We sit down for a longer conversation with Swedish skincare brand Common Clouds’ co-founder, asking her to share an overview of the current landscape, in Korea, Scandinavia, and as an indie brand: “Consumers are overwhelmed by choice and are looking for trust filters.”

During the latest trip to South Korea to meet their manufacturers, Ahlgren noticed the latest big shift: skincare is moving from the big beauty chains, like Olive Young, to pharmacies. 

– The pharmacy is more and more becoming also the place to explore new skincare trends. And with that also comes the fact that the products are more results-oriented, I would say, and more focused on solving problems. That’s very exciting for us because we are a problem-solving brand, and the pharmacy is one of our biggest sales channels. 

As for ingredients in Korea, Ahlgren continues, everything is about PDRN, but also about obtaining it from other sources. 

– It’s not necessarily from the salmon sperm anymore. We, for instance, are including centella PDRN in an upcoming product, and you can also get it from rose and other plant sources. 

– In Korea, both centella and panthenol are still the mainstays in everything. The focus continues to be on soothing the skin, working with barrier health, and supporting healthy skin every day. It’s not so much about the quick fixes.

And several of their local K-beauty brands have gone so big now that the previously so ‘secret’ ingredients are now rolled out quite quickly across the world. It’s not like it’s big in Korea, and then it takes time before it goes to the US or Europe. It’s a much more global development, right?

– When people go to Korea to discover the latest in skincare, I think many of the most interesting products are now found in pharmacies. These are often OTC products, medical-device-classified products or more pharmacy-grade solutions that cannot always be exported in the same way. It could be eczema creams, extreme repair creams or acne treatments—products that are very results-oriented and focused on specific skin concerns.

– The flip side of Korea’s very export-driven beauty ecosystem is that many manufacturers are set up to move quickly and efficiently, which often means pushing library formulations rather than developing products entirely from scratch with a brand. For us, that can be a challenge, because we don’t do white-label or simply buy off-the-shelf formulas. We want to build every product from the ground up. So it’s sometimes a challenge for us to convince manufacturers to work close to R&D and have total transparency from the start of a project.

– As someone who is obsessed with science and measurable results, I’m also a bit sceptical of the overuse of buzzword ingredients. They are often included at very low concentrations, where they are unlikely to have a meaningful effect on the skin. You’ll often see very long ingredient lists with dozens of buzzy ingredients, and while that can create a great story around the product, many of them are present at extremely low levels that won’t perform.

– In many cases, the real performance may come from tried-and-tested ingredients such as niacinamide or panthenol. Korean brands include niacinamide in so many products, and that’s not by chance since it works across multiple concerns. So while the story might be built around a more buzzy ingredient, the visible results are often coming from something much more proven.

And after glass skin and glass hair, what do you predict? What’s next if you talk to your suppliers?

– I believe the next phase of K-beauty will be defined less by trends and more by a focus on skin health, the targeted problem-solving that I mentioned, and prevention, Ahlgren explains.

– For many years, K-beauty became known for multi-step routines, buzzy ingredients, and constant product innovation. Today, consumers are increasingly looking for targeted solutions, barrier-supporting ingredients, and products that fit into everyday life. What’s interesting for us as a Swedish brand with a big part of our development in Korea is that this is where Korean and Scandinavian beauty philosophies begin to overlap. Scandinavian beauty has always valued simplicity, efficacy, and a gentle approach to skincare, while Korea has built one of the world’s most advanced beauty innovation ecosystems. The intersection of those two worlds is incredibly exciting for us living in it.

– Korea remains unmatched in speed and innovation. At the same time, we bring a Scandinavian perspective focused on simplicity, trust, and solving real consumer needs. Both K-beauty and Scandinavian beauty share a belief that healthy skin is the foundation.

– During that recent trip to Seoul and talking to our manufacturers—both on a professional and personal level—we could see a big shift from single trend ingredients or buzzwords to pharmacy-grade, problem-solving skincare. ‘Glass skin’ referred to appearance—the next big thing is focusing not only on how skin looks but also how the experience feels.

– What strikes me, Ahlgren continues, when working with our Korean partners is how obsessed they are with texture, sensoriality, and the overall product experience. They spend an incredible amount of time perfecting how a product glides and feels on the skin. I think the next wave of beauty innovation will be less about creating another aesthetic ideal like ‘glass skin’ or ‘dolphin skin.’ Instead, we’ll look more about removing friction from products that have traditionally been associated with compromising on experience, such as sunscreen, acne treatments, pimple patches, and other highly functional categories.

– In that sense, I think we’re moving from aspirational beauty to seamless beauty where innovation isn’t just what a product does, but how effortlessly it fits into people’s lives.

And not only for your partners but also for you, it’s crucial how it feels on the skin.

– Yes, our SPF Cloud Screen, for instance, is for people who hate sunscreen. We call it a sunscreen made for sunscreen sceptics. People with concerns like acne-prone or very sensitive skin can shy away from sunscreen since they worry that it might trigger unwanted responses in the skin, such as clogged pores, a greasy feel or irritation.

– When developing Cloud Screen, our brief was to create an SPF50 that fit seamlessly into everyday routines for everyone—including the sceptics. It’s completely weightless, leaves no greasy residue, and doesn’t feel like a traditional sunscreen. It’s packed with soothing and hydrating ingredients, so it feels more like an ultra-light moisturiser than an SPF.

– Again, the Koreans are incredibly focused on the sensorial experience of a product. They nail cosmetics elegance like no other, especially when it comes to SPF.

And it’s a hero product for you now.

– Yes. It’s gone on to become one of our hero products, won multiple industry awards and most importantly, become a product that sunscreen sceptics come back to again and again…

– Another thing that I appreciate about working with our Korean manufacturer is that sunscreen is such an integral part of everyday life there. It’s not a seasonal product, but an all-year essential. Koreans instinctively understand the pain points people might have with SPF. They know it can’t sting the eyes, leave a greasy film or feel suffocating on the skin. We were essentially speaking the same language from day one.

And a product that the end consumer comes back to and repurchases is key in this increasingly competitive retail landscape, right?

– Yes, absolutely. Getting someone to buy your product once is one thing. Getting them to come back and buy it again is something completely different.

– There is so much competition for consumers’ attention, and it’s never been easier to discover new brands. That’s why I think repurchase is one of the most important metrics in beauty. It tells you whether a product was actually delivered.

– For us, we never create products to generate a moment of buzz but to solve a problem and become everyday essentials. When someone finishes a Common Clouds product and immediately buys another one, that’s the strongest validation we can get. It’s easy to drive trial with marketing. Building loyalty is much harder.

– In our own e-com, we have 62% returning customers. To me, that’s one of the most meaningful metrics—especially since we target skin with underlying concerns like acne, redness, sensitivity or a compromised barrier. They place a great deal of trust in us, often at a time when their skin is acting up, which can have effects way beyond skin-deep.

– And then, of course, we sell through around 500 pharmacies and about 280 H&M stores, and naturally, we can’t monitor people’s behaviour in the shops. But yes, they come back, and that is the best proof of concept. That’s what keeps us going, even on the days when we feel like firefighters, putting out all the small fires that come with building a beauty brand!

– Keeping it simple is also key. I have a background as a beauty editor, and the constant newness has been the name of the game for so many years. But we wanted to make it differently and keep it streamlined and simple, so you can easily build an everyday routine without all the guesswork. And every product needs to be super intentional and really have a place in the range. That’s maybe a very Scandinavian take on it.

Definitely. And speaking of Scandinavian, here it’s a great quality mark for end consumers that you’re available in several different pharmacies.

– Yes. Physical pharmacies have very rigorous quality and assortment standards. It’s important to distinguish between being available through online-only pharmacies and actually earning a place on the shelves in physical pharmacies. 

– For online pharmacies, it’s quite easy to get in, but to get into the actual physical pharmacies, you must go through several steps. There’s also limited space; you must earn the shelf space and then constantly defend it.

So that’s a similarity now between Sweden and Korea.

– I would say so. I think that’s one reason pharmacies are becoming increasingly important in both Scandinavia and Korea. Consumers are overwhelmed by choice and are looking for ‘trust filters.’ Being stocked in physical pharmacies signals a certain level of quality, efficacy, and credibility.

– What’s also unique about pharmacies is the consultation aspect. The pharmacy staff are trained to understand different skin concerns and recommend suitable products and routines. That’s incredibly valuable, especially for consumers dealing with more complex skin issues.

– Many of our customers have used, or are currently using, prescription acne treatments, whether topical or oral. I know from my own experience how important pharmacy staff can be in helping you build a routine that doesn’t clash with your medication, but instead supports the skin barrier and helps the skin recover. Having dealt with both acne and rosacea, the pharmacy has played a huge role in my personal skin journey.

– That’s also why we invest heavily in educating pharmacy staff about how our products fit into different routines. Education is a huge part of the partnership.

– As a response to the overwhelming skincare landscape, I think people will increasingly look to pharmacies and skin clinics—another important sales channel for Commo

n Clouds—for guidance and reassurance. These channels, I believe, will only become more and more influential in the beauty industry.

– There are so many products out there, and at one point, maybe the skin starts acting up, you go to the pharmacy, saying, ‘Help me!’ Help me reset the skin. I think that the physical pharmacies are going to be bigger players in the future—both in Korea and in Sweden!

With Common Clouds, what have been the major challenges for you when building a beauty brand?

– Every day poses new challenges, for sure! My co-founders and I often refer to ourselves as firefighters, putting out new little fires every day—from stock issues, product development hiccups, or tech issues on the website.  But to start with, it was about finding product-market fit and earning a place in an extremely crowded skincare market. New brands launch every day, and consumers are exposed to more products, ingredients, and trends than ever before.  

– When we launched, we deliberately stayed super-niche. For the first year, we only had pimple patches, Cloud Patch and half a year later, Moon Patch. We wanted to build credibility in acne and build the foundations of our brand universe before expanding into skincare.

– One of the biggest challenges in beauty is resisting the pressure to constantly launch something new. Newness has been the currency of the industry for years. Every season brings a new ingredient, a new trend, or a new category to chase. As a former beauty journalist and editor, my job was literally to stay on top of that constant stream of launches and trends. So, founding a niche indie brand built around simplifying routines and keeping an intentionally minimalist product range required a complete shift in mindset. I had to rewire my brain from chasing newness to building trust. People don’t necessarily need more products. They need products that genuinely work and fit into their everyday lives, and products that they can stay consistent with other times. 

– With that said, there have been moments when I’ve felt the pressure to expand faster or launch new products more often. Late at night, doom-scrolling Instagram and looking at what ‘everyone else’ is doing, I can panic over being left behind. That’s when it’s so important to go back to our brand DNA—being a niche, acne-focused brand built on simplicity and proven problem-solving. Our goal has never been to launch the most products or chase every trend. It’s to create products that earn a permanent place in people’s routines.

– My co-founders and I have learned the importance of staying disciplined and trusting our ‘less is more’ brand philosophy. Every product must earn its place in the range. If we launch something, it must solve a real problem for a real customer, not simply fill a gap in a trend report. In the long run, I’ve learned that growth doesn’t always come from doing more. Sometimes it comes from having the discipline to do less but doing it exceptionally well. 

The brand, Ahlgren explains, has applied the same philosophy to its retail strategy. 

– From the beginning, we made a conscious decision to only partner with a small number of leading retailers that could give us strong physical visibility and help us build long-term brand equity. Rather than being available everywhere, we wanted to be present where consumers naturally go for trusted skincare recommendations, such as physical pharmacies.

– We’ve been very selective about online distribution. The beauty industry can easily get caught in a cycle of promotions and discounting, and we didn’t want to build a brand that is always on discount somewhere. Instead, we’ve worked hard to maintain a price point that feels accessible every day, not only during campaigns. We call it a ‘democratic price point.’ 

– By limiting distribution, we’ve been able to stay out of the constant price wars online and instead put our time and money into meaningful partnerships with our key retailers. As for our product philosophy, it’s a slower approach, but we believe it’s more sustainable for our brand.

Lastly, what else are you looking at now in the industry as a whole?

– If I were to point to one broader industry shift, it would be the growing consumer desire for simplicity, trust, and guidance.

– For years, the beauty industry has been driven by newness. Buzzy ingredients, new launches, new categories, and an endless stream of trends. That model has been incredibly successful, but I think we’re now starting to see the consequences of it. Consumers are overwhelmed. Overwhelmed by choice, by information, and by conflicting advice. Many people have tried dozens of products, built complicated routines, and still don’t feel that they’re doing the right thing for their skin.

– That’s why I think the next wave of beauty innovation won’t only come from new ingredients or technologies. It will come from helping consumers navigate complexity. Brands, retailers and experts that can simplify decisions, build trust and give credible guidance will become increasingly valuable.

– The rise of pharmacies—in Korea and beyond—as beauty destinations is an important reflection of this. They provide expertise and carry products that have earned their place on the shelf.

– Ultimately, I think we’re moving from an era of constant trend-chasing and endless choice to an era where trust becomes the most important currency in beauty.

Top picture: Weronika Bela