New Product Launch Parade... The "Yeomsaek Shampoo" Warring States Period

Estimated Industry Size of 130 Billion KRW
Interest from the 2030 Generation... Market Expansion
Led by SMEs like Modamoda
Major Corporations and Pharmaceutical Companies Also Entering

Modamoda's hair dye shampoo products.

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Hyewon] The popularity of ‘coloring shampoo,’ which allows users to dye their hair simply by washing it at home instead of the hassle of visiting a salon, is soaring. Interest in gray hair coloring, once considered the exclusive domain of the 40s and 50s age group, has recently expanded to the 20s and 30s who are concerned about premature gray hair, causing the market to grow steadily.

According to the cosmetics industry on the 30th, the domestic coloring shampoo market is estimated to reach around 130 billion KRW this year. According to market research firm Kantar Worldpanel, in the domestic hair care product market worth 13 trillion KRW at the end of last year, the share of premature gray hair shampoo was about 8% last year but is expected to exceed 10% this year.

Last year, the domestic SME Modamoda expanded the domestic coloring shampoo market, and this year, large companies such as Amorepacific and LG Household & Health Care have entered the market, followed by SMEs like TonyMoly, Dr. Forhair, and Dr. Bang Giwon, as well as pharmaceutical companies such as Ildong Pharmaceutical and Chong Kun Dang Health. According to the consumer organization Future Consumer Action, there are currently 35 types of coloring shampoos distributed in the market.

Modamoda’s ‘Browning Shampoo,’ which led the ‘Warring States period’ of the domestic coloring shampoo market, sold 1 million units within five months of its launch in June last year and has achieved sales of 60 billion KRW to date.

Dr. Forhair, known as the No. 1 shampoo brand at Olive Young, launched its coloring shampoo ‘Poligen Black Shampoo’ and began pre-sales on the 29th. By appointing singer Jang Yoonjung as the product promotion model, they expect to attract positive responses from their main customer base of 40s and 50s as well as the emerging 20s and 30s age group.

TonyMoly’s ‘Natural Change Color Shampoo,’ released in March, exceeded 1 billion KRW in sales after only two home shopping broadcasts.

In April, Amorepacific’s launch of ‘Double Effector Black Shampoo’ immediately topped sales in the beauty category on Gmarket, as well as ranking first in the hair category at E-Mart and experiencing temporary sold-out status on SSG.com’s quick delivery service. In May, LG Household & Health Care’s premature gray hair care shampoo ‘Ryeon Muldeulim’ sold 200,000 units within three weeks of launch and recorded 10 billion KRW in sales within two months. LG Household & Health Care is pushing forward to dominate the coloring shampoo market by also introducing ‘Dr. Groot Black Recover,’ a shampoo that combines hair loss prevention with premature gray hair coloring.

The biggest advantage of coloring shampoo is its convenience. It reduces the hassle of frequent dyeing and alleviates concerns about scalp irritation and hair damage caused by coloring through daily shampoo use. Consumers expect the so-called ‘two-in-one’ effect, where hair is dyed while washing it at home rather than paying separately for coloring at a salon. Coloring shampoo, like regular shampoo, removes waste from the scalp and hair during washing while simultaneously adsorbing specific ingredients onto gray hair. This functional element temporarily darkens the hair.

Professor Lee Eunhee of Inha University’s Department of Consumer Economics said, “The age group using coloring shampoo is mainly the ‘Active Silver’ generation aged 40 to 70. Unlike in the past, today’s elderly generation is active and pursues youthfulness. They have a strong interest in coloring and considerable purchasing power, so there are situational factors that could significantly increase coloring shampoo sales.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.