Sensory Creates the Brand: Cosmetics Texture Trends
Choosing skincare products based solely on ingredients is no longer enough. Touch, texture, and visual appeal — consumers now expect a multi-sensory experience.
Especially Gen Z and MZ consumers are accustomed to “experiencing” products first through videos rather than trying them firsthand. That’s why texture-focused content thrives on TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.
Here are four trending skincare textures that embody this aesthetic:
1. Bursting Beads: Capsule Cream
These creams contain capsule beads that resemble popping boba used in Taiwanese desserts, earning the nickname “boba cream.”
A notable example is MediCube Deep Vita-C Capsule Cream. It features clear gel infused with Vitamin C capsules, allowing users to mix the gel and capsules to suit their skin type. When rubbed in, the capsules burst — a moment captured in viral TikTok content.
📌 ODM Strategy Tip: Capsule creams require specialized equipment to produce the beads, limiting manufacturer options. However, they offer strong visual appeal and are ideal for creating powerful launch content.
2. Sprayable Jelly: Jelly Mist
While traditional mists spray liquid formulas, newer products spray jelly-textured formulas. Popular examples include Abib Jelly Mist and Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Mist. Unlike regular mists, jelly particles provide longer-lasting hydration and a moisture-locking feel.
📌 Marketing Angle: “Spray it like jelly!” This hybrid product fuses jelly texture with mist format — a concept that immediately grabs attention. Especially effective with MZ consumers who seek unique experiences and standout visuals in retail displays.
3. Bouncy Satisfaction: Pudding Pots
Pudding pots are a hybrid texture between gel and cream, offering something more tactile than traditional solid makeup. Korean brand FWEE’s Pudding Pot is a popular example, going viral for its squishy pudding-like consistency that stays intact when pressed.
📌 ODM Planning Insight: Great for overseas markets with a “texture-first” concept. Simple pot packaging with stylish coloring makes these ideal for collaborations with beauty influencers and YouTubers.
4. Korea-Inspired Cleansing Surprise: Tteok Soap
Inspired by the chewy texture of traditional Korean rice cakes (“tteok”), Tteok Soap is a unique hybrid between solid soap and gel from Arencia. Its sticky consistency also allows it to double as a pre-cleansing pack. On SNS, creators show off its stretchiness in videos, which helped fuel its fame.
📌 Branding Takeaway: Tteok Soap is a great example of combining traditional Korean inspiration with witty texture innovation. It merges brand storytelling, unique texture, and content virality into one powerful package.
Texture-based products aren’t just quirky ideas.
They reflect the content-centric, experience-driven consumption habits of the TikTok generation, who crave sensory satisfaction in both touch and visuals.
If a product’s concept creates a story the moment it’s applied — that’s true branding.
Texture ODM Planning by WITH.C KOREA For inquiries about ODM/export, contact: sales@withckorea.com