The Interview: Haruharu Wonder founder Jae Won Jeong on scaling towards $80m in 2026
Born from a desire to create skincare that is both effective and gentle, Haruharu Wonder was founded on the belief that daily rituals should support skin health over time rather than rely on short-term, trend-driven solutions.
As K-beauty has gained global traction, Haruharu Wonder has carved out a distinct position focused on simplicity, ingredient integrity, and long-term skin health. Expansion into markets like the UK and the US has further accelerated its reach, supported by strong retail performance and growing consumer loyalty.
In this interview with TheIndustry.beauty, founder Jae Won Jeong explores the brand’s origins, philosophy, and global growth within the evolving K-beauty landscape, as it moves towards projected growth of $80 million in 2026.
What inspired you to launch Haruharu Wonder and what gap in the market were you aiming to fill?
Haruharu Wonder began from a very personal belief: skincare should support your skin every day, not overwhelm it with short-term promises. I felt there was space in the market for a brand that was both highly considered and genuinely approachable - one that combined Korean formulation expertise with a calmer, more sustainable philosophy.
At the time, many products were either very trend-driven or overly clinical in the way they communicated with people. I wanted to build something that felt different: effective skincare rooted in modern ingredient technology, but also gentle, intuitive and emotionally comforting to use. That balance - performance with softness - is really where Haruharu Wonder started.
For me, the gap was not simply product. It was also about values. We wanted to create a brand that respected skin, respected daily ritual, and respected the consumer enough to be transparent and thoughtful.
What does “Haruharu Wonder” stand for, both as a name and values?
“Haruharu” means “day by day” in Korean, so the name reflects our belief that skincare is not about chasing perfection overnight. It is about small, meaningful rituals that build over time. “Wonder” represents curiosity, optimism and the sense that everyday care can still feel special.
As a brand, Haruharu Wonder stands for gentle innovation, honesty and consistency. We believe in creating products that are sensorial and enjoyable but also grounded in real formulation logic. We care deeply about skin barrier health, ingredient transparency and long-term trust.
So in many ways, the name expresses our full philosophy: live with wonder, day by day.
Why do you think K-beauty has resonated so strongly with global audiences in recent years?
K-beauty has resonated globally because it has always been very consumer-focused. It listens closely to what skin needs, but also to how people really want to use products in real life. That often means lightweight textures, strong efficacy, layering flexibility and a deeper focus on prevention and skin health rather than correction alone.
I also think K-beauty has helped shift the global conversation around skincare. It made routines feel more personal, more enjoyable and more educational. Consumers today are much more ingredient-aware and texture-aware, and K-beauty played a major role in that.
From a UK perspective, I think this resonates particularly well because British consumers are increasingly sophisticated. They are curious, informed and open to brands that can offer both innovation and clarity without overcomplicating things.
How has this benefitted Haruharu Wonder?
It has definitely helped create openness and readiness. Consumers are already interested in Korean skincare, so there is a stronger understanding of concepts such as layering, fermentation, skin barrier care and daily SPF.
That said, interest in K-beauty alone is not enough. For Haruharu Wonder, the benefit has come from being able to offer a more specific point of view within that space: barrier-first skincare, elegant textures and a brand identity that feels calm, modern and credible. As the category has grown, consumers have become more selective, and that has actually worked in our favour.
Can you walk us through how your product range has developed since launch?
Our product range has developed very intentionally. We did not want to launch a large portfolio too quickly. Instead, we built step by step around core needs: cleansing, hydration, barrier support and daily treatment.
Black rice has been a key foundation for us from the beginning, not just as a hero ingredient story but as part of a broader philosophy around antioxidant support, nourishment and skin resilience. Over time, we expanded from hydration-led essentials into more targeted categories, always making sure new launches still felt cohesive with the brand.
As the range evolved, we also became more confident in combining sensorially with more advanced ingredient stories - whether that is probiotics, ceramides, retinal or newer technologies. But the principle has stayed the same: every launch has to make sense for real skin and real routines.
Which products have been the most pivotal for the brand’s growth?
The Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner was incredibly important in helping people discover the brand early on. It introduced consumers to our texture philosophy and ingredient approach in a very accessible way.
More recently, the Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence has been especially pivotal. It captures what Haruharu Wonder does best: hydration, barrier support, comfort and visible skin quality in one product. It has been a strong entry point for new consumers and also a product that editors and retailers have really understood.
I would also say our SPF and cleansing categories have been important in strengthening the brand because they show that we are not just a single-product success. We are building a full ritual.
Where do you draw inspiration for new product launches - ingredients, technology, customer needs and/or trends?
It is always a combination, but customer need comes first. We look carefully at what people are struggling with in their routines, what textures they are seeking, what sensitivities they are trying to manage and where there may be fatigue in the market.
From there, we consider ingredients and technology. We are very interested in how to make active or high-performance skincare feel more elegant, wearable and skin-respecting. That is where formulation really matters.
Trends do play a role, but more as a signal than a starting point. We are not interested in launching something only because it is loud. We ask whether the trend reflects a real shift in consumer need and whether we can interpret it in a way that feels true to the brand.
Can you tell us more about how Haruharu Wonder has performed in the UK market? Where is it available? Plans to expand?
The UK has become a very meaningful growth market for us. Alongside strong retail partnerships including Boots, Lookfantastic and Superdrug, we’ve seen steady momentum driven by both editorial validation and consumer adoption.
Globally, the brand has grown to approximately $36 million in revenue in 2025, with Europe and the UK accounting for a significant portion of that growth. What’s been particularly encouraging in the UK is not just awareness, but repeat engagement, consumers are coming back into store and integrating the products into their daily routines. Our focus now is to deepen that presence through stronger retail visibility, localised storytelling and sustained PR and seeding programmes throughout 2026.
What have been the biggest challenges and opportunities in expanding in the UK?
One of the biggest opportunities in the UK is that it is a market where consumers really appreciate both efficacy and editorial credibility. If a product performs and the story is clear, there is real potential to build trust quickly.
The challenge, of course, is that the UK beauty market is also very crowded and very discerning. You cannot rely on trend momentum alone. You have to communicate clearly, localise well and understand what matters to British consumers specifically - whether that is value, texture, barrier support, SPF wearability or the role of retail discovery.
For us, the opportunity has been to position Haruharu Wonder not simply as another K-beauty brand, but as a brand with a clear philosophy and a strong point of view. The challenge is making sure that message stays consistent as the market becomes noisier.
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Haruharu Wonder has built a strong social following - what has been the key to that growth?
The key has been consistency and honesty. We have never tried to build the brand purely through noise. Instead, we have focused on clear education, strong product storytelling and visuals that reflect the actual feeling of the brand.
We also understand that skincare is personal. People do not just buy products; they buy trust. Social has allowed us to show not only what the products do, but what we believe in as a brand - gentleness, curiosity and daily care.
Another important factor is that our community often responds to texture, ritual and real-life usability. Those things can seem small, but they matter a great deal in beauty. When people feel that a product genuinely fits into their life, they share it differently.
Across our global channels, we’ve seen strong organic engagement driven by product-led storytelling, with consistent save rates and repeat mentions - which we consider more meaningful than short-term virality.
How do you keep your community engaged and loyal in such a crowded space?
We try to speak to our community with respect. That means not overclaiming, not overcomplicating and not treating consumers as if they need to be persuaded by hype alone.
Loyalty comes from repeat trust. We keep our community engaged by educating clearly, listening closely and making sure our launches still feel connected to the DNA of the brand. In a crowded space, people remember brands that feel consistent.
We also think community is built through relevance. Especially in the UK, where the beauty consumer is very savvy, you need to offer both emotional resonance and practical value.
What has been your biggest learning as a founder so far?
My biggest learning has been that brand building is a long conversation, not a single moment. There are exciting milestones, of course, but sustainable growth comes from repetition, discipline and staying close to your original purpose.
I have also learned that clarity matters more than complexity. As a founder, you can easily be pulled in many directions - trends, channels, markets, opinions. But the strongest decisions often come from returning to the core question: does this strengthen who we are, or distract from it?
That has become very important to me as the brand has grown internationally.
What advice would you give to emerging beauty founders today?
First, know exactly why your brand needs to exist. Not why the category is growing, but why your point of view matters.
Second, do not confuse visibility with longevity. It is possible to get attention quickly, but much harder to earn repeat trust. Product quality, clarity of message and operational discipline matter more than ever.
And finally, stay close to the consumer, but do not become reactive to every shift. The beauty market moves fast, but a brand still needs an inner logic. The founders who build lasting businesses are usually the ones who know when to adapt and when to stay steady.
Finally, what are your future ambitions for the brand?
Our ambition is to continue building Haruharu Wonder into a globally trusted skincare brand with a very clear identity: thoughtful Korean skincare for modern daily life.
In practical terms, that means strengthening our hero categories, expanding with discipline and deepening our retail presence in strategic markets including the UK. It also means continuing to invest in innovation that feels relevant, not excessive - products that make people feel their skin is healthier, calmer and better supported over time.
As we look ahead, we are focused on scaling sustainably, with projected growth towards $80 million in 2026, while maintaining the same discipline around product development and brand clarity.
For me personally, success is not only about scale. It is about building a brand that people return to again and again because it genuinely fits into their lives. That is the future I want for Haruharu Wonder.
