The Brussels office of the Korea International Trade Association says South Korea beat Japan to become one of the top five cosmetics exporters to Europe last year.

According to the trade agency’s latest report on a K-beauty boom in Europe, South Korea’s exports of cosmetics to Europe amounted to nearly 136 million euros last year, a 12-fold increase from 2010 and a nearly 47-percent jump from 2016.  

The U.S. maintains unrivaled market supremacy with over one-point-two billion euros, followed by China, Switzerland and Canada. 

The report said the strength of Korean beauty products is that they are cost-effective with good quality while containing natural substances, such as ginseng, green tea and aloe, instead of artificial chemicals.