[Weekend Beauty] Taking care of just your face? ... Scalp care is skincare, too

[Financial News] “Scalp skincare,” which treats the scalp like skin, is gaining traction. Demand for regular care is increasing as stress and changes in lifestyle habits lead to more scalp concerns. The expansion of skincare into scalp care is also playing a part: scalp care, once focused on cleansing the hair with shampoo, has evolved into treatments that nourish and hydrate with dedicated tonics and ampoules.■ Scalp care grows more specialized, with tonics and ampoulesAccording to the beauty industry on the 15th, scalp products are becoming more specialized in function so people can care for their scalps according to their condition. Products tailored to specific concerns have also diversified, from managing oil and dead skin to moisturizing and improving the scalp barrier. Though hidden by hair, the scalp is skin tissue containing sebaceous glands and hair follicles, and symptoms vary by scalp type, including dryness and itchiness. Sales of related products are also rising. At CJ Olive Young, sales of hair-care tonics and ampoules rose 42% in January-August this year compared with the same period a year earlier.
Amorepacific Corporation’s LABO-H recommends a step-by-step regimen in line with its brand concept of “scalp skincare.” Its hairline ampoule, used after scalp-strengthening shampoo and treatment, focuses on strengthening the scalp barrier. The brand highlights its scalp-barrier care benefits with ingredients including probiotics and low-molecular-weight vegan polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN). It has increased scalp-specific ingredients tenfold to boost efficacy and adopted an easy-to-use roller format to make it simple to start a care routine.
LG Household & Health Care’s scalp-care brand Dr. Groot emphasizes its technological expertise. Its ampoule treatment, which includes a hair-loss-care function, turns into a cream when it comes into contact with water and generates a slight warmth. Applied to a wet scalp, the treatment reduces scalp oil while replenishing moisture. A team of 138 dedicated hair-care researchers develops scalp-care products based on a cumulative total of 528 registered patents, 148 efficacy clinical trials and genetic data from 60,000 people.■ Tailored products for sensitive scalp concernsProducts for sensitive scalps are also on the rise. The Phytotherapy Scalp Serum from Dr. ForHair, a scalp-care brand, soothes easily irritated scalps with plant extracts such as centella PDRN and tea tree. It improves the compromised moisture barrier to balance oil and moisture, while a five-ball roller massages the scalp and helps the serum absorb quickly. The product has received vegan certifications in Germany and France and been deemed suitable for sensitive skin, minimizing irritation.
Fromlabs’ “Purifying Dandruff-Care Ampoule” helps address seborrheic scalp concerns with patented probiotics that help strengthen the scalp barrier, combined with ingredients that inhibit dandruff-causing fungi and provide antioxidant benefits for the scalp.
The role of shampoo, which focuses on cleansing the scalp, has also changed. Zeroid, NeoPharm’s dermocosmetics (dermatological skincare) brand, has launched a shampoo that improves the scalp’s microbiome. The company says its proprietary ingredient, “AMPIAMIDE,” helps moisturize, support the skin barrier and soothe the skin. Tests found that use of “Rootheal Mild Shampoo,” which contains the ingredient, increased fungal diversity on the scalp as well as levels of Malassezia globosa, a fungus found on healthy scalps.■ Scalp sunscreen and salon care, tooDedicated sunscreens for the scalp have also emerged to protect it from ultraviolet rays, since the scalp is directly exposed to sunlight, one of the causes of skin aging. LABO-H’s “UV Protector 365” has a high sun protection rating of SPF 50+ and PA+++ and protects the scalp from urban environmental factors such as ultrafine dust and infrared rays. Hyaluronic acid, madecassoside, PDRN and cica ingredients hydrate and soothe an irritated scalp. Available as a roll-on sun serum and a sun mist, it is easy to use. Kolmar Korea, a cosmetics original development and manufacturing (ODM) company, spent about two years researching and developed a dedicated scalp sun essence that does not clump in the hair.
As interest in scalp care grows, scalp services at salons are evolving as well. “Juno Color Ritual,” which Juno Hair is introducing this month, is designed to care for both style and scalp condition. Customers can choose between a water detox and a scalp pack depending on their scalp condition. It is part of a “hair wellness” program that considers not only style but also the condition of the scalp and hair.
A beauty industry official said, “As interest in scalp care grows, the hair-care market is expanding beyond basic cleansing and hair care to specialized treatments tailored to scalp condition. More people want to care for their scalp regularly, just as they do their facial skin, so related products and services will become even more specialized.”
[email protected] Kang Myeong-yeon Reporter