In the Era of Dermocosmetics, How Are Korean Pharmacies Creating New Business Opportunities with the FOCUSKIN Skin Analysis Device?
Dermocosmetics originated from the combination of dermatology and cosmetics. Today, it has grown beyond a simple cosmetics category into an important beauty market.
Pharmaceutical companies are now developing cosmetics and dermocosmetic products based on their experience in dermatology and pharmaceutical research. Pharmacies that have long worked with these companies can therefore introduce familiar, trusted products to consumers and benefit from growing demand through product consultation and sales.
Consumers no longer choose products simply because they are famous or popular. They want products suited to their own skin condition and more professional guidance. This change is creating new business opportunities for pharmaceutical companies and their partner pharmacies.
Why is the pharmacy cosmetics business gaining attention?
Pharmacies are already spaces that consumers trust highly. Their association with health-related products and professional advice is an important advantage that distinguishes them from ordinary cosmetics stores.
For consumers with skin concerns, the question is increasingly not “Which product is good?” but “Which product does my skin need?”
Amid this shift, pharmacies can expand beyond product sales to provide:
- Professional consultation based on skin condition
- Product recommendations tailored to skin concerns
- Personalized customer care
- Follow-up checks on changes in returning customers’ skin
In other words, the pharmacist and customer can develop a shared understanding of the customer’s skin condition and use it as a basis for recommending suitable products.
Start more professional consultations with skin analysis
▲ FOCUSKIN
FOCUSKIN from PIE Co., Ltd. is an AI skin analysis solution that helps pharmacies build this type of consultation environment.
By capturing and analyzing the customer’s skin, the pharmacist can move beyond visual judgment and discuss the customer’s concerns more specifically using the analysis results. Pharmacies in Gangnam, Seongsu and Myeong-dong are already using skin analyzers to create new points of communication with customers.
For example, when a customer mentions dryness, enlarged pores or pigmentation, the pharmacist can review the skin analysis results together with the customer instead of simply recommending a particular product.
The product recommendation feature can also connect analysis results with the customer’s skin concerns, enabling a more systematic consultation.
This helps pharmacists communicate as professional consultants who understand the customer’s skin condition and guide them toward suitable care, rather than simply selling cosmetics.
From a one-time sale to ongoing customer care
Another advantage of skin analysis is that it helps maintain an ongoing relationship with customers.
After checking the customer’s skin and recommending products during the first visit, the pharmacy can analyze the skin again after a certain period. By comparing the results, customers can see changes in their skin for themselves.
This process can extend beyond a one-time sale into:
- Checking changes in skin condition
- Follow-up consultation after product use
- Recommendations based on new skin concerns
- Encouraging repeat visits through regular skin checks
Ultimately, skin analysis can serve as both a sales support tool and a customer-care touchpoint.
Installing a skin analyzer alone will not automatically attract customers
Of course, simply installing a skin analyzer such as FOCUSKIN will not automatically bring new customers into a pharmacy.
What matters is how the skin analysis service is promoted and used.
However, the analyzer itself can provide valuable marketing content.
For example, a pharmacy can promote messages such as:
- “Skin analysis with a pharmacist’s personal consultation”
- “Check your skin condition and receive personalized cosmetics advice”
- “Dermocosmetic recommendations for your skin concerns”
- “Discover your skin condition with AI skin analysis”
- “Check your skin before choosing a product”
This content can be used not only for in-store POP displays and banners, but also across blogs, Instagram, local communities and map-search listings.
Most importantly, the skin analysis service can become a reason to visit.
Even customers who did not initially plan to buy cosmetics may visit because they are interested in skin analysis or consultation. Professional advice and suitable recommendations can then lead naturally to a purchase.
The heart of marketing is the experience, not the device
Effective marketing needs to go one step beyond saying, “Our pharmacy has a skin analyzer.”
It is important to show customers what kind of experience they can actually receive.
For example, content can present the following journey:
Skin concern → Skin analysis → Consultation → Product recommendation → Follow-up check
Showing this process through photos or video helps customers understand the service they can experience at the pharmacy, not merely the device’s functions.
Content based on real skin concerns discussed through FOCUSKIN can also be effective.
- Which products should be chosen for dry skin?
- What should be checked for acne-prone skin?
- How should cosmetics be selected for sensitive skin?
- Why can recommendations differ depending on skin condition, even for the same product?
Connecting informative content with a skin analysis service allows the pharmacy to communicate its expertise continuously.
Changes in the dermocosmetics market: a new opportunity for pharmacies
As the dermocosmetics market grows, consumers will expect increasingly professional consultation and personalized product recommendations.
Pharmacies already enjoy consumer trust. By combining pharmacists’ expertise with skin analysis technology, they can create a new type of cosmetics business.
FOCUSKIN is more than a device that captures skin images. It can be used as a touchpoint for understanding skin condition, starting consultations, recommending products and maintaining ongoing customer care.
What matters is not the device itself, but the experience created through it.
Understand the skin first, consult based on the results, and recommend suitable products and care.
Amid changes in the dermocosmetics market, pharmacies that provide this experience can evolve beyond product retailers into trusted beauty consultation spaces where customers feel confident discussing their skin.
To learn more about FOCUSKIN, please click the link below.