Korean Hair Care Market Records $4.1 Million Media Impact Value Growth

Korean Hair Care Sees Significant Media Value Increase

Korean hair care generated US$4.1 million in media impact value (MIV) between Q1 2025 and Q1 2026, Launchmetrics reported. This signals increasing market traction for the sector, driven by heightened consumer engagement. MIV rose sharply from $23,000 in Q1 2025 to $1.2 million in Q3 2025, demonstrating a substantial increase in public attention over several months.

Brands such as COSRX and La’dor were prominent in this growth. La’dor's December 2025 announcement of BTS star Jimin as its global brand ambassador alone generated $1.2 million in MIV in one week, according to Launchmetrics data.

This specific event underscores the significant influence of celebrity endorsements on market visibility and consumer perception within the K-beauty space.

Skinification Trend Drives Consumer Interest

Melody Yuan, founder of UK-based K-beauty retailer Skin Cupid, identified "skinification" as a key driver behind this market shift. Yuan stated that consumers are applying the ingredient literacy gained from their experience with Korean skincare to their scalp and hair routines.

She noted that trust in Korean innovation, established through successful skincare products, directly transfers to the hair care category. This trend encourages demand for sophisticated, multi-step scalp and hair treatments that mirror facial skincare regimens.

Yuan observed this curiosity translates into concrete demand at Skin Cupid, particularly for products focusing on targeted scalp health and ingredient efficacy. This indicates a maturing consumer base seeking advanced solutions beyond basic hair cleansing.

Implications for Asia's Beauty Industry

The demonstrated growth in Korean hair care media value suggests a significant market shift toward specialized scalp and hair routines, presenting concrete implications for Asia's beauty industry.

This creates opportunities for original design manufacturers (ODMs) like Kolmar Korea, which develops cosmetics for 3,147 brands, to expand their research and development into advanced hair and scalp formulations.

Korean brands can leverage their established K-beauty reputation to enter or expand hair care lines in export markets, particularly those with a strong existing K-beauty consumer base.

Retailers across Asia and globally should assess their inventory to meet consumer demand for these ingredient-focused products, potentially expanding partnerships with Korean hair care suppliers to capture this evolving market segment. This trend highlights a need for product differentiation based on specific claims and advanced ingredients.