"Mixsoon started as skincare I made at home for myself."
Hwang Joo-up, CEO of Parket, which operates the Mixsoon brand, began mixing his own cosmetics in the mid-2010s, hand-picking ingredients such as centella asiatica, bifida ferment and undiluted essence. When he gave the finished products to friends, the response was better than expected. Convinced that "if people keep asking for more, it must be a decent product," he began building it into a brand around 2017 under the name Pakpak. The identity of putting good ingredients in as they are carried over even after the brand was renamed Mixsoon.
Launched in July 2020, Mixsoon has established itself as a leading K-beauty brand, with overseas sales accounting for more than 95% of its total. As awareness of South Korea rose after 2022 on the back of K-content such as "Squid Game," more consumers in the U.S. market sought out its products, and Mixsoon's distinctive ingredient-focused lineup began spreading by word of mouth. In a recent interview with The Seoul Economic Daily, Hwang said, "An atmosphere has formed in which consumers take an interest simply because it is a Korean product, rather than because we explain that it is a good product," adding that "exports have grown steeply since 2023, when we became popular in the United States."
Rather than touting complex functions, Mixsoon differentiated its core ingredients and formulations themselves. Its Soybean Essence, which achieves viscosity using fermented soybean ingredients without thickeners, has widened its overseas fan base on the strength of being usable by men and women of all ages. The company has built or is pursuing 17 overseas subsidiaries and trades directly with about 80 countries, drawing on know-how from its earlier Chinese distribution business. Including sales through partner companies, its products are distributed in more than 100 countries.
"In Latin America in particular, we have been maintaining annual growth of 60% to 70% recently," Hwang said. "We expect 20 billion to 30 billion won in sales from Latin America alone this year." Buoyed by that growth, he joined the economic delegation to Brazil during President Lee Jae-myung's Latin America trip in July. Saying "Mixsoon seems to be better known in South America than in Korea," Hwang is also considering directly operating a local subsidiary and a TikTok Shop in Brazil.
In the second half, the company plans to push into the European and Middle Eastern markets and accelerate its global business. It will expand its lineup beyond basic skincare and move into new categories such as health functional foods. With demand rising recently for functional products such as PDRN, the plan is to build out a related lineup and take a step beyond its existing ingredient-focused skincare. At home, the company plans to open additional offline stores beyond those in Myeongdong and Bukchon.
Annual sales are projected at 130 billion to 140 billion won this year, which would mark its first time surpassing 100 billion won. Hwang stressed that "we achieved 56 billion to 58 billion won in sales in the first half alone, putting the annual target within reach." Over the medium to long term, the company has set a goal of 500 billion won in annual sales. "If we keep growing at this pace, we will be at 500 billion won in annual sales in three years," he said, adding that "once we have grown to a certain level, we are also keeping open the possibility of an initial public offering or a merger and acquisition."
