Social Rocket
Korean skincare has long been more than just a beauty trend on TikTok. The products have arrived in German drugstores, retailers are testing direct sales via social commerce, and brands are using creator videos as product advice. Rossmann shows how quickly this is changing: a proprietary skincare line produced in South Korea was followed by an eight-person creator team and a TikTok Shop test.
The boom is big enough for drugstore shelves
South Korea exported 2025 cosmetics worth 11,43 billion US dollars – according to data from South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), analyzed by Yonhap, a new record. Compared with 2024, this was an increase of 12,3 percent. At 8,54 billion dollars, skincare accounted for the largest share of exports. The upswing continued 2026: according to preliminary MFDS figures, exports rose by 27,3 percent to 7 billion dollars in the first half of the year.
This is now also visible in German retail. Rossmann launched eight products from its new ISANA KOREAN SKINCARE in October 2025. The private-label series is developed and manufactured in South Korea and translates Korean skincare routines into four numbered application steps. From cleanser to toner pads to serums, a complete routine can be put together from them.
For brands, this is an interesting sales principle: a single product opens the conversation, and the routine provides the reason for further videos, advice and matching follow-up purchases.
Rossmann connects eight creators with its own range
In April, 2026Rossmann presented its ISANA Creator Squad. Eight creators are to accompany the private label on TikTok and Instagram throughout the year. Alongside lifestyle personalities, the team includes a hair expert and a skincare expert. The content is distributed both through the creators' accounts and through Rossmann and ISANA channels.
The connection between the channels is particularly interesting: Rossmann also carries the look of Reels and TikTok videos over to digital outdoor advertising and supplements the campaign with the app, website and stores. In this way, a social video motif becomes a recognizable sales trigger outside the platform.
The retail test is even more direct: according to a report by Lebensmittel Zeitung, picked up by WEB.DE, Rossmann started on TikTok Shop in March 2026 with three ISANA Korean Skincare products. This closes the loop from skincare routine in the feed to purchase on the same platform.
MiiN Cosmetics shows how tutorials turn into paid campaigns
The European K-Beauty chain MiiN Cosmetics, which also has stores in Germany, relied on organic videos, creator collaborations, Spark Ads, catalog ads and remarketing for an anniversary campaign in Spain. According to an official TikTok for Business case study, the return on ad spend rose by 25,71 percent, while the cost per add-to-cart fell by 11,76 percent and acquisition costs fell by 5,77 percent.
The advertising budget was around 12.000 euros. MiiN combined explainer videos and product demonstrations with offers, an influencer collaboration and retargeting. The performance figures come from the Spanish campaign described.
A clear marketing approach can be seen here: video content helps users make their choice, after which the product catalog, offer and shop handle the sale. Sephora's TikTok Shop strategy similarly relies on exclusive products and creator lives. And the Disney promotion with more than 20 brands shows how such formats can also be used outside cosmetics.
What beauty brands can learn from K-Beauty
Successful social beauty content often works like a small product course: one video answers a specific application question, the next shows a routine or compares textures. People get a reason to come back instead of just seeing an ad. This is where credible expert creators and employees with product experience have an advantage.
For marketing teams, this creates a simple workflow: collect frequent customer questions, develop short practical videos from them, translate reactions into new content, and secure product availability on TikTok Shop or in their own retail. How important choosing credible partners is becomes clear in our analysis of influencer fatigue and trust. For measuring success, it is also worth taking a look at engagement and new customer acquisition in beauty campaigns.
The real shift: the skincare routine is at once a content format, a product explanation and a reason to buy. Rossmann and MiiN show how this becomes a cross-channel business – from the first clip to the store shelf.
Sources: Rossmann, ISANA Korean Skincare, 16.10.2025; Rossmann, ISANA Creator Squad, 07.04.2026; TikTok For Business, MiiN Cosmetics campaign; Yonhap/MFDS, cosmetics exports 2025; KoreanOEM, MFDS half-year data 2026; WEB.DE/Lebensmittel Zeitung, Rossmann TikTok Shop test; Adweek, original reporting occasion from 29.10.2026.
Image: TikTok For Business / MiiN Cosmetics, official case study visual.