[INTERVIEW] COSRX BRAND

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. 

How did COSRX begin?

"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?

"I assume this is a matter of the company’s philosophy and key customer’s skin type. Many COSRX customers are sensitive skin types, especially due to skin problems like acne. If too much ingredients are included in the product, it is impossible to tell which ingredient causes more troubles. Therefore, our formula contains the minimum amount of ingredients like only necessary ingredients that are skin-friendly yet giving the best result. That’s why we try to rule out unnecessary ingredients into our products."

Why isn't COSRX sold in physical stores? When do you plan to do so?

"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."

What is the process of developing a product like?

"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!