South Korea Essential Oils Market

South Korea Essential Oils Market Overview:

The South Korea essential oils market size reached USD 250.80 Million in 2024. Looking forward, the market is expected to reach USD 633.56 Million by 2033, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 9.71% during 2025-2033. The market is driven by an upsurge in consumer behavior centered around wellness, with increased stress, sleep disorder, and demand for natural remedies. The popular K-Beauty market has embraced citrus, pine-needle, tea-tree, and indigenous conifer oils in serums, masks, and diffusers, driving organic and clean-label trends. Fast growth of e-commerce and beauty influencers, government support and high levels of consumer awareness about the benefits of essential oils in homecare, cosmetics, and F&B further enhances growth of the South Korea essential oils market share.

South Korea Essential Oils Market Trends:

Growing Preference for K-Beauty and Nature-based Skincare Products

The use of essential oils in K-beauty is one of the primary developments impacting the essential oils market in South Korea. Consumers in Korea are opting for natural, plant-based ingredients in their beauty routines, and essential oils have become central ingredients in facial oils, masks, toners, and creams. Local players are tapping into indigenous plant-based oils like cypress, mugwort, and lotus, which are not only plentiful but also carry cultural importance. The indigenous oils are inextricably linked to traditional Korean medicine, which lends them an extra appeal for consumers looking for wholistic well-being. This intrinsic penchant for gentle, plant-based ingredients has led essential oils to become a crucial component of South Korea's fast-growing beauty market. The impact of K-beauty has also extended globally, making it possible for South Korean essential oil producers to venture out from home frontiers. As the demand for K-beauty increases worldwide, so does the preference for quality essential oils made in the country.

Aromatherapy and Wellness in Urban Lifestyles

Another notable trend is the growth of aromatherapy and wellness rituals among South Korea's city dwellers. With busy lifestyles and excessive workload pressures, consumers are seeking out essential oils for emotional well-being and self-care practice. Such products as oil diffusers, roll-ons, and bath oils now feature widely in homes and offices, especially in urban centers such as Seoul and Busan. Korean consumers do not simply purchase essential oils, they interact with them through wellness rituals based on ancient Eastern medicine as well as contemporary mindfulness practices. Lavender, eucalyptus, and sandalwood oils are best-sellers for soothing and sleep-promoting qualities. This increasing culture of wellness among both the young and middle-aged is directly impacting product innovation and packaging, with convenience and portability in mind. The South Korea essential oils market growth is hence propelled by lifestyle choices, as these products are marketed as everyday necessities instead of periodic indulgences.

Emphasis on Local Sourcing and Sustainability

Sustainability is a major trend influencing the future of the South Korean market for essential oils. Consumers today are aware of where and how their products come from. This has encouraged a great number of local producers to focus on organic cultivation, green packaging, and transparent supply chains. Native Korean species like hinoki (Japanese cypress), perilla, and Korean pine are being cultivated and distilled today to produce essential oils, making the industry less dependent on imports. This emphasis is beneficial for the local economy and for the customer demand for authenticity and traceability. Several brands are collaborating with local farmers and cooperatives for ethical sourcing, in alignment with the increasing demand for clean beauty and green wellness products. South Korea's tech innovation is also being utilized to enhance extraction techniques, yielding purer, more potent essential oils. These practices are no longer niche—as they are becoming widespread throughout essential oils businesses in the country at a fast pace.

South Korea Essential Oils Market Segmentation:

IMARC Group provides an analysis of the key trends in each segment of the market, along with forecasts at the country and regional levels for 2025-2033. Our report has categorized the market based on product, application, and sales channel.

Product Insights:

• Cedarwood Oil
• Eucalyptus Oil
• Lavender Oil
• Lemongrass Oil
• Rosemary Oil
• Tea Tree Oil
• Ylang Ylang Oil
• Others

The report has provided a detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the product. This includes cedarwood oil, eucalyptus oil, lavender oil, lemongrass oil, rosemary oil, tea tree oil, ylang ylang oil, and others.

Application Insights:

• Medical
  • Pharmaceutical
  • Nutraceuticals
• Food and Beverages
  • Bakery and Confectionery
  • Beverages
  • Meat, Poultry and Seafood
  • Others
• Spa and Relaxation
  • Aromatherapy
  • Personal Care
  • Cosmetics
  • Toiletries
  • Others
• Cleaning
  • Kitchen Cleaners
  • Floor Cleaners
  • Bathroom Cleaner
  • Others
• Others

The report has provided a detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the application. This includes medical (pharmaceuticals and nutraceutical), food and beverages (bakery and confectionery, beverages, meat, poultry and seafood, and others), spa and relaxation (aromatherapy, personal care, cosmetics, toiletries, and others), cleaning (kitchen cleaners, floor cleaners, bathroom cleaner, and others), and others.

Sales Channel Insights:

• Offline Stores
• Online Stores

A detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the sales channel has also been provided in the report. This includes offline stores and online stores.

Regional Insights:

• Seoul Capital Area
• Yeongnam (Southeastern Region)
• Honam (Southwestern Region)
• Hoseo (Central Region)
• Others

The report has also provided a comprehensive analysis of all the major regional markets, which include Seoul Capital Area, Yeongnam (Southeastern Region), Honam (Southwestern Region), Hoseo (Central Region), and others.

Competitive Landscape:

The market research report has also provided a comprehensive analysis of the competitive landscape. Competitive analysis such as market structure, key player positioning, top winning strategies, competitive dashboard, and company evaluation quadrant has been covered in the report. Also, detailed profiles of all major companies have been provided.

South Korea Essential Oils Market News:

• In March 2025, a significant advancement was made when a group of researchers led by Jun-Won Kang, an Assistant Professor in Dongguk University's Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, revealed a new clove essential oil-based Pickering emulsion formulation featuring improved antibacterial characteristics. Their results were disclosed online on 3 December 2024 and appeared in Volume 503 of the Chemical Engineering Journal on 1 January 2025.
• In January 2025, Cocodor revealed that it has received the '2024 Korea Quality Satisfaction No.1' award in the Interior (Candles/Diffusers) category for nine straight years. Cocodor is an international fragrance brand that began with the goal of delivering high-quality, trustworthy fragrance products, making it effortless for everyone to experience the joy of captivating scents.

South Korea Essential Oils Market Report Coverage:

Key Questions Answered in This Report:

• How has the South Korea essential oils market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?
• What is the breakup of the South Korea essential oils market on the basis of product?
• What is the breakup of the South Korea essential oils market on the basis of application?
• What is the breakup of the South Korea essential oils market on the basis of sales channel?
• What is the breakup of the South Korea essential oils market on the basis of region?
• What are the various stages in the value chain of the South Korea essential oils market? 
• What are the key driving factors and challenges in the South Korea essential oils market?
• What is the structure of the South Korea essential oils market and who are the key players?
• What is the degree of competition in the South Korea essential oils market? 

Key Benefits for Stakeholders:

• IMARC’s industry report offers a comprehensive quantitative analysis of various market segments, historical and current market trends, market forecasts, and dynamics of the South Korea essential oils market from 2019-2033.
• The research report provides the latest information on the market drivers, challenges, and opportunities in the South Korea essential oils market.
• Porter's five forces analysis assist stakeholders in assessing the impact of new entrants, competitive rivalry, supplier power, buyer power, and the threat of substitution. It helps stakeholders to analyze the level of competition within the South Korea essential oils industry and its attractiveness.
• Competitive landscape allows stakeholders to understand their competitive environment and provides an insight into the current positions of key players in the market.