail presentation

   SKINFOOD was included in Lotte Department Store's replica of Seoul's Myeong-dong at a Tianjin store during Lotte's China expansion program.

   Source
7. 2012Hong Kong nail-product controversy

   Hong Kong's Consumer Council reported benzene in two SKINFOOD nail products; the company denied using benzene.

   Source
8. 2011Lee Min-jung recorded as spokesperson

   Lee Min-jung was listed as a SKINFOOD spokesperson or model.

   Source

Food-inspired Korean skincare and cosmetics focused on ingredient-led beauty, nourishment, and accessible retail products.

• Carrot Carotene Calming Water PadSkincare treatment pad

  A SKINFOOD best-selling product identified in the reference material. Its name places carrot and carotene at the center of the product concept and associates the format with calming, water-based facial care. The available source does not provide a launch date, ingredient percentages, packaging details, or clinical claims.

• Royal Honey Propolis Enrich Barrier CreamFacial moisturizer

  A best-selling SKINFOOD cream positioned through royal honey and propolis ingredient cues and a barrier-care focus. It represents the brand's use of food-associated materials in skincare naming and merchandising. The available reference does not establish its launch year, formulation history, or market-specific availability.

• SKINFOOD Black Sugar MaskFacial mask

  A signature SKINFOOD mask built around black sugar as its defining ingredient concept. It exemplifies the brand's food-inspired approach to facial treatment and its emphasis on ingredient-led product identity. The source identifies it among the brand's best-selling products but gives no launch date or detailed performance data.

• 2022Soyoon spokesperson campaign

  South Korea

  Soyoon was recorded as a SKINFOOD spokesperson or model in 2022.

  Source
• 2021Hwang Kwang-hee spokesperson campaign

  South Korea

  Hwang Kwang-hee was recorded as a SKINFOOD spokesperson or model in 2021.

  Source
• 2017Shin Eun-soo spokesperson campaign

  South Korea

  Shin Eun-soo was recorded as a SKINFOOD spokesperson or model in 2017.

  Source
• 2015Kim You-jung spokesperson campaign

  South Korea

  Kim You-jung was recorded as a SKINFOOD spokesperson or model in 2015.

  Source
• 2013Ha Yeon-soo spokesperson campaign

  South Korea

  Ha Yeon-soo was recorded as a SKINFOOD spokesperson or model in 2013.

  Source
• 2011Lee Min-jung spokesperson campaign

  South Korea

  Lee Min-jung was recorded as a SKINFOOD spokesperson or model in 2011.

  Source

• 2012Participation in Lotte's Tianjin Korean retail showcaseStrategy

  Lotte Department Store was expanding in China and created a replica of Seoul's Myeong-dong in a new Tianjin store.

  What changed. SKINFOOD was included in the showcase alongside Missha and The Face Shop.

  Aftermath. The available source documents the presentation but does not report sales, store-count changes, or other measurable results.

  Source

• 2012Benzene report involving nail productsControversy

  Hong Kong's Consumer Council reported that two SKINFOOD nail products contained benzene, a substance associated with serious health risks. SKINFOOD denied using benzene. The available reference does not document a final regulatory outcome, recall, or court finding.

  Source

• 2012SKINFOOD featured in Lotte's Tianjin replica of Seoul's Myeong-dong

  As part of Lotte Department Store's expansion program in China, SKINFOOD was presented in a replica of Seoul's Myeong-dong shopping district at a new Tianjin store, alongside Missha and The Face Shop.

  Other
  Source

1. Skin Food