ASNO’s US Amazon expansion reinforces worldwide K-beauty demand

ASNO is launching in the US market through Amazon. The vegan beauty brand says the growing global interest in K-beauty drives the overseas expansion.

The Korean brand’s products are formulated with “non-irritating,” natural and active ingredients that avoid allergens and pore-clogging ingredients that cause acne.

Seoung Min Song, CEO of ASNO, says: “I am very excited to present our brand to potential customers in America. We will make every effort to ensure that ASNO becomes a beloved K-beauty brand not only in Asia but also in Europe and the Americas.”

ASNO’s products include a hypoallergenic vegan sheet mask, called Rescue Squad, and daily skin care products for sensitive skin, such as the Everlasting Youth Preserve Cream, Multi-Vitamin Gentle Purifying Cleanser, Vital Greens 80 Calming Toner and the ACE Cleansing Oil.

Part of the brand’s ethos is to protect endangered animals in the Arctic and Antarctica due to environmental pollution.

K-beauty expansion

According to the marketing consultant, Market Defense, social media drives awareness and traffic for K-beauty brands on Amazon. Searches with the hashtag #kbeautymakeup were up 85% year-over-year on TikTok. This led to the partnership between Kolmar Korea and Amazon earlier this year.

Amazon recently partnered with Prakti Beauty and Vichy Dercos to strengthen its position in the growing e-commerce beauty market. Both personal care brands launched their products exclusively on Amazon.

ASNO previously participated in Kcon Japan in May of this year, securing over US$200,000 in export contracts. In mid-September, the brand also took part in the 2024 Seoul K-Beauty Pop-up Store held in Dubai, UAE. Additionally, at the end of October, ASNO participated in the 2024 Korea Business Expo in Vienna, Austria.

“By participating in the Dubai pop-up store and the Korea Business Expo Vienna, we received various offers to enter both online and offline distribution channels. It was a great opportunity to expand into new markets and further promote the brand,” says Min Song.

Following the international ventures, the company has been exporting to the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Personal Care Insights reported earlier this year that major Korean beauty businesses are showing an increased interest in global markets to diversify beyond the Asian market, as international markets crave cosmetics from South Korea.