'Gravity PDRN Hair Recovery Shampoo' launches in South Korea
Marine microalgae-based PDRN produced and used in-house
Hair loss reduced by 73.66% after two weeks of use in clinical tests
A hair loss prevention shampoo using PDRN — an ingredient previously confined largely to skincare products — has come to market for the first time. The product draws on marine microalgae rather than animal-derived sources such as salmon, boosting its sustainability credentials. Clinical tests showed a reduction in hair loss of more than 70 percent within two weeks.
Polyphenol Factory, the company behind the Gravity Shampoo brand, officially launched the Gravity PDRN Hair Recovery Shampoo at a press conference held Monday morning at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The product drew attention earlier this year after the company previewed some of its technology at CES 2026.
The new product was developed for consumers in their 40s and older who are beginning to notice hair aging. People in this age group are prone to thinning hair driven by hormonal changes and lifestyle factors, while repeated dyeing and perming accumulates chemical damage that strips volume and shine at the same time.
To address those concerns, Polyphenol Factory packed the shampoo with a coacervate adhesive PDRN complex derived from marine microalgae — developed using KAIST technology — at a concentration of 100,000 ppm. The marine microalgae-derived PDRN is a vegan ingredient that offers superior sustainability compared with animal-derived sources such as salmon and sturgeon. It also carries higher purity than land-plant sources such as rose.
The company also applied a polyphenol-based coacervate delivery technology to help PDRN remain on the scalp and hair surface even during rinsing. "PDRN can be washed away in the shower, so adhesion is critical," said Lee Hae-shin, CEO of Polyphenol Factory. "We applied a coacervate — an aqueous solution that does not mix with water — to solve that problem."
Polyphenol Factory highlighted its in-house PDRN production as a key competitive advantage. The company has been harvesting raw PDRN material in Jeju since January 2024. Among domestic brands, only Pharma Research's Rejuran produces its own raw PDRN alongside Gravity. The company also discloses its concentration of 100,000 ppm, setting it apart from most PDRN products that do not reveal their ingredient content or sourcing.
The product also demonstrated hair loss prevention effects in human application tests. Trials conducted separately by The K Dermatology Research Institute and Sunjin Clinical Research Center confirmed a 73.66 percent reduction in hair loss during washing after two weeks of use.
After a single use, tests showed a 43.02 percent improvement in root volume, a 95.89 percent volume retention rate over 24 hours, a 68.04 percent improvement in scalp soothing indicators, and a 61.62 percent improvement in hair shine. Those results were attributed to the addition of LiftMax615™, a new ingredient targeting hair shine, on top of the existing patented volume-boosting ingredient LiftMax308™.
Kim Myung-ja, chairwoman of the KAIST board of trustees, said she had personally used the product for more than 30 months and felt the effects firsthand. "I believe Gravity's success is K-beauty's success," she said.
PDRN-based hair care products remain rare in global markets, and the company expects the new shampoo to become a pillar of the overseas exports it began last year. "There are still no hair care products using PDRN ingredients abroad," Lee said. "The related research started in Italy but has blossomed in Korea."
Choi Sung-sik, CFO and executive vice president of Polyphenol Factory, said the company is targeting sales of 40 billion won (about $29 million) this year by gradually expanding domestic and international distribution through premium clean-beauty channels. "We have prepared an initial run of 40,000 units of the PDRN product and are targeting 100,000 units by year-end — roughly 3 billion won in sales," he added.
Gravity is a technology-based hair care brand developed by KAIST chair professor Lee Hae-shin together with a team of young scientists. The brand has expanded into domestic retail channels including Olive Young and E-mart, as well as online and offline channels overseas such as Rakuten in Japan and Amazon in the United States. Most recently, it entered Europe by securing a spot at the Printemps department store in Paris.
spa@heraldcorp.com
