AmorePacific’s Cushion compact and technology has been a game-changing innovation in the beauty industry. It marries foundation makeup with skincare, in an easy-to-use package that women all over the globe adore.

“Cushion,” according to AmorePacific, refers to a makeup compact built with a specially-designed urethane foam that safely contains and preserves makeup liquid comprised of foundation, sunscreen and skincare formula.

AmorePacific now offers a total of 19 Cushion products from its 13 brands (some shown above), sold in more than 10 countries. And soon, Parfums Christain Dior will be using its cushion technology.

The Cushion products marketed by each brand deliver different types of skincare benefits. These include: the Laneige BB Cushion, Sulwhasoo Evenfair Perfecting Cushion, Innisfree Mineral Melting BB Cushion and Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion. (See these, and more, in this slideshow.)

Suh Kyung-Bae, chairman/CEO, AmorePacific Group said, “Cushion is a revolutionary product that is changing the makeup routines of women across the world and is at the center of global beauty trends in 2015. We will continue to pioneer and lead the global Cushion market with the company’s unparalleled technology and superior products.”

Read more from Kyung-Bae in Top 20 Companies, #13 AmorePacific.

The History of the “Cushion”

AmorePacific Group first began R&D for its Cushion in 2007, with the goal of developing a multi-functional sun protection product that would be easier to carry and apply than products in a conventional tube or bottle with a pump. The company says it conducted over 3,600 tests using 200 different types of sponges, ranging from latex used in bedding to the type of material used for bath sponges.

AmorePacific introduced its IOPE Air Cushion in March 2008 – the original cushion compact. The company says it continued its research and has continuously improved the technology and quality of its Cushion products with more than 15 upgrades since its first launch.

In an effort to meet the growing demand worldwide, AmorePacific automated its Cushion production process in 2014, when it launched its Cushion in the U.S.

Noteworthy Sales & Innovative Technology

AmorePacific is celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2015, and in September the company announced its plans to become a “Great Global Brand”. It seems to be on the right track.

Global sales of Cushion products under all of AmorePacific’s brands were reported in January 2015 as exceeding 50 million units on a cumulative basis.

One cushion product was sold every 1.2 seconds in 2014, according to the company. Sales surpassed 200 billion KRW in 2014, becoming one of the best-selling items in the Korean cosmetics market.

IOPE’s Air Cushion set the record back in 2012 for the highest sales growth in record-breaking time for a single product in the brand’s history. In 2014, 1.17 million units of AmorePacific’s Laneige BB Cushion were sold in China.

AmorePacific has applied for 114 patents, and registered 13 patents in Korea, China, Japan, Europe and the U.S. Here’s a little bit about why its formulation technology is so special, according to AmorePacific:

• It stabilizes liquid
• Holds cold air-containing essence in a cooling sponge
• Prevents smearing and enables smear-free re-application with an air-pump effect every time the cushion comes in contact with the skin
• Prevents the destruction of effective substances with a cooling container that isolates heat transfer
• Its dual-layer design has an outstanding seal for preventing evaporation.