Put a faceband on the dog and carefully lay him on the bed. After brushing his teeth with toothpaste, he puts foam lotion on the pink jelly on the sole of his foot. Lastly, let’s put perfume on it. Seeing a dog that gently takes care of the entire process, it is confusing who the real “beauty influencer” is in this house. The main character in the popular video these days is a pet rather than a human being. A much more complicated pet skincare routine is creating a trend by garnering more views than my own. In fact, after the Sephora Kids craze in the U.S., some predict that the next person will be Pet Beauty. The trend of treating pets as more than family members is pushing up the premium pet beauty market.
In the United States, dog perfumes, red light therapy, and dry shampoos with clean beauty concepts are already pouring in. It’s not just about organizing hair, it’s about transplanting human skincare and wellness grammar into pets.
The pet care market, which has been all about functional shampoo and basic grooming products, is now expanding to another level. Even “hair care luxury lines” such as high-function shampoo, pet perfume, red light, PEMF therapy, and oil and mist have appeared, making the options noticeably wider.
Experts say, “It is not an essential product, but we are growing the market by stimulating ’emotional gift consumption’ of companion animals.” Analysts say that the growth engine of premium pet beauty is the psychology that ‘my dog should use the same quality as I use’. Korea’s pet industry has already exceeded 4 trillion won, and is expected to surpass 6 trillion won in 2027. In particular, the growth of the beauty and healthcare sectors is steep. In the past, basic shampoo and brush products were the focus, but recently, skin trouble care, allergy-fighting products, functional shampoo, and pet spa and therapy services have appeared, and the market is rapidly becoming high-end.
As the culture of treating pets as family members has established itself, consumption standards have also increased. The number of consumers in their 40s and 50s demanding safety at the level of human cosmetics and vegan and clean beauty standards has increased. As skin diseases become more frequent due to environmental factors such as humidity, dust, and allergies in the summer, the demand for functional shampoo, soothing and moisturizing products is also steadily increasing. Accordingly, domestic brands are focusing on securing competitiveness by using natural ingredients, hypoallergenic prescriptions, and veterinary collaboration.
Meanwhile, the service market is also active. Experiential consumption such as pet spas, customized beauty counseling, and pet hotel + beauty packages is rapidly expanding. The market is being reorganized in the direction of improving the health and daily quality of pets beyond simply making pretty fur.
Pet beauty is now evolving into a premium industry that enhances the lifestyle of pets and pets together beyond the narrow category of “beauty.” At the current pace, it doesn’t seem surprising that dogs will have more complex beauty routines than humans in the future.
JENNIFER KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
