From 27 to 29 August 2026, Cosmosciene® Technology participated in HCMC K-Brand Expo 2026 at White Palace Hoang Van Thu in Ho Chi Minh City. The event connected the Vietnamese and Korean business communities in trade, investment and innovation.
HCMC K-Brand Expo 2026 featured nearly 200 booths across a wide range of sectors, including technology, artificial intelligence, cosmetics, food, lifestyle, household goods and industrial solutions, with organisations and companies participating from 18 major industrial cities in South Korea.
More than a product exhibition, the event was developed under the Business Ecosystem Platform model, simultaneously connecting four areas: trade, investment, innovation and human resource development.
According to the Organising Committee, across the four editions held from 2022 to 2025, the programme attracted more than 600 Korean startups and companies, over 30,600 visitors and more than 5,020 business-matching meetings. Approximately 800 memoranda of understanding were signed between organisations and companies from the two countries.
Connecting Korean Cosmetics Brands With the Vietnamese Market
The Korean cosmetics companies participating in HCMC K-Brand Expo 2026 were primarily companies that own brands and finished products and were seeking importers, distributors and market development partners in Vietnam.
Within the business-matching programme, Cosmosciene met, exchanged information and signed memoranda of understanding with Korean companies.
The memoranda of understanding represent an initial expression of goodwill towards establishing connections, providing a basis for the parties to continue learning about the products, corporate capabilities, development directions and potential fit with the Vietnamese market. The implementation of specific cooperation will require further assessment based on actual needs, the capabilities of each party and an appropriate commercial model.
For Cosmosciene, the value of a trade event lies not only in the number of meetings held or memoranda signed, but more importantly in the ability to identify promising new research and innovation products and support their owners in developing a feasible market-entry pathway.
Challenges for Korean Cosmetics Brands Entering Vietnam
South Korea is one of the most influential markets in the Asian cosmetics industry. However, the fact that a product is already marketed in South Korea does not mean that it will necessarily succeed in Vietnam.
Before developing the market, a brand needs to answer several important questions:
- Is the product suitable for Vietnam’s climate, skin characteristics and consumer usage habits?
- Which product categories have the potential to become hero products?
- Are the ingredients, product claims and communication content compliant with Vietnamese legal requirements?
- Is the proposed selling price compatible with the brand positioning and the product’s competitiveness in the market?
- Which distribution channels should be selected: traditional retail, e-commerce, spas, clinics, cosmetics chains or agency networks?
- What scientific evidence, quality documentation and training materials should the brand provide to build trust among distributors and consumers?
- Do the product, packaging, pack size or communication strategy need to be adjusted for the Vietnamese market?
Without a thorough assessment, a company may find a distributor but still face difficulties in building market demand and achieving sustainable sales growth.
The Role Cosmosciene Can Play for Cosmetics Industry Partners
With its expertise in cosmetics R&D and R&I, international standards and product development, Cosmosciene can serve as a technical bridge between Korean brands, distributors and the Vietnamese market.
1. Product Assessment and Market Fit
Cosmosciene can support the analysis of product ingredients, technology, claims, scientific evidence, sensory characteristics and competitive advantages. This process helps brands identify products with potential in Vietnam while providing importers and distributors with an additional technical basis before making partnership decisions.
2. Selection of Priority Products
Rather than introducing the entire portfolio to the market at the same time, a company can select a number of hero products based on consumer needs, market trends, differentiation, pricing and the potential to develop sales channels. This approach helps reduce initial costs, concentrate resources and validate the market before expanding.
3. Support for Product Strategy Localisation
Cosmosciene can advise on adjusting product positioning, messaging, technical content, introductory materials and the way product claims are communicated so that they are more suitable for Vietnamese consumers. Where necessary, the brand may also be advised to adjust pack size, packaging, texture, fragrance or its product portfolio for subsequent stages of development.
4. Review of Technical Documentation and Compliance Direction
Before being placed on the market, cosmetic products must have documentation and product notification content that comply with Vietnamese regulations. Cosmosciene can support companies in reviewing ingredient information, product claims, technical documents, relevant evidence and the materials that need to be prepared before working with importers, distributors or specialised legal advisers.
5. Advice on Higher Standards and Competitive Advantage
For brands seeking to develop in line with Clean Beauty or expand into markets with demanding requirements, Cosmosciene can support the assessment of pathways towards international standards and programmes such as COSMOS/Ecocert, EWG VERIFIED® and Vegan. These standards do not replace sales capability, but they can provide a foundation for brands to demonstrate their commitment to quality, safety, transparency and sustainable development.
6. Support in Connecting With Market Development Partners
Based on product assessment and brand positioning, Cosmosciene can support connections between Korean companies and suitable partners in Vietnam, such as importers, distributors, retail systems, e-commerce operators, spas, clinics and other specialised channels. Cosmosciene does not replace the role of the distributor. The value Cosmosciene seeks to provide is helping both parties better understand each other’s products, capabilities and expectations before proceeding with a long-term commercial decision.
Bridging Product Capability and Market Capability
A good product may not create a market on its own. To achieve sustainable development, a brand needs to combine product capability with market understanding, a distribution system, a communication strategy and the ability to build consumer trust.
Guided by “Formulating the Future, Together”, Cosmosciene seeks to connect the scientific and technological value of products with the market’s actual needs.
For Korean companies, this is an opportunity to approach Vietnam through a selective and professionally informed pathway. For Vietnamese distributors, independent technical assessment helps reduce risk when selecting brands, product portfolios and development strategies.
Towards Substantive and Long Term Cooperation
Participation in HCMC K-Brand Expo 2026 helped Cosmosciene expand its international network, engage with more Korean cosmetics brands and stay up to date with new trends in products, technology and consumer behaviour.
The memoranda of understanding signed at the event represent initial connections. Their real value will take shape as the parties continue their discussions, assess suitability and identify cooperation models that can be implemented in practice.
On the foundation of science, transparency and long-term thinking, Cosmosciene expects to contribute to connecting valuable brands with suitable partners while supporting quality products in entering the Vietnamese market responsibly and sustainably.
COSMOSCIENE® TECHNOLOGY
Formulating the Future, Together
Reference
- Thuong Hieu & Cong Luan. HCMC K-Brand Expo 2026 Exhibition: Connecting Korea and Vietnam Through Trade, Investment and Innovation. 7 August 2026. Link nguồn
- Cong Thuong. HCMC K-Brand Expo 2026 thúc đẩy kết nối doanh nghiệp Việt – Hàn. Link nguồn
- Trang tin điện tử Đảng bộ TP.HCM. HCMC K-Brand Expo 2026: Mở rộng cánh cửa kết nối thị trường Việt Nam – Hàn Quốc. Link nguồn
