On July 7, after a weekend of golfing, President Trump fanned the flames of his trade war by threatening US allies, including South Korea and Japan, with steep tariffs if the countries do not reach an agreement by August 1. Whether Trump makes good on his threats or not, numerous US-based beauty brands rely on South Korea for almost every step in their supply chain—from raw materials and packaging to formulation and manufacturing.

Despite the White House extending its 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs, which were set to expire on July 9, the delay offers no respite for beauty brands planning for the upcoming holiday season, as they face significant supply chain uncertainty.

Chris Hobson, President and CEO of Rare Beauty Brands, told BeautyMatter that 95% of the company’s products are impacted by the tariffs on Korean imports. Hobson said that the company, which owns Patchology and other brands,  attempted to find a cost-effective domestic manufacturer, but that it doesn’t exist. “Most of our business is sheet and hydrogel masks. The only manufacturer we found [domestically] makes costly medical hydrogel,” said Hobson. Due to tariff uncertainty, Patchology was forced to raise its prices. “There is no way to deal with it other than a price increase.”

Patchology is not the only brand to raise prices due to the Trump administration’s trade war. The INKEY List, Amika, e.l.f. Beauty, and SAIE have all raised prices; tariff uncertainty is squeezing supply chains across the board.

Even before official tariff decisions were made, K-beauty brands had already begun preparing for potential price pressures. When President Trump reignited the trade war in April, Charlotte Cho, founder of K-beauty supplier Soko Glam and K-beauty skincare brand Then I Met You, acknowledged that price increases are likely inevitable. In May, K-beauty brand Glow Recipe increased the prices of three popular products by $1: Watermelon Toner, Dew Drops, and Hue Drops. The skincare company cited a continuous rise in the cost of raw materials and shipping.

In a recent earnings call, Japanese beauty conglomerate Shiseido warned investors about the potential for slower growth and price increases for its products due to US tariffs. The company said it is considering sourcing and manufacturing changes to mitigate the impact of these tariffs.

Small businesses are being hit the hardest by the fluctuating tariffs. US Representative Kelly Morrison (MN) serves on the House Committee on Small Business and fights tirelessly to secure an exemption. “Small business owners are the hardest-working people in the American economy,” Congresswoman Morrison told BeautyMatter. “They live and breathe their business. And we have this situation where large corporations with billionaire CEOs are able to buy access to exceptions from this administration, and small businesses don't have the bandwidth, the resources, or the time to advocate for themselves. The playing field is so radically uneven that it's infuriating.”

Danessa Myricks, makeup artist and founder of Danessa Myricks Beauty, announced that her prices will increase starting July 28 because of the tariffs. “Danessa Myricks Beauty’s mission will always be to connect hearts and minds through beauty. That is why I will always be transparent about changes and [the] why,” she wrote in an Instagram caption.

As the industry braces for impact (again), the full consequences of the tariff policy remain uncertain.

Whether the tariffs will actually take effect on August 1 or not, the immediate solution for beauty brands isn’t reshoring production but rather solutions like raising prices to survive these economic shifts.