K-Beauty Skincare Trend Index: United States
Last updated: . Market trend indicators from public US sources. Not a forecast of how any product will perform.
Key facts this week
- As of 2026-09, the serum ingredient with the largest 12-month rise in US Google search interest was PDRN (+16 points on Google Trends' 0-100 scale).
- US imports of Korean skincare (HS 3304.99) were $154.7M in 2026-07, +19.0% from 2025-07 (US Census Bureau).
- On 2026-09-29, a Sephora site search returned the most results for Peptide (753) and the fewest for Exosome and Glutathione (9) among the 12 tracked serum ingredients.
- A search of US FDA warning letters on 2026-09-29 found letters matching exosome (12), glutathione (11), peptide (45), polydeoxyribonucleotide (1). None of the letters reviewed concerned a cosmetic or skincare product; they concerned drugs, biologics, compounded products or supplements. No letters matched copper peptide.
- The FDA page for the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA) was last updated on 2026-08-10.
What is rising in US search
Ingredients
- PDRN: +16 points
- Peptide: +11 points
- Copper peptide: +9 points
- Glutathione: +9 points
- Ectoin: +9 points
- Retinal: +8 points
- Centella: +3 points
- Niacinamide: +1 points
- Vitamin C: +1 points
- Ceramide: +0 points
- Rice: +0 points
- Exosome: -4 points
Product types
Collecting. First weekly reading pending.
Claims
Collecting. First weekly reading pending.
Ranked by the change in US Google search interest over 12 months (Google Trends, 0-100 scale, each term scaled to its own 5-year peak). A ranking of one measure, not a rating.
All numbers: 12 serum ingredients
| Ingredient | Google search now (0-100) | Change vs 12 months | YouTube search now (0-100) | Sephora results | Ulta results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PDRN | 23 | +16 | - | 60 | 185 |
| Exosome | 10 | -4 | - | 9 | 16 |
| Peptide | 22 | +11 | - | 753 | - |
| Copper peptide | 14 | +9 | - | 13 | - |
| Niacinamide | 11 | +1 | - | 612 | - |
| Retinal | 15 | +8 | - | 78 | - |
| Vitamin C | 25 | +1 | - | 508 | - |
| Ceramide | 9 | +0 | - | 140 | - |
| Centella | 13 | +3 | - | 32 | - |
| Glutathione | 17 | +9 | - | 9 | - |
| Ectoin | 9 | +9 | - | 26 | - |
| Rice | 5 | +0 | - | 52 | - |
All numbers: product types and claims
| Name | Type | Google search change vs 12 months (points) | Sephora results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serum | Product type | - | - |
| Moisturizer | Product type | - | - |
| Toner | Product type | - | - |
| Cleanser | Product type | - | - |
| Sheet mask | Product type | - | - |
| Sunscreen | Product type | - | - |
| Eye cream | Product type | - | - |
| Barrier Repair | Claim | - | - |
| Anti-aging | Claim | - | - |
| Longevity | Claim | - | - |
| Brightening | Claim | - | - |
| Clinical | Claim | - | - |
| Clean | Claim | - | - |
| Hydrating | Claim | - | - |
FDA warning letters matching ingredient names
| Search term | Letters | Concerning cosmetic or skincare products | Most recent |
|---|---|---|---|
| copper peptide | 0 | 0 | - |
| exosome | 12 | 0 | 2026-08-25 |
| glutathione | 11 | 0 | 2026-05-12 |
| peptide | 45 | 0 | 2026-09-22 |
| polydeoxyribonucleotide | 1 | 0 | 2021-06-29 |
US imports of Korean skincare (HS 3304.99), monthly
| Month | Value |
|---|---|
| 2025-01 | $98.7M |
| 2025-02 | $82.6M |
| 2025-03 | $107.9M |
| 2025-04 | $100.9M |
| 2025-05 | $152.9M |
| 2025-06 | $116M |
| 2025-07 | $130M |
| 2025-08 | $101.3M |
| 2025-09 | $123.9M |
| 2025-10 | $162.1M |
| 2025-11 | $111.1M |
| 2025-12 | $110.3M |
| 2026-01 | $95.8M |
| 2026-02 | $98.7M |
| 2026-03 | $132.5M |
| 2026-04 | $153M |
| 2026-05 | $139.6M |
| 2026-06 | $168.8M |
| 2026-07 | $154.7M |
Sources
- Google Trends, United States, read 2026-09-29. https://trends.google.com/trends/
- Google Trends, YouTube Search, United States. https://trends.google.com/trends/
- Sephora and Ulta site search result counts, read 2026-09-29. https://www.sephora.com/
- US Census Bureau, international trade API, HS 330499 imports from South Korea, read 2026-09-29. https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/data/index.html
- US FDA warning letters, read 2026-09-29. https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/compliance-actions-and-activities/warning-letters
- US FDA, Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 page, read 2026-09-29. https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetics-laws-regulations/modernization-cosmetics-regulation-act-2022-mocra