Busan Tourism Organisation–Backed K-Beauty Startup Moonlighter Accelerates Global Market Entry with Skincare Brand ‘BLUEKKIT’, Tackling Hard Water Skin Stress Globally

Busan-born vegan skincare startup Moonlighter is accelerating its global market entry with its high-performance vegan skincare brand 'BLUEKKIT', inspired by everyday experiences and designed to optimise skin renewal.

Moonlighter was selected as one of the “2025 Busan Tourism Start-ups”, a programme jointly initiated by Busan Metropolitan City and the Busan Tourism Organisation to nurture promising local businesses. Although still in its pre-launch stage, the brand has already attracted positive attention from domestic and international buyers, spas, and skincare clinics in the UK, signalling new potential for the future of K-beauty.

The story of BLUEKKIT begins with hard water, a common environmental factor affecting the skin. Around 85% of households in the United States, 60% in the United Kingdom, and many regions across the Middle East and India experience issues such as barrier damage, dryness, premature ageing, and inflammation due to mineral-heavy water. The familiar “skin adjustment” that many travellers experience abroad often stems from the same cause.

Conventional water-softening systems and filters can be expensive and environmentally burdensome, while failing to address oxidative stress and mineral residues left on the skin. Moonlighter aims to bridge this gap with a new generation of skincare technology.

In collaboration with CELLTURN, a Busan-based cosmetics R&D and manufacturing company, Moonlighter developed its formulas using organic Korean sea kelp extract instead of purified water, combined with highly stabilised Vitamin C to directly target the effects of hard water on the skin.

Sea kelp helps to absorb and remove mineral residues such as calcium and magnesium left after cleansing or showering, while strengthening the skin barrier. Vitamin C neutralises free radicals generated by metal catalysts in hard water through its antioxidant properties, helping to protect the skin and improve tone and discolouration.

CELLTURN’s patented Subcritical Water Extraction (SWE) technology enables the gentle extraction of active ingredients without compromising their efficacy, while its Vitamin C stabilisation process improves absorption and reduces oxidation. This formulation offers more than simple hydration, providing a novel solution for repairing skin damaged by the water it touches, which has already attracted growing interest from international consumers.

Earlier in September, Moonlighter participated in the Global Healthcare Week 2025 at BEXCO, Busan, together with CELLTURN, holding business meetings with buyers from India, Vietnam, and Tanzania. Follow-up discussions are now underway, opening opportunities for expansion into the Middle Eastern and African markets.

BLUEKKIT skincare line presented at the Global Healthcare Week 2025, BEXCO, Busan.

Momentum is also growing in the UK. During London Fashion Week 2025, Moonlighter collaborated with MUSA Showroom, a premium fashion and beauty platform active in New York, Paris, and Milan, to present its products at the runway Beauty Bar.

BLUEKKIT featured at the MUSA Showroom Beauty Bar during London Fashion Week 2025.

The UK company is led by founder Sojeong Kim, who continues to travel between Korea and the UK, meeting consumers and partners directly. The company focuses on R&D and manufacturing in Korea, while pursuing market validation and partnerships in the UK, ensuring that on-site feedback is swiftly reflected in product development.

Founder Sojeong Kim commented:

“It’s incredibly encouraging to receive such positive responses from overseas even before our official launch. Based in Busan and London, we aim to introduce K-beauty innovations tailored to different lifestyles and environments around the world.”

Read the full articles below (Korean):

• News1 – “부산관광공사 발굴 K-뷰티 스타트업 문라이터, 스킨케어 글로벌 확대” (14 October 2025)
• MyDaily – “문라이터, 피부 물갈이 최적화 스킨케어 글로벌 확장” (15 October 2025)
• Star Daily News – “부산관광공사 발굴 K-뷰티 스타트업 문라이터, 스킨케어 브랜드 ‘블루키트’로 글로벌 진출” (16 October 2025)