TikTok Shop UK has reported a 60% increase in year-on-year (YoY) beauty sales, with K-beauty cited as a key reason for the boost.
The online social retailer has reported significant growth within the beauty category in 2025, with key drivers including an education-led consumer, uptake in live shopping events and popularity of the K-beauty movement.
The platform states its growth has been fuelled by its ‘discovery first’ model, which allows consumers to transition seamlessly from inspiration to check-out.
The K-beauty boom continues
K-beauty has been named a key driver for the retail platform, with #kbeauty the third most-used beauty hashtag on TikTok in the UK.
The platform stocks a number of known and loved K-beauty brands, and has also acted as a launch pad for Korean beauty brands looking to break into the UK.
Brands including Medicube, Mixsoon, Beauty of Joseon, Dr Melaxin and Colorgram have all joined the platform in recent months to tap into TikTok Shop’s engaged audience.
Searches for Korean skin care saw a 125% increase in the second half of 2025, with TikTok Shop UK also reporting that K-beauty baskets were, on average, nearly 35% higher in value than the overall skin care average.
Lexy Shim, Team Lead on the TikTok Shop Marketing Team at Medicube, said: "UK consumers are increasingly seeking skin care that delivers real results, and K-beauty’s multi-step, ingredient-led routines resonate strongly here.
“On TikTok Shop [UK], we have seen how education and engagement drives purchase decisions.
“Shoppable videos and live shopping sessions also allow us to connect directly with customers, helping them understand and embrace routines like ‘glass skin’ step-by-step.”
Discovery-led and live shopping
TikTok Shop UK serves consumers in a different way to other retailers, with many opening the app to discover new products rather than shopping with a set list.
Shoppers on the platform take a ‘search-learn-buy’ approach to beauty, signalling how consumers are focusing on concern, routine and ingredient rather than prioritising brand names.
This has allowed for more targeted searches, with TikTok UK reporting #matureskincare searches have increased by 75% in Q4 2025, while #dryskin rose by 20% quarter-on-quarter.
Emily Caine, Head of Beauty at TikTok Shop UK, said: “What is different about TikTok Shop is that users do not necessarily know what product they want to buy yet.
“They come to discover, learn and be inspired by brands and creators, who help them find the right routines and products for their specific skin concerns.”
The platform’s live shopping events is also fuelling this education-led approach, with a 90% increase in beauty-focused live shopping sessions in 2025.
The platform now hosts more than 6,000 live shopping sections in the UK each day, with brands like The Beauty Crop and The Ordinary using these as an opportunity to gather instant feedback on skin concerns and product pairings, directly informing curated bundles sold on the platform.
Ning Cheah, founder of The Beauty Crop, said: “TikTok Shop is like a real-time beauty counter.
“It gives us a one-to-one presence at scale, allowing us to listen to customers and respond instantly.”
Image credit: Jamie Henderson