Expanding internationally is the most common "next step" for beauty brands that have found traction in their home market. It's also where I've seen the most money wasted. Not because international expansion is a bad idea - but because brands underestimate how different each market actually is.
Start with market research that goes beyond Google
Every brand that's ever pitched me on international expansion has done the same surface-level research: market size, growth rate, competitive landscape from a Euromonitor report. That tells you almost nothing about whether your specific brand will work in a specific market.
What you actually need to understand: what are consumers in that market already buying in your category? What price points are they comfortable with? Which retail channels dominate? What do they expect from branding and packaging? Where do they discover new beauty products?
The best way to learn this is to spend time in market. Visit the stores. Talk to local beauty editors. Follow local creators. Look at what's on the shelves, what's sold out, and what's on clearance. No report replaces this.
Compliance is not copy-paste
Your UK-compliant formulation may need changes for the EU (post-Brexit divergence is real), the US (FDA regulations differ significantly), or Asian markets (China requires specific documentation, some markets have animal testing requirements).
For each market, you need:
- Regulatory review of every formulation
- Updated labelling in the local language (including INCI lists)
- Claims review - what you can say about your product varies dramatically
- Safety assessment under local frameworks
- Product registration where required
Budget six to twelve months for compliance work per new market. I know that's painful. But launching with non-compliant products can result in customs seizures, fines, and permanent damage to retailer relationships.
Pricing strategy isn't just currency conversion
Converting your UK price to euros or dollars is a recipe for either being overpriced or leaving margin on the table. Each market has its own pricing expectations based on category norms, competitive pricing, and local purchasing power.
Factor in: duties and taxes, local distribution margins (which vary significantly by market), shipping costs, and return rates (which differ by market). A product that retails for £32 in the UK might need to be €38 in France and $42 in the US to maintain your margins - or it might need to be priced lower to be competitive.
Content localisation is more than translation
Translating your English website copy into French or German is the bare minimum - and it's not enough. The messaging that resonates in the UK often falls flat elsewhere.
British beauty marketing tends to be understated and slightly self-deprecating. American beauty marketing is more aspirational and direct. French consumers respond to heritage and formulation expertise. Korean beauty consumers expect detailed ingredient breakdowns and step-by-step routines.
You need local creative direction, not just translation. This might mean working with a local copywriter, adapting your visual identity for cultural preferences, or creating entirely new content for specific markets.
Creator sourcing requires local knowledge
The creators who drive sales in one market are unknown in another. You can't scale your UK creator strategy internationally by finding "the French version" of your UK creators. Each market has its own creator landscape with different platform preferences, content styles, and audience expectations.
In France, YouTube still drives significant beauty discovery. In Korea, Naver and local platforms matter more than Instagram. In the US, TikTok dominance varies dramatically by age demographic.
Work with local agencies or consultants who understand the creator landscape in your target market. Or hire someone with local market experience to build your creator strategy from scratch.
The order of operations
Based on years of watching brands expand, here's the sequence that works:
- Test demand through DTC - ship internationally from your home market to gauge interest
- Identify your strongest international market based on actual sales data
- Complete compliance work for that market
- Secure a local logistics partner or 3PL
- Build localised content and a local creator programme
- Approach retail partners with DTC data proving demand exists
The brands that struggle are the ones that jump straight to retail partnerships without steps 1-4. Retail buyers in foreign markets want to see local demand data, and "we sell well in the UK" isn't convincing enough.
International expansion is a growth multiplier - but only when you treat each market as its own business, not as an extension of your existing one.