Entering Mercadona and finding empty shelves in the cosmetics section is no longer surprising. What was once an almost automatic purchase—gel, deodorant, a basic cream—has transformed into a treasure hunt driven by social media: 3.50 euro products They sell out, they are recommended as if they were high-end and They generate videos with millions of views. It does not happen in a specialized perfumery or in Sephora, but between preparations and delicatessen.
In the last year and a half, the white label Deliplus has gone from being a functional and cheap option to becoming one of the great engines of skincare in Spain. And not only because of price. What is happening in the aisles of Mercadona is the visible symptom of something deeper: a change in the way of consuming beauty, in the perception of luxury and in the growing—and now structural—influence of Korean cosmetics.
Before the Korean aesthetic became explicit in its launches, Mercadona had already been training its consumers in a different logic for some time. In the last two years, Deliplus has intensified its presence with products that go far beyond basic care: serums with promises botox-likepatches, facial treatments, perfumes inspired by great houses and cosmetics designed to function as dupes of the high range.
The strategy is to detect trends, replicate them quickly and place them in an everyday and massive environment, where the low price reduces the perceived purchase risk to almost zero. The result is not only sales volume, but a cultural phenomenon: the supermarket cosmetics aisle converted into a new aspirational showcase. Trying stops being a thoughtful decision and becomes an impulsive gesture. It is on this basis – a brand already accustomed to virality, to dupe and immediate consumption—where the codes of Korean cosmetics fit with special ease.
The settlement of K-Beauty
Korean cosmetics, known as K-Beautyhas not prevailed only for its products, but for a combination of industry, culture and digital marketing that has been going on for more than a decade expanding outside of South Korea. In economic terms, Korea has established itself as one of the great cosmetic powers in the world. since last year compete directly with historical giants like France or the United States. The K-Beauty It has ceased to be a niche fashion and has become a structural force in the global market, with a presence in pharmacies, department stores and European supermarkets.
But its success goes beyond the numbers. Korea has been able to sell a specific idea of beauty: compared to the traditional Western approach, which is more corrective and focused on treating visible problems, Korean cosmetics has built his story around prevention, care of the skin barrier and consistency from an early age. It is not about covering up imperfections, but rather preventing them from appearing. Hence aspirational concepts like the glass skin: luminous, uniform and healthy skin.
This approach fits especially well into the logic of the algorithm. Step-by-step routines, visual formats, assets with recognizable names and photogenic results turn the K-beauty in perfect content for TikTok and Instagram. Added to this is the cultural weight of Hallyu u “Korean wave”: music, series and aesthetics that reinforce the association between Korea and cosmetic innovation. Mercadona does not adopt this philosophy in all its complexity, but it does translate its codes to European mass consumption: sticksessences, “all-in-one” products, language of star assets and visible promises in a short time.
Koreanness works here as a cultural shortcut: it evokes care, modernity and efficiency without needing to explain the entire system behind it. One of the clearest examples is the Facial Clean detox & illuminating stick facial mask, which costs 3.50 euros. As explained Trendsit is a stick mask—very common in Asian cosmetics—whose format and message of quick results explain a good part of its success. However, compared to the narrative of “it works for everyone”, the first crack appears when the dermatological criterion comes into play.
“There are no miracle creams”: the warning that does not go viral
The dermatologist Almudena Nuño, who we have interviewedmakes it clear from the beginning: there are no universal or miraculous products. “The same cosmetic can be wonderful for one person and disastrous for another,” he explains. The difference is not in the price or the virality, but in the type of skin, in habits and in the rest of the products that are being used.
In the specific case of this type of masks with clays, Nuño emphasizes that they can work well on combination or oily skin because they help absorb sebum and mattify, but they can be irritating on sensitive skin or skin with previous pathology. “When you see completely opposite opinions – some love it and others it destroys their skin – it is not because the product is good or bad, but because it is being used without criteria.” For the dermatologist, this is one of the big problems of the skincare viral: the promise of an immediate result detached from the context of use.
The stick mask is no exception. In recent months, Mercadona has launched facial essences, hydrating mists, products with hyaluronic acid microcapsules and cosmetics that are deliberately placed in concrete steps of the Korean routine —after the toner and before the serum—. They are no longer just selling a cream: they are selling a way to take care of your skin.
The problem, according to Nuño, is that they try to replicate a complete ritual with one or two products. “Korean cosmetics work because they are accompanied by habits: strict sun protection, consistency from an early age, careful diet, medical treatments when necessary. Here we want the result without everything else.”
However, this phenomenon cannot be understood without the economic and cultural context. Mercadona has perfected what has been called the luxury of hallway: products reminiscent in texture, packaging or effect to high-end cosmetics—Lancôme, Dior, Shiseido—eliminating the price barrier. You don’t just buy a functional product; you buy the feeling of participating in a global trend.
This is where the concept of dupewhere legal imitation has stopped hiding to become a sign of generational identity. For many young people, finding a product that “does the same thing” for a fraction of the price is not a concession, but a victory. The value is no longer in the original, but in the similarity and being able to tell it on social networks.
This behavior connects with the microspending: repeated small expenses—a six-euro serum, a viral mask, a cheap highlighter—that offer immediate reward in a context where other major consumption milestones, such as housing, seem unattainable.
Likewise, social networks act as an accelerator of the entire process. TikTok and Instagram don’t just show products: they legitimize them. A positive review can generate massive purchases in hours. Mercadona does not need traditional campaigns, the marketing is done by the users themselves, recording videos in the hallway, comparing ingredients and showing immediate results.
The problem, Nuño points out, is that TikTok does not distinguish skin types. “The skin does not work on fashion. It is a living organ that regulates itself. When we put too many things on it, it defends itself by reacting.” In consultation, the dermatologist sees more and more skin that is irritated, sensitized or “exhausted” by excessive routines. Ten steps, multiple assets and unattended combinations. “The basic rule in dermatology is very simple: less is more. Cleansing, sun protection when necessary and well-chosen active ingredients. Everything else is usually excess.”
This message coincides with that of other dermatologists who have analyzed viral Mercadona products in different media: It is not the low price that should generate distrust, but the lack of judgment in use. Reading the list of ingredients, knowing your own skin type and not chasing miracles remains more important than any trend.
What happens at Mercadona is not just about creams. It talks about economics, digital culture and how desire has shifted towards small, accessible and shareable objects. The supermarket cosmetics aisle has become a global showcase where science, marketing, imitation and quick promises coexist.
The final question is not whether a 3.50 euro product works or not. The question is what do we expect from him. As Almudena Nuño rememberstaking care of your skin is not an impulse purchase, but a process. Everything else—virality included—is noise.
Image | freepik
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