APR’s beauty brand Medicube has made its debut as the sixth most-loved skincare brand among American teenage girls. This marks a significant milestone for Medicube, which has primarily grown through online channels, now standing out as a go-to brand for young consumers in the U.S.
This achievement is particularly noteworthy as it shows a Korean cosmetics brand breaking into the top ranks in the U.S. market, which has long been dominated by global giants like CeraVe and La Roche-Posay.
According to a report by beauty industry bible WWD, which cited Piper Sandler’s Fall 2026 Teen Consumer Survey, Medicube clinched the sixth spot in skincare brand preferences among American teenage girls.
CeraVe took the crown, followed by The Ordinary, La Roche-Posay, Rhode, and Bubble. Medicube secured the coveted sixth position, with brands like BYOMA, e.l.f., Glow Recipe, and Cetaphil also making the top ten cut.
The survey polled about 9,000 teens from 47 U.S. states, with an average respondent age of 15.7 years. Female participants made up 43% of the total, and the skincare brand rankings were based on their responses.
One fascinating aspect is the shifting landscape of the U.S. teen skincare market. While established players like CeraVe, The Ordinary, and La Roche-Posay hold their ground, social media-savvy emerging brands are making serious waves.
Rhode, the brainchild of supermodel Hailey Bieber, stormed into fourth place in the skincare category for the first time. Bubble, with its Gen Z-focused products and TikTok-centric marketing, nabbed the fifth spot. By cracking the top ten alongside these brands, Medicube is now poised to go toe-to-toe with the coolest new skincare brands in the U.S.
Another juicy tidbit? Beauty spending among American teens is on the rise. Piper Sandler’s survey showed a 7% bump in overall beauty spending compared to last year, with skincare expenditures growing by 5%. After a dip in beauty spending last fall, the glam game is back on, intensifying the battle among skincare brands for teen loyalty.
Medicube has been building its street cred in the U.S. market through online powerhouses like Amazon and TikTok Shop. The brand’s success has been fueled by social media buzz, with consumers sharing their unfiltered experiences and reviews. The company notes that more and more beauty buffs are now prioritizing products that actually work for their specific skin woes.
An APR spokesperson dished that Medicube has been killing it on social media and online channels, where real people share their honest thoughts. It’s seeing a major trend with teens getting super interested in products that truly tackle their skin issues. It’s all about results for these savvy young consumers.
While Medicube’s online game is strong, they’re also making moves in the brick-and-mortar world. Even though American teens get their beauty inspo from social media, they still prefer to shop offline. This makes scoring shelf space in major retail chains crucial.
The survey spilled the tea: a whopping 85% of U.S. teenage girls prefer to buy their beauty goodies in physical stores. Sephora reigned supreme as the top beauty shopping destination, with Ulta Beauty as the runner-up and Target snagging third place. This highlights the need for brands to nail both their online presence and in-store experience.
APR has been on a retail expansion spree, introducing Medicube to about 1,400 Ulta Beauty stores last August. They leveled up in April, hitting over 1,500 Target locations, and in June, they conquered around 3,000 Walmart stores. This month, they’re making waves in about 400 Costco stores, diversifying from beauty specialty shops to big-box retailers and warehouse clubs.
They’re also getting creative with their product lineup for different retailers. For their Costco debut, APR dropped a special edition of their cult-favorite Zero Pore Pad. This holy grail product has been slaying the toner category on Amazon since last February. Next up, they’re planning to bring their PDRN line to Costco.
Medicube’s U.S. takeover is in full swing. APR’s latest quarterly report shows North American sales making up a hefty 46% of total revenue. Medicube alone raked in over 2 trillion KRW (about 1.5 billion USD) in the third quarter. The brand isn’t stopping there – they’re set to conquer around 3,000 CVS Pharmacy stores by year’s end.
APR insiders spilled that they’re seeing Medicube blow up among young American consumers, thanks to the fire content on Instagram and TikTok. By expanding the presence in stores like Ulta Beauty and Target, it’s giving more people the chance to fall in love with the products in person.
