UNOVE

UNOVE is a South Korean haircare brand that launched in 2021 [1]. Based in the K-beauty tradition, it applies the logic of skincare — protein, structure and cuticle care — to hair repair, and is developed by the Seoul-based team behind the scalp-care brand Dr.FORHAIR [6]. The company markets itself as a premium, repair-first line built around damaged and chemically treated hair.

UNOVE describes its founding as the answer to a single question: "Why can't haircare be as effective, innovative, and thoughtful as skincare?" [2] By its own account, the brand arrived with over a decade of research and development behind it, and it later became a fixture of Korea's largest beauty retailer, Olive Young.

The brand states that it launched in 2021 after more than ten years of research and development [2]. A retailer snippet lists a 2014 date [8], but this appears to refer to the related brand Dr.FORHAIR rather than UNOVE; the brand's own site and independent editorial coverage both place the launch in 2021 [4]. Founders' names are not disclosed, and the company presents itself as a team-developed line rather than a personality-led brand.

UNOVE is developed by Dr.FORHAIR, a scalp-care brand whose parent is identified in trade press as Wyatt Corporation, a Seoul- and New York-based company [6]. In August 2021, BeautyMatter reported that Wyatt Corporation secured a $41 million investment, describing Dr.FORHAIR as a market leader in Korea's hair-loss shampoo segment with sales across Japan, Malaysia and Singapore [6]. Some retailer copy instead attributes UNOVE to Amorepacific [5], but that claim lacks primary-source backing and is not corroborated by the brand's own channels; the Wyatt Corporation attribution is the better-supported of the two.

UNOVE positions itself where, in its words, "sensory beauty meets K-beauty innovation," pairing high-performance formulas with textures and fragrances intended to make each use a ritual. The company frames its approach as borrowing from skincare, focusing on protein content, hair structure and cuticle care rather than surface conditioning alone. Editorial coverage echoes this, describing UNOVE's formulas as "repair-first" and designed to strengthen hair from the inside out.

UNOVE's range centres on haircare, with the Deep Damage Repair Hair Mask as its best-known product. Elite Daily reported that the mask "earned cult status among shoppers dealing with heat damage, color fatigue, or dull, lifeless strands" [4]. Other signature items include the Silk Hair Oil, the Deep Damage Repair Shampoo, a detangling heat-protectant spray and a leave-in conditioner.

The formulas are built around hydrolysed proteins and amino acids. The company promotes a proprietary DeepCore Bond Technology, which it says "delivers triple bond care designed to reinforce bonds, support strength, and seal the cuticle" [2]. Hero ingredients described by retailers include Keratin-PF, a hydrolysed keratin, a protein and amino-acid complex, and a plant-derived oil blend drawn from olive, macadamia, argan, sunflower and camellia [7]. According to one retailer, the Silk Hair Oil contains 28 proteins, amino acids and nutrients, while the Deep Damage Treatment carries 36 types of proteins and keratin [5].

The brand's FAQ notes that its products are not formally certified vegan, though it says many formulas are plant-based and contain no animal-derived ingredients.

UNOVE's central marketing claim is that it was Korea's No.1 haircare brand at Olive Young from 2022 to 2025 [2]; the ranking is the company's own and is directionally consistent with editorial coverage, though not independently confirmed through Olive Young. Skin Cupid describes the line as "loved by beauty editors, K-drama hairstylists, and salon professionals" [5]. The brand's products are tied to the "glass hair" trend, which Elite Daily noted was "taking over salons, beauty editorials, and K-dramas" [4].

UNOVE is active. Its most recent public milestone was a United States launch through Sephora in February 2026, with online availability from February 4 and an in-store rollout beginning February 13 [4]. The brand sells in Korea and reaches further markets including the United Kingdom, where it has been carried exclusively by Skin Cupid [5]. Its global website did not support direct purchases at the time its FAQ was recorded, with international shipping described as in development.