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| yna@yna.co.kr 2026-06-15 15:27:23
JEONJU, June 15 (Yonhap) -- "Our cosmetics do not simply heal the skin -- they heal the mind as well."
Joo Seon-ha, a director at C&R Cosmetics, described the philosophy behind the company's products during an interview with Yonhap News Agency on the sidelines of the first export consultation event of 2026, held in Jeonju on June 11 and jointly hosted by the Overseas Koreans Agency and North Jeolla Province.
Founded in 2021 through a startup support program run by the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency, C&R Cosmetics has since been registered as a government-certified research enterprise under the Ministry of Science and ICT. Jeonju University holds a 10 percent stake in the company.
The company's origin story is also unusual.
Joo's husband, a former chief makeup artist for Chanel, began developing products after seeing his wife struggle with physical and skin problems following childbirth.
"My skin deteriorated badly after giving birth, and my wrists hurt so much that I couldn't even open a bottle," Joo said. "My husband developed what became the 'One-Click Package' for women like me."
Designed to be opened and closed with one hand while holding a child with the other, the package uses a press-to-open mechanism instead of a conventional twist cap. The company says it was the first of its kind and has secured patents for the technology.
According to Joo, a global luxury brand once offered to acquire the technology, but the proposal was rejected due to unfavorable terms, and the packaging remains exclusive to the company's products.
She said the inverted "C" in the logo of the firm's flagship brand, "The C," symbolizes a person looking at themselves in a mirror.
"Using these products helped me regain the confidence to look at myself again," she said. "It comforted me emotionally and helped me rediscover who I am."
"I wanted to share that experience with others who have gone through similar struggles," she added.
The company's main product line is based on a patented ingredient inspired by moju, a traditional local liquor from Jeonju made by boiling makgeolli with medicinal herbs.
Using technology transferred from an agricultural and bio-related institute in Jeonju, C&R Cosmetics has developed a "moju line" consisting of a sheet mask, sun stick and cleanser.
Joo emphasized that while many cosmetics companies limit testing to safety assessments, C&R Cosmetics conducts separate clinical trials for each function, including skin soothing, brightening, wrinkle improvement and oil-moisture balance control.
All products are vegan-certified, and most containers are designed with refillable structures, allowing consumers to reuse bottles for items such as serums.
C&R Cosmetics became the first cosmetics company in North Jeolla Province to export to Europe. It currently ships products to France, Britain, Spain and Vietnam, while preparations are under way for a launch in Japan following the completion of a supply agreement.
The company's exports increased tenfold in 2025 from a year earlier, and sales in the first half of this year have already surpassed total revenue for all of last year.
In Spain, the firm's sun stick recently gained favorable attention after being promoted by Yuri of Girls' Generation.
"We were looking for people who shared our values, not just buyers," Joo said. "Consumers in Europe have responded positively to that philosophy."
"Not a single complaint has ever come from a buyer or customer," she added.
After establishing a presence overseas, C&R Cosmetics has stepped up efforts to expand in the domestic market this year.
Its products are now available at pharmacies in Seoul's Myeong-dong and Chungmuro districts and on Jeju Island, while pop-up stores are operating at Hyundai Department Store and Galleria.
Joo said the company's goal this year is to further expand overseas.
Commenting on the popularity of K-beauty, she noted that too many brands rise quickly and disappear just as fast, warning that such a trend could negatively affect the industry as a whole.
"In the end, only brands that remain true to themselves with unwavering conviction will survive," she said.
Joo's own career path is also unusual.
A graduate student in musical theater, she spent about 18 years working as a musical and stage actress. Her best-known work is the play "Kyungsook, Kyungsook's Father."
She won acting awards at the North Jeolla Theater Festival four times beginning in 2002 and received the Presidential Award in 2003.
jwc@yna.co.kr
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