RYO

RYO (려) is a Korean hair and scalp care brand. It belongs to the Amorepacific group, which launched it in 2008, and today it positions itself as a scalp and root specialist. The range covers shampoos, conditioners, rinse-off treatments, scalp essences, tonics and serums, plus a few styling steps. Its starting point is Amorepacific's research on ginseng: the group developed a saponin-rich ginseng extract that underpins the Jayangyunmo line, the shampoo the brand calls its signature product. Every RYO product in our selection is made in Korea.

• Root:Gen: launched in 2023 for fine hair that lacks density, with versions for women and for men. Amorepacific pairs it with a peptide technology called Grow Peptide. The line includes the Root:Gen Women's Hair Loss Care Shampoo, the Root:Gen Men's Hair Loss Care Shampoo, the Root:Gen Women's Hair Loss Care Treatment, the Root:Gen Hair Loss Care Scalp Essence, the Root:Gen Triple Shot Scalp Serum, the Root:Gen Aqua Peel Scalp Tonic and two volume products.
• Jayangyunmo: the original ginseng line, with the Jayangyunmo 9EX Hair Loss Expert Care Shampoo in three versions (oily, normal to dry, or sensitive scalp) and the matching Jayangyunmo 9EX Hair Loss Expert Care Treatment.
• Heukwoon: volume and stronger roots, with the Heukwoon Volume & Root Strengthening Shampoo and its Heukwoon Volume & Root Strengthening Conditioner.
• Hambit: for hair badly damaged by color, straightening and heat, with the Hambit Damage Care & Nourishing Shampoo and the Hambit Damage Care & Nourishing Conditioner.
• Chungah: a deep, cooling cleanse for oily scalps, with the Chungah Deep Cleansing & Cooling Shampoo.
• Hongjindan: big nourishing bottles for the whole household, with the Hongjindan Root & Hair Nourishing Shampoo (black bean for the roots or red ginseng for the lengths) and the Hongjindan Hair Nourishing Treatment.

Hambit, Heukwoon, Chungah and the Sensitive Mild Shampoo make up RYO's core range, which Amorepacific reworked with a plant-based collagen derived from Yeoju rice.

• Oily or overheated scalp: Chungah Deep Cleansing & Cooling Shampoo or Root:Gen Scalp Core Cooling Shampoo, then the Root:Gen Aqua Peel Scalp Tonic on towel-dried hair.
• Sensitive scalp: the Sensitive Mild Shampoo, gentle enough for frequent washing, or the Jayangyunmo 9EX Hair Loss Expert Care Shampoo in its sensitive-scalp version.
• Fine hair that lacks density: Root:Gen Women's Hair Loss Care Shampoo or Root:Gen Men's Hair Loss Care Shampoo, the Root:Gen Hair Loss Care Scalp Essence on the scalp, then the Root:Gen Hair Volume Filler on the lengths or the Root:Gen Root Volumizer at the roots.
• Damaged, colored or straightened hair: Hambit Damage Care & Nourishing Shampoo and Hambit Damage Care & Nourishing Conditioner, or the Hongjindan Hair Nourishing Treatment for a big-size nourishing treatment.
• Gray roots between color appointments: the Hair Cushion, a puff compact in two brown shades that washes out with shampoo.

Cosmetic advice, not medical advice: if your scalp is irritated or you are losing a lot of hair, talk to a healthcare professional.

The shampoos also sit in the Shampoo category, and all the treatments in Hair, alongside the other body and hair care brands. If you like Korean hair care, also take a look at UNOVE, LADOR or DASHU.

RYO doesn't sell one shampoo for everyone. It works by need: oily roots, sensitive scalp, fine hair that lacks volume, badly damaged lengths. Each need gets its own line, easy to spot by the color of the bottle. With Root:Gen, launched in 2023, RYO goes a step further and splits care for women and for men, with dedicated shampoos and treatments. Another point worth knowing: in Korea, most RYO shampoos and treatments are classed as functional cosmetics, a regulated category there. In Europe they are cosmetics. They cleanse, strengthen the roots, keep the scalp healthy and help reduce breakage-related shedding, with no medical claim. RYO also thinks about the gesture itself: a nozzle to apply the essence section by section, a massage tip on the Triple Shot serum, a spray that lifts the roots.

RYO is new at Ma Petite Coree, so here is where to start: the products most in demand according to the ranking on the brand's Naver store. At the top is the Root:Gen Hair Loss Care Scalp Essence in its large size, a leave-in essence you apply straight onto the scalp with its nozzle, for women and men whose hair is getting finer. Next come the Root:Gen Women's Hair Loss Care Shampoo, made for the female scalp, and the Heukwoon Volume & Root Strengthening Shampoo, which gives body back to fine, flat hair. The Brewer's Yeast Hair Loss Care Cooling Shampoo cools the scalp with brewer's yeast in a big family bottle, and the Jayangyunmo 9EX Hair Loss Expert Care Shampoo is still the brand's signature shampoo.

To round things out, the Root:Gen Women's Hair Loss Care Treatment detangles without weighing hair down, the Chungah Deep Cleansing & Cooling Shampoo suits hot days and workouts, and the Hongjindan Hair Nourishing Treatment nourishes dry hair in a generous 820 ml bottle.