© 2026 Boise State Public Radio
NPR in Idaho
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Latest Korean beauty craze uses dead Americans' skin cells

Over the past several years, tens of millions of dollars’ worth of donated skin has made its way from American tissue banks to biotech companies in South Korea.

The tissue is used to make facial injections known as extracellular matrix boosters, which now constitute a $75-million industry centered in South Korea.

Meanwhile, donors and their families can’t be paid for organ or tissue donations under U.S. law.

Here & Now‘s Scott Tong speaks with Business Insider correspondent Madeline Berg, who co-reported this story with Jack Newsham and Catherine Kim.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2026 WBUR

You make stories like this possible.

The biggest portion of Boise State Public Radio's funding comes from readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

Your donation today helps make our local reporting free for our entire community.