두피 (dupi): the Korean scalp words printed on the bottle

두피 (dupi) means scalp, and it is the word that separates Korea's scalp aisle from its hair aisle. Learning a dozen more — 탈모, 비듬, 각질, 진정, 보습, 쿨링, 약산성, 손상모 — is enough to work out what a Korean bottle is for without a translation app. Because much of the wording is regulated, it is more informative than English marketing copy usually is.

The nouns to learn first

두피 (dupi) is scalp and 모발 (mobal) is the hair strand, and a Korean bottle almost always states which of the two it is for. 각질 (gakjil) means dead surface skin — the flakes and buildup a scaling product targets. 피지 (piji) is sebum, 비듬 (bideum) is dandruff, and 탈모 (talmo) is hair loss. Six words cover most of the aisle: a bottle leading with 두피 is scalp care, one leading with 모발 or 손상모 (sonsangmo, damaged hair) is for the lengths.

The benefit words

진정 (jinjeong) is calming and appears on anything aimed at irritation or the look of redness. 보습 (boseup) is moisturising. 쿨링 is exactly what it sounds like and usually means menthol. 볼륨 promises lift, 딥클렌징 a stronger wash, and 스케일링 the exfoliating step before shampoo. 영양 (yeongyang) translates as nourishment and is the one to read sceptically — it is a marketing word rather than a technical one, and tells you only that a product is rich, not what is in it.

Formula descriptors

약산성 (yaksanseong) means mildly acidic, a real formulation choice that suits scalp and hair better than an alkaline wash. 저자극 (jeojageuk) is low-irritation, and it is a claim rather than a standard. 무실리콘 is silicone-free, 두피 전용 (dupi jeonyong) means scalp-only, and 헤어팩 is a hair mask. One quirk worth knowing: 린스 (rinseu, from 'rinse') is the older Korean word for conditioner, while 트리트먼트 normally signals something richer than an everyday rinse-out.

The words that carry legal weight

Two labels mean something in regulation rather than in marketing. 기능성화장품 (functional cosmetics) is a defined category with approved purposes and approved wording — including the sentence about helping to relieve hair-loss symptoms, which is why that phrase reads identically across competing brands. 의약외품 (quasi-drug) sits a step above and covers medicated shampoos containing actives such as antifungals. Neither guarantees a product suits you, but both mean the claim was reviewed by someone, which a slogan never is.

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✍️ Written & reviewed by the KoreaPlus Editorial team — dermatologist-informed, cosmetic-science researched & source-cited. Last reviewed: 2026-08-23.

General educational information using cosmetic structure-function wording — not medical advice. Always patch-test new actives. © KoreaPlus.