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Skincare

Mary&May

Mary&May is a South Korean skincare brand based in Seoul and owned by AIDKOREA Company Inc., a Korean cosmetics company led by chief executive Kyutae Cho.

Primary source verified8 sources
Glowpedia Editorial· Published 20 Jul 2026· primary sources: 1
Editorially selected sources, summarised with the help of AI.

⚑ Omitted claims. Some claims had only weak support (T4) and were left out. The sourcing is thinner than usual.

Mary&May
Mary&May
Mary&May
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Summary

Overview

Mary&May is a South Korean skincare brand based in Seoul and owned by AIDKOREA Company Inc., a Korean cosmetics company led by chief executive Kyutae Cho [4]. It positions itself within the "clean K-beauty" segment, building its range around named active ingredients and self-described commitments to safe formulation and ingredient transparency. The brand sits alongside the children's label Formal Bee Kids as one of AIDKOREA's two flagship beauty brands [4].

The line is best known internationally for its Tranexamic Acid + Glutathione Eye Cream, which the company says has passed 10 million units sold worldwide [6], and which was named first in the Eye Care category at the 2025 Hwahae Beauty Awards [8].

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Ownership

Mary&May is operated by AIDKOREA Company Inc., headquartered in the Songpa-gu district of Seoul, with Kyutae Cho named as chief executive [4]. The parent company lists the brand as one of its flagship beauty labels alongside Formal Bee Kids. The brand markets itself as Korean-made, stating that its products are manufactured in Korea.

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Philosophy and positioning

Mary&May describes itself as "an honest clean beauty skincare brand that emphasizes transparency and efficacy." On its about page, the company frames skincare as "more than a daily routine," calling it "a journey to understand and care for your skin." Its parent company sets out five core principles for the brand: safe ingredients only, product transparency, environment-friendly practices, dermatological testing, and sustainable packaging.

The brand's stated values centre on clean formulation, ingredient transparency, and proven efficacy, summarised in the recurring phrase "Less is more." Several retail and editorial profiles echo this framing, describing Mary&May as a results-driven brand that keeps formulas focused on essentials. It states that its products are vegan, cruelty-free, and free of mineral oil.

The brand's tagline is presented inconsistently across sources. Its own website carries the title "A Guide to True Clean K-Beauty Skincare" and uses "Believe in Truth" as a campaign hashtag [1], while one third-party editorial profile renders the motto as "Believe in Beauty" [18]. The site title is the form used in the brand's own materials.

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Products and innovation

Mary&May's catalogue is concentrated in skincare, spanning serums, creams, toners, cleansers, sheet and wash-off masks, sun care, and body care. The range is organised around a set of named active ingredients, including PDRN (polydeoxyribonucleotide), retinol, collagen, tranexamic acid, glutathione, azelaic acid, idebenone, and niacinamide.

Its most prominent product is the Tranexamic Acid + Glutathione Eye Cream. The company reports figures of a 33 percent improvement in wrinkles around the eye area and a 20 percent reduction in melanin for the product, and credits its "DOT DOT DOT" campaign with reaching the top spot for K-beauty views on TikTok [6]. Other products the brand highlights include a 6 Peptide Complex Serum, described by the company as combining six peptides, and a pair of "Spicule" creams pairing collagen and retinol with PDRN.

In 2025 the company said it was extending the brand into the "derma cosmetics" category through Korean pharmacy channels, citing PDRN and spicule technology as the basis for the move [9]. An Amazon listing for the 6 Peptide Complex Serum carries an EWG Verified mark [16].

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Recognition

In December 2025, Hwahae Global named the Tranexamic Acid + Glutathione Eye Cream first in the Eye Care category at the 2025 Hwahae Beauty Awards, a ranking the brand says was based on analysis of more than 410,000 products using data from May to October 2025 [8]. The brand has also been covered in independent reviews, including a UK beauty blog feature on several of its brightening products.

Mary&May sells directly through its own e-commerce store and through a network of international retailers. According to the brand, its products reach more than 40 countries, with stated expansion across North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia [7]. Retail partners named in its press materials include CHICOR and Shinsegae Duty Free in Korea, Gratis in Turkey, and Gold Apple in Russia, and the company has announced launches in markets including Mexico and Honduras.

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Current status

The brand is active. Its most recent visible activity includes the December 2025 Hwahae award announcement, alongside a run of 2025 press releases covering pharmacy-channel expansion and new market launches [8]. It maintains an active presence on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube under official accounts.

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From the fact base

Facts & evidence

Documented facts from Glowpedia's fact base — every row carries a source.

Timeline#

2016

Brand founded by sisters Mary K and May K under AIDKOREA Company Inc.↗ skin-seoul.com

2024

Tranexamic Acid + Glutathione Eye Cream surpasses 10 million units sold globally; rebrand with new logo (soft leaf motif) and upgraded packaging identity↗ marynmay.com

2025

Named #1 in Eye Care at 2025 Hwahae Beauty Awards (Dec 1, 2025 announcement, based on May-Oct 2025 data across 410,000+ products)↗ marynmay.com

2025

Expansion into derma cosmetics market via Korean pharmacy channels (Pure Pharmacy, Mega Factory, Mega Pharmacy) with Spicule Collagen PDRN Cream and Spicule Retinol PDRN Cream↗ marynmay.com

Awards#

2025

Hwahae Beauty Awards 2025 — #1 in Eye Care (Tranexamic Acid + Glutathione Eye Cream)↗ marynmay.com

Signature products#

Tranexamic Acid + Glutathione Eye Cream

surpassed a remarkable milestone of 10 million units sold worldwide; received first place in the Eye Care category at the 2025 Hwahae Beauty Awards↗ marynmay.com

6 Peptide Complex Serum

combines the power of 6 types of peptides for an unparalleled anti-aging effect; EWG verified green grade ingredients↗ marynmay.com

Spicule Collagen PDRN Cream

focuses on hydration and skin firmness; $14.80↗ marynmay.com

Spicule Retinol PDRN Cream

addresses pore care and skin texture refinement; $14.80↗ marynmay.com

Idebenone Blackberry Intense Cream

Idebenone + Blackberry Complex - improves signs of aging; $24.50↗ skin-seoul.com

Cult status

Tranexamic Acid + Glutathione Eye Cream — 10 million units sold worldwide; DOT DOT DOT campaign achieved No. 1 spot in K-beauty views on TikTok; #1 Eye Care at 2025 Hwahae Beauty Awards; documented by multiple creators on TikTok as 'viral eye cream that actually works'↗ marynmay.com

Key ingredients#

PDRN (Polydeoxyribonucleotide)RetinolCollagenTranexamic AcidGlutathioneAzelaic AcidIdebenoneNiacinamide↗ marynmay.com

Proprietary technologies & patents#

Spicule PDRN technology↗ marynmay.com

“extending the brand into the derma cosmetics category based on PDRN and spicule technology”

Mentioned in#

2025

Hwahae Global — Ranked #1 Eye Care brand based on analysis of 410,000+ products with data from May-October 2025↗ marynmay.com

—

Ellen Noir (UK beauty blog) — Brightening Skincare review featuring Niacinamide Vitamin C Brightening Mask, Niacinamide + Chaenomeles Sinensis Serum, Tranexamic Acid + Glutathione Eye Cream and Idebenone Blackberry Intense Cream↗ ellennoir.co.uk

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Sourced

Certification pass

What each certification and self-stated claim rests on: the source, whose website it's on, and what needs review.

Certification statements
EWG VerifiedOther source (neither body nor brand)

“EWG Verified, Fragrance Free (Amazon product listing for 6 Peptide Complex Serum); 'formulated with EWG verified green grade ingredients'; sensoo: 'EWG green-safe'”↗ us.amazon.com

Self-stated claims
cruelty_freeSource on the brand's own site

“Cruelty-free; ingredients are never tested on animals”↗ marynmay.com

mineral_oil_freeSource on the brand's own site

“Mineral oil-free”↗ marynmay.com

veganSource on the brand's own site

“Vegan formulations”↗ marynmay.com

fragrance_freeOther source (neither body nor brand)

“No artificial fragrance (safe for sensitive skin!)”↗ tiktok.com

paraben_freeOther source (neither body nor brand)

“Free of 20 harmful ingredients like paraben and ethanol”↗ tiktok.com

recyclable_packagingOther source (neither body nor brand)

“Packaging uses eco-friendly materials, including recycled paper and soybean oil ink”↗ skin-seoul.com

None of these statements has been checked against the certifying bodies' registers. The statements were observed on 5 Jun 2026.

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Market data

Where to buy

Availability in the Nordics

Where the brand is sold according to Glowjakt's price data, per market.

Marketproductsin stockstoresPrice range
Sweden4945375 SEK – 319 SEK
Norway44271127 NOK – 359 NOK
Denmark4838347.90 DKK – 209 DKK
Finland383726.40 € – 24.90 €

Prices come from Glowjakt and are updated daily. Glowpedia receives no payment for clicks.

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Ingredient data

Ingredients across the range

Key ingredients across Mary&May's range, from the ingredient lists of 46 of 49 products in Sweden.

Most common key ingredientsHyaluronic acid32 prod.Glycerin30 prod.Vitamin E25 prod.Niacinamide16 prod.Peptides16 prod.Panthenol12 prod.Titanium dioxide10 prod.Calendula9 prod.
May affect sensitive skinFragrance18 prod.Mineral oil10 prod.Silicones2 prod.Alcohol denat1 prod.
Shares
61%
fragrance-free
94%
with no animal-derived ingredient identified
37%
with no hit in the “may affect sensitive skin” group

Share of products with a known ingredient list. “None identified” means nothing matched our ingredient groups, not that the product is free of them.

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References

Sources

T1 primary · T2 secondary · T3 note
  1. [1]T1marynmay.commarynmay.com (brand site)
  2. [4]T2eng.aidkoreacorp.com/marynmayeng.aidkoreacorp.com (brand site)
  3. [6]T2marynmay.com/blogs/press/aidkorea-company-inc-s-mary-may-surpasses-10-million-global-sales-of-the-tranexamic-acid-glutathione-eye-creammarynmay.com (brand site)
  4. [7]T2marynmay.com/blogs/press/aidkorea-company-inc-s-mary-may-unveils-new-brand-logo-and-upgraded-packaging-identitymarynmay.com (brand site)
  5. [8]T2marynmay.com/blogs/press/mary-may-from-aidkorea-company-named-1-in-eye-care-at-the-2025-hwahae-beauty-awardsmarynmay.com (brand site)
  6. [9]T2marynmay.com/blogs/press/mary-may-accelerates-expansion-into-the-derma-cosmetics-market-with-a-focus-on-pdrnmarynmay.com (brand site)
  7. [16]T3us.amazon.com/Mary-May-Peptide-Complex-Serum/dp/B0F5W8WQWXus.amazon.com
  8. [18]T3miloon.eu/en/mary-may-korean-cosmetics/miloon.eu