K-beauty’s off-season is fading: July became the top export month

An analysis says the old "winter is the slow season" rule in Korean cosmetics is breaking down.

The numbers

Cosmax made 172.47M units in Q1 2026, more than Q4 2025 (148.75M). Historically Q1 ran at about 91% of Q4.
July 2026 was Cosmax's biggest month ever at 86.22M units, roughly triple July 2021 (28.9M).
July cosmetics exports hit $1.10B, the top month of the year. In 2023 July ranked 11th.
Q1 exports were $2.56B, 5.9% above the preceding Q4 ($2.42B).

Why (per the article)

More SKUs: 127,656 in 2022 vs 145,360 in 2025
More export markets whose seasons offset each other
Sun care went year-round: the peak/off-peak gap shrank from 6.6x in 2021 to 1.6x in 2026

For brand operators this means rethinking inventory and promo calendars. Do you still plan your year by season, or market by market?