Dr. Jart+

In spring 2003, entrepreneur Lee Jin-wook (Korean: 이진욱) was waiting in the lobby of a dermatology clinic in Gangnam, Seoul, as he observed a group of young women enthused by a product on display, which was BB cream.[8] He began to research the product closely, and later left his post at an architectural firm to focus on his venture. Dr. Jung Sung-jae (Korean: 정성재) had been working out of his own Seoul practice since 2001, where he was constantly testing new treatments for his patients with severe skin issues.[9] Lee approached him to invest and consult on Dr. Jart+, with the intent to bring Jung's formulations to a wider audience.[9] The name "Jart" was initially coined as a portmanteau of "Jung" and "art".[8] Jung remains as the brand's chief dermatologist.[10]

A product from Dr. Jart+'s Water Fuse collection on display.

Dr. Jart+ was in development for three years before being exclusively introduced to dermatology clinics.[1] It was launched in December 2004 with a capital of 50 million won (roughly US$47,000 in 2019).[8] Dr. Jart+ was first sold through e-commerce, which Lee described as a "rarity" in the cosmetics industry.[8] Its revenue in 2005 only amounted to 500 million won, but began to increase through word-of-mouth on online retailer SkinRx Lab. By 2008, its sales amounted to seven billion won.[8]

In its early days, Lee focused extensively on exporting Dr. Jart+ outside of Asia, strategizing that the brand's popularity in Asian territories would follow after pioneering more "difficult" markets first.[11] The brand partnered with Japanese department store Takashimaya in June 2009 to offer their products at its now-defunct Fifth Avenue location, which effectively made Dr. Jart+ the first Korean brand since Amorepacific to have a presence in New York.[8] It entered the greater American market in early 2011 with cosmetics retailer Sephora, offering two BB creams at ten of its locations at the time, which was a "hit".[11][5] The New York Times credited this launch as "[paving] the way for a Korean beauty invasion of the United States" and spawning iterations from L'Oreál to Dior.[5] The brand has since expanded to selling 50 products at all Sephora outlets.[11]

A Dr. Jart+ gift set featuring an assortment of samples from their Cicapair and BB Cream lines.

Dr. Jart+ is composed of nine lines, each focused on a specific ingredient or skin issue:

• Cicapair — utilizes tiger grass (centella asiatica) to "[calm] redness and [soothe] irritation"
• Ceramidin — 5-Cera Complex (ceramides) to "restore and repair the skin barrier"
• Water Fuse — AquaMineral Complex (minerals) to impart skin hydration
• BB Cream
• Dermaclear — Hydrogen Bio Water (micellar solution) to cleanse, exfoliate skin
• Water Drop — hyaluronic acid; features a "unique emulsion system" that "bursts into tiny water droplets"
• Peptidin — 8-Peptide Complex (peptides)
• Focuspot — patches composed of "micro tips" to target specific conditions
• V7 — V7 Multi-Vitamin Complex (vitamin B3, C, F, K3, B5, E, and H)