K-beauty companies are accelerating their push into the hair care market beyond traditional skincare, driven by rising global demand for scalp health and anti-hair loss solutions. With the global hair care market reaching $98.5 billion in 2023 and South Korean hair care exports surging 33% year-on-year in early 2025, overseas buyers should watch for premium scalp care and anti-aging hair products as the next growth frontier.
Market signal
According to Euromonitor, the global hair care market grew from $81.4 billion in 2022 to $98.5 billion in 2023, a 21% increase. South Korea's hair care exports from January to April 2025 reached $190.13 million, up 33% year-on-year, and are expected to surpass $500 million for the full year. The U.S. market alone is valued at $20 billion, roughly two-thirds of its $30 billion skincare market, highlighting significant potential for premium hair care products.
Major brand moves
LG Household & Health Care's premium scalp care brand Dr.Groot installed 'Hair Tower' displays in 90 Sephora stores on March 31, ahead of a full launch in 400 U.S. stores in August. Amorepacific's Mise-en-Scène ranked No.1 in hair oil sales during Amazon's Big Spring Sale, while its Labo-H brand launched a renewed Hairline Ampoule. CJ Olive Young reported a 143% increase in hair tonic and ampoule sales year-on-year in January, with hair ampoule sales in the UK growing 11-fold.
ODM and ingredient innovation
Korea Kolmar expanded its hair care R&D team by 40% in 2024 and developed a scalp-specific sunscreen, 'Scalp Sun Essence'. Cosmax partnered with ScienceCo in October 2024 to target the $1.7 trillion global curly hair market, combining multi-ethnic hair research with proprietary technology. Aekyung Industrial's Blackfore brand ranked No.1 in a 400,000-member hair loss community, and secured a patent for L-THP, a traditional herb-derived ingredient for hair loss relief, now listed in the International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary (ICID).
What buyers should watch
Overseas importers and distributors should monitor K-beauty's functional hair care pipeline, particularly scalp UV protection, anti-aging hair serums, and multi-ethnic hair solutions. Direct exports of hair care products by ODM firms grew 155% in 2024, marking three consecutive years of triple-digit growth. Aekyung's Kerasis entered 390 Walmart stores in March, and its overseas Q1 sales jumped 69.44% year-on-year, signaling strong channel demand in the U.S. and Europe.
Regulatory and channel signals
Industry sources note that overseas buyer interest in hair care products is rising sharply, especially in the U.S. and Europe, where demand for anti-hair loss and premium scalp care is expanding. K-beauty's strength in functional cosmetics R&D is being applied to hair care, positioning it as a new growth engine. The sector is shifting from basic shampoos and rinses to scalp health, hair loss prevention, and hair aging management, driving premium product demand.
Source: Read the original report | Published: June 04, 2026