I was able to have the opportunity to interview COSRX's Marketing Team Assistant Manager, Lee Hye-Young (혜영이). Lee Hye-Young was kind enough to give me answers to all the questions I had for her which makes me appreciate the company so much more. COSRX is a Korean brand that specializes in maintaining effective products using minimal ingredients for those having skin troubles and concerns. I love the products that this company produces since they all gave me positive and visible results!
I recently reviewed their 'Natural BHA Skin Returning A-Sol', which gave me amazing results.
"COSRX brand was
founded in 2014. However, our first business began 14 years ago and we have
worked on from marketing to distribution of various other brand lines before
COSRX such as CIRACLE, C20, Gatzmen,
etc.
We have analyzed
the reviews, surveys, complains, and all the need of customers based on their
skin types collected from our formal business. Throughout the analysis, we set
the purpose to establish a new field of cosmetics focused on what people actually
want and need. As a result, the new high performance cosmetics brand, COSRX,
was launched to fulfill our motivation.
COSRX aims for
eliminating any unnecessary ingredients and minimizing the length of ingredient
labelling by only including the very essential, natural, and healthful
ingredients. Moreover, most of the products are mainly dissolved in natural
extract rather than purified water to amplify the effect of natural active
ingredients used. Though they do not come in fancy bottles, COSRX products'
prescription (rx) is formulated carefully to aid each of our customers to treat
their skin problems."
What is COSRX's philosophy?"More than just aiming for outer, temporal beauty, we believe cosmetics should let people to discover the natural hidden beauty by curing the skin problems. COSRX is a combined term of COSmetics and RX from prescription, coming from 13 years of customer based data about their skin concerns, product satisfaction, and popular ingredients.
Check the ingredient table! Our products are formulated with active ingredients dissolved in natural extract that are more skin friendly and effective than purified water. Extracted from Nature! The secret recipe of our products is to fill with essential, effective ingredients more than just a few drops. It is the COSRX's philosophy to make ingredient-oriented, high performance cosmetics.
By cutting down the promotion and marketing price, we are able to spend more for the ingredients. Therefore, our products are accessible to customers yet very high performing to treat and improve skin problems. We aim for "expecting tomorrow" cosmetics that transforms your skin day by day into what you hope for."
What does the brand’s logo mean?
"Most of our products are based on natural water such as Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water etc instead of purified water. A water drop pictures at the moment of extracting water from natural ingredients."A lot of companies put filler/unneeded ingredients in their products, yet CosRX is able to put only what is needed in the formulation. Why is that?
Why isn't COSRX sold in physical stores? When do you plan to do so?
What is the process of developing a product like?
"Our business is based on online shop to reduce unnecessary costs caused
from operating road shops. So, we decided to cut the distribution costs and to shorten
the distribution process to lighten the burden on customer. Our service exists
to benefit our customers.
But, these days, the majority of our domestic and international
customers are asking us where is the physical store or where they can buy our
products on offline shop. So, one of our plan is to stock ours to
health&beauty shop by the end of this year."
"Here is the process of developing COSRX products.
Product planning ↔ Market research →
Research and Development → Composition Test →
Sample Test → Product stability Test → Product Production → Safety& Functionality Test → Sale
There are variety reasons for planning
product such as customer’s needs, season matter, etc. In the case of our company, if we don’t
have the type of items our international or domestic customers request, then we
try to make it. Currently mist, base makeup, mask, etc are being planned I’m
not sure whether those products would be developed or not.
After finishing planning, we try to figure
out customers’ needs, the product’s average price and the unique items which is
not existing in the market yet through market research, and start research
and development.
Once the product to meet maximally
customer needs are developed, it goes through test for stability composition.
After that, COSRX workers personally progress test our products for a while.(No
animal test)
Composition and product stability test are
processed by watching and feeling with COSRX workers and we continuously
improve insufficient part by gathering our workers’ opinion. Finally finished
good is made, and if it is a functional product, it goes through receiving
approval by KFDA. After all those process, the perfect COSRX products are
produced and meet our customers."
Have any more questions you would like me to ask COSRX in the future? Post them below!
