Frankly

Frankly is a South Korean skincare brand that develops affordable, science-oriented products and sells them directly to consumers worldwide. Its formulas are created by Korean cosmetic researchers and made in Korea [10], while the company behind it, THEKOOKY INC, is registered as a legal entity in Delaware in the United States [8] — a corporate setup common among Asian direct-to-consumer brands. The name reflects the brand's stated guiding idea: to "speak about everything honestly" about both quality and price [2].

The brand built early momentum in its home market and then expanded across Asia, Eastern Europe and beyond, with a product range centred on serums, toners and other treatment skincare. It remains active, running its own online store and selling through K-beauty retailers as of 2026.

Frankly describes itself as a brand created by cosmetic researchers to make high-quality skincare available at reasonable prices. The only individual named in the brand's own materials is a chief technology officer credited as "Roo"; no chief executive or founder is publicly disclosed [2]. Third-party K-beauty profiles likewise describe the company as one "created by the country's skincare scientists" rather than attaching it to a named personality.

The founding year is not stated outright on the brand's story page. Aggregated K-beauty and editorial sources consistently place the launch in 2021 [2][11], a date that fits the brand's own milestone of reaching retail shelves "just 10 months after its launch." Because the company's own site does not confirm the year, the 2021 date should be read as cross-referenced rather than primary.

A defining early step came when Frankly entered Olive Young, South Korea's largest health-and-beauty drugstore chain, within roughly ten months of launching — a placement the company points to as early market validation [2]. From its Korean base the brand expanded internationally, citing a presence that has grown to include Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan, Ukraine, Mongolia, Moldova, Russia and Mauritius. The company states that its products ship to more than 28 countries [3].

Frankly's parent company is THEKOOKY INC, listed at a registered address in Lewes, Delaware [8]. Despite the United States registration, the brand presents itself as Korean in origin, and several third-party sources state that all of its products are made in Korea [10]. The brand's own contact page lists only the Delaware address, while editorial and retail profiles emphasise the Korean manufacturing and research base; the two are best understood as a Korean operating brand under a US-registered holding entity rather than a contradiction. No acquisitions or sister brands are recorded in the available sources.

The brand frames itself around transparency and accessibility. According to Frankly, "even a really good product should be easily accessible," and the company says it aims to be "honest about our quality and reasonable prices" [2]. That positioning places it in the affordable, science-led tier of K-beauty, with messaging built on disclosed ingredients and researcher-led development rather than luxury cues.

Ethical claims are part of that pitch: the brand states that its products are vegan, cruelty-free and fragrance-free [6], and describes an opposition to animal testing alongside a preference for vegan ingredients. On sustainability, the company says only that it is "working to provide skin care that is safe for the environment," without publishing specific targets or timelines.

Frankly's range is entirely skincare, organised into toners, serums, moisturisers, sun protection, cleansing and face masks. The brand foregrounds a set of recognisable active ingredients, including retinol, vitamin C, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, centella asiatica (cica), ceramides and peptides.

Its most visible product is the Closer Serum, a pore-reducing serum that the brand and reviewers describe as combining nine peptides, adenosine, vegan collagen, hyaluronic acid and gluconolactone [12]. The serum has drawn attention on TikTok as a pore-minimising treatment, and independent reviews have singled it out as unusually repurchase-worthy among pore products [13]. Other products noted across the brand and retail listings include a Niacinamide 15% Zinc Beads Serum, a PDRN Bounce Ball Serum, retinol creams in 0.1% and 0.3% strengths, and a high-concentration centella toner.

As a young indie brand, Frankly has not been covered by major beauty press, and no awards are recorded. Its visibility comes largely from K-beauty retail profiles and user-driven coverage: it is featured on the exporter StyleKorean as "Science-Backed Korean Beauty Essentials" [10], and the Closer Serum has been reviewed by independent beauty blogs and discussed across TikTok and Lemon8 [13].

Frankly is active. Its direct-to-consumer store continues to run promotions and add new products, including the PDRN Bounce Ball Serum and other recent launches, and it remains available through Olive Young and international K-beauty retailers such as Amazon, YesStyle and iHerb. Ongoing third-party reviews through 2025 indicate continued consumer interest, particularly around its signature serum.