The doctor is back: Dr Jart+ re-launches in Japan as K-beauty interest grows

Dr Jart+ announced that it was returning to Japan in July by rolling out gradually with retailers @cosme, Cosmeme, Matsumotokiyoshi, and Cocokara Fine.

The brand is best known for popularising the use of centella asiatica, or CICA, in skin care. It was acquired by American beauty multinational, the Estée Lauder Companies at the end of 2019.

This rollout comes the brand reported a decline in net sales, primarily due to continued challenges in mainland China and Asia travel retail in fiscal 2024.

However, the brand’s net sales more than doubled in the markets of EMEA and increased double digits in the Americas.

This was thanks to its hero product franchises, including the Cicapair franchise, as well as new product innovations.

Against this, the brand recorded USD471m of impairment charges related to Dr.Jart+ given the continued lower-than-expected growth and profitability of the brand. 

This prompted Estée Lauder to withdraw the brand from travel retail.

“We made the decision to exit the brand from its heavily discounted travel retail channel and prioritise direct investments in other more profitable areas of the business, including in mainland China and Western markets where a broader assortment of the brand has been resonating well with consumers,” said Tracey Travis, the firm’s executive vice president and chief financial officer.

At the same time, the company is expanding the brand into promising markets, such as the US, where it recently opened more storefronts.

Japan’s K-beauty kraze​

The brand’s re-entry into Japan is coinciding with the popularity of K-beauty brands in the country, including brands such as TIRTIR, Rom&nd, and Missha, to name a few.

K-beauty giant Amorepacific has been expanding its brands Laneige, Aestura, and Hera online and offline through multi-brand retailers.

The beauty company recently posted that its sales in Asia were driven partly by the success of its endeavours in Japan.

On August 13, @cosme owner istyle Inc announced that it has entered into a partnership with marketing firm Trenders though its South Korean subsidiary Glowdayz.

The project aims to support the digital marketing efforts of K-beauty brands entering the Japanese market.

 Istyle said hoped this would support the influx of new entrants it was seeing in the Japanese market, where K-beauty’s popularity is accelerating.

Relaunch festivities

The Japan launch campaign will focus on the revamped Vital Hydra Solution series, which will tap into the desire for plump, jelly-like skin, said the brand.

The brand’s Cicapair lineup was also launched in Japan as it is one of the brand’s key series and contains CICA, which is a popular skin care ingredient in Japan.

“We will gradually introduce products in Japan, expanding our product lineup. From July, we will strive to make Dr.Jart+ even more popular through the expansion of new sales channels, both offline and online,”​ said the brand.

Additionally, the campaign is being represented by K-Pop boyband ENHYPEN  

The brand commemorated its comeback with a six-day event held at @cosme TOKYO in August.

In addition to introducing and re-introducing consumers to the brand, the event also promised limited edition ENHYPHEN merchandise with purchases.