Importing cosmetics - the journey of products from Korea to Finland 🇰🇷

Many fans of Korean cosmetics look for effective products and follow the latest trends – but few think about what happens behind the scenes, before the product ends up in the online store or on the store shelf.

Outwardly everything looks simple – products are on the shelf or in the online store and you can click them into your shopping cart – but in reality, importing is a multi-stage and strictly regulated process that takes time and requires good relationships with local brands.

Cosmetics in the EU are subject to strict regulation. Every product must meet the requirements of the EU Cosmetics Regulation (1223/2009), and the importer acts as the responsible person for the products. If products are not properly registered and checked, the consumer is left unprotected – and cannot always know what the product really contains or who is responsible for it.

That's why we want to explain what responsible importing really means – and why it matters also to you ✨

✈️ The journey of a new product from Korea to Finland

Let's start with a simple summary of how the process could potentially proceed. Imagine you're in Yeppo & Soonsoo and you start the process of importing a completely new brand or product for us:

🔍 1. Product selection and brand contact
We look for an interesting product or line and contact either the brand directly or their official distributor.

🤝 2. Negotiations and agreement
We agree on import rights, prices, and terms. 

📄 3. Documentation collection
We receive all necessary documents from the manufacturer: INCI list, safety assessments, and other information for the product information file (PIF).

🌐 4. CPNP registration
We notify the products to the EU's CPNP system. This step may be delayed if the documentation is incomplete or the brand has no prior EU background and often these steps are unfamiliar to them.

✍️ 5. Packaging label review and translations
We ensure that all packaging information meets EU requirements and is available in Finnish and partially in Swedish.

✅ 6. Internal review and order decision
The product is only ordered once all registrations have been approved and the documentation is in order.

🛩️ 7. Import and customs clearance
Products arrive in Finland through Customs. If Customs conducts a spot check, we provide all documents for inspection. In a spot check, the product undergoes a more detailed analysis than usual.

🧴 8. Placing on the market
The product is launched in the online store and/or physical store. The customer can buy it safely – knowing that everything has been done responsibly and according to EU regulations.

🤼 Challenges of importing

• Finding the right contacts with whom import discussions can even begin
• The Korean brand is not interested in expanding to the European market or wants to focus on larger European countries. Also not knowing the EU cosmetic regulation can cause delays in the process, since we have different ways of doing things.
• The product contains ingredients that are banned in the EU or their concentration is too high (Korean legislation is strict, but there are exceptions compared to EU legislation and sometimes limits are set differently)
• Delays caused by CPNP registration when product information is being collected

Yeppo & Soonsoo has worked closely for years with both large and small Korean brands and we have formed good relationships with our contacts – yet importing is not without challenges. Why do we put so much effort into importing? Let's continue exploring the topic!

🌐 Registration before delivery – why is it important?

Selling Korean cosmetics in the EU requires that products be registered in the EU's CPNP system (Cosmetic Product Notification Portal). Without registration, the product cannot be legally sold or even imported. The information includes the product's country of origin, importer's contact details, and information about the product's contents. The purpose of registration is to ensure that in case of problems, the responsible party can be identified and in exceptional situations requiring medical assistance, the product's composition is sufficiently known. 

We order products only after the registration is fully completed. This is important because Finnish Customs occasionally conducts spot checks, and the importer must have all documents ready – otherwise, the shipment may be delayed or even returned. Responsible operation is also important to us, and therefore we do not want to cut corners or take the easiest path. 

🤝🏼 Direct cooperation with brands and official distributors

We cooperate directly with Korean brands or through their official and exclusive distributors. Some brands do not export their products themselves but have only one distributor who acts as their international sales channel. In such cases, finding the right contact and building long-term cooperation requires time and thorough background work. Good cultural knowledge is also key!

Sometimes brands want to start their expansion into Europe from large markets like Spain or Germany. For us, as a smaller but highly committed importer, this has meant a lot of negotiation work to ensure the product is also registered for Finland 🇫🇮

Our work on this continues all the time because our goal is to bring Korea's most interesting, popular, and best products to your availability! 💫

🧐 How do we ensure that products meet EU requirements?

Before any product goes on sale, we go through the following steps:

✔️ We check the product's INCI list and composition
✔️ We ensure that all ingredients are allowed in the EU
✔️ We translate the packaging labels into Finnish and Swedish
✔️ We compile and check the product safety file (Product Information File, or PIF)
✔️ We register the product in the CPNP system

All this is done before ordering any new product, so that's why products don't always end up on shelves as quickly as one might hope! 

👀 Why does this matter to the consumer?

Naturally you might think now that why bother? Is it any difference whether you buy from an official EU importer or just order online straight from the source?

When you buy Korean cosmetics through an official EU importer, you can be sure that:

✅ The product has been checked and is genuine
✅ It is registered in the EU authority system and follows EU's strict regulatory system.
✅ In problem situations, there is a responsible party who cooperates with authorities

In contrast, with products arriving as grey imports, this certainty is missing – you cannot know, for example, whether the product complies with EU legislation or has been stored properly during transport, or where to get help if problems arise. There is always a small risk with these products, and we prefer to minimize risks ourselves. 

🫡 For us, importing is responsible work

For us, importing Korean cosmetics is not just logistics – it's building a bridge between two cultures dear to us 💜 We are passionately interested in the development of Korean cosmetics and brand stories, and at the same time, we commit to ensuring that all products meetEU quality and safety requirements.

This work enables us to offer our customers in Finland safe, functional, and innovative K-beauty products!

Tried something new? Or did it raise even more questions? You can leave a comment on this article, and we'll continue the discussion ✨