The brand is owned by Tokyo-based start-up SPARTY Inc, which has established a D2C business model grounded in personalisation, spanning skin care and hair care to dietary supplements.
MEDULLA customises hair care formulas, products, and usage method recommendations based on an individual’s hair and scalp condition, concerns and preferences, which are submitted through a questionnaire on its website.
According to data accumulated from approximately 500,000 users, it was found that many people suffer from everyday damage like split ends and tangles, as well as severe damage caused by colouring and bleaching.
Leveraging this information, the brand has developed a serum shampoo called ME-Drip RESQUE SHAMPOO, aimed at addressing these issues.
“This shampoo is formulated with top-quality ingredients inspired by aesthetic medicine and skin care. Additional treatment is not required, which will delight the ‘bath-cancelling community (風呂キャンセル界隈)’ who would rather spend time on other things than on beauty. It also achieves the time-effectiveness sought after [by consumers],” the brand said.
Bathing is an important and deeply ingrained part of Japanese culture. The bath-cancelling community refers to people who actively choose to skip taking a bath, often due to fatigue or mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression.
The term was coined on social media when many people, particularly among the younger generation, started relating to the topic and sharing their experiences.
MEDULLA added that one of the key features of its new product is the packaging — a drip bag-like pouch that comes with an S-hook, so it can be easily hung in the bathroom.
It not only saves space, but is also handier to use than check valve tubes, which typically require squeezing to get the product out.
Cleanse and repair
ME-Drip RESQUE SHAMPOO is said to boast the “highest-quality ingredients among the brand’s products” that work together to help build the hair’s resilience.
It uses a “polypeptide (PPT) surfactant” that replenishes the protein in hair and is less irritating to the skin. As the main ingredient, it cleanses and repairs hair at the same time, resulting in a moist finish after washing.
Specifically, the product is formulated with six types of keratin-derived ingredients, including liposome keratin, to repair “even the inner core (medulla) of damaged hair”.
“Feather-derived keratin is converted into liposomes, allowing the active ingredient to be absorbed more quickly and effectively. It mends damaged hair, and smoothes and protects the surface of hair simultaneously.”
Besides caring for the hair, it is also made with ingredients that claim to be beneficial for the scalp.
These include “pink vitamin” (cyanocobalamin, a man-made form of vitamin B12) that provides anti-ageing care for both hair and scalp; polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN) produced using DNA extracted from fish ovaries, which enhances the scalp’s moisturising power while controlling sebum secretion; and a hybrid ingredient comprising acetyl tetrapeptide-3 (a biomimetic peptide) and red clover flower extract to maintain a healthy scalp with continued use.
In addition, MEDULLA has adopted the trend of “bond-building hair care”, a beauty-from-within approach that focuses on fixing and strengthening broken bonds in hair fibres for heathier locks.
“The shampoo contains propylenediammonium dimaleate, a popular bond care ingredient that will leave your hair feeling smooth and silky to the touch every time you use it. Even without a treatment product, it protects the cuticle and hair from damage caused by external friction, preventing split ends and breakage.”
Its fruity-floral fragrance stems from a blend of rose, lily of the valley and peony scents, lightly layered with fresh lychee and lemon notes.
Pre-sales began on February 20 on MEDULLA website’s, Amazon, and Rakuten, with the official launch set on March 1 at major LOFT and PLAZA stores across Japan.
