UK K-beauty Price Index: UK-stocked Korean skincare costs 35% more, delivered

On 15 October 2026, we compared 100 Korean skincare products that we track at both a UK-stocked retailer and an overseas retailer on the same day. The median product cost 35.2% more delivered from UK stock than delivered from overseas — standard delivery included, one item per order.

Only 3 of the 100 were cheaper from the UK that day.

It isn't a blip. For the 35 products we could compare on both 16 September 2026 and 15 October 2026, the median premium was 35.4% then and 35.1% now.

By the retailers' own published terms, standard delivery takes 2–3 days at LookFantastic, 2–5 working days at MOIDA and 3–5 working days at Boots — against 6–15 business days from YesStyle, which ships from overseas.

So the choice is mostly time against money. If you need it this week, UK stock is the way; if you can wait, ordering from overseas is usually cheaper even after delivery. Every product page on this site shows both, with delivery included and where each one ships from.

The gap is widest for sunscreen (median 62.3%, 6 products) and narrowest for toner (29.6%, 13 products). Categories with at least five paired products:

Sunscreen — 62.3% median UK premium (6 products)

Eye-care — 60.9% median UK premium (5 products)

Moisturiser — 42.1% median UK premium (20 products)

Mask — 40.8% median UK premium (6 products)

Cleanser — 32.3% median UK premium (17 products)

Serum — 30.5% median UK premium (24 products)

Toner — 29.6% median UK premium (13 products)

Source: our own daily record of the prices this site displays — one row per retailer, per product, per day. A price that hadn't been re-checked within 2 days is left out rather than carried forward.

UK-stocked: LookFantastic, MOIDA and Boots, which dispatch inside the UK and include UK VAT. Overseas: YesStyle. For each product we took the cheapest of each side on the day.

Delivered: the item price plus that retailer's standard delivery on a one-item order, with free-delivery thresholds applied. Express delivery, returns and any charges at the door are not included.

Premium: UK delivered ÷ overseas delivered − 1, summarised as a median, so no single product can move it.

Scope: our catalogue of 665 products — not the whole UK market. Retailer prices change daily; every figure here is for the date stated.

You're welcome to quote them with a link to this page and the date above. We earn affiliate commission from some retailers, including YesStyle; LookFantastic, MOIDA and Boots pay us nothing. Prices on this site are ranked by delivered total either way — see kbeautymatch.co.uk/affiliate-disclosure.

Check any product yourself at kbeautymatch.co.uk/products — every page shows each retailer's delivered price, where it ships from, and the lowest delivered price we've recorded by day.