is a Japanese global

chemical A chemical substance is a unique form of matter with constant chemical composition and characteristic properties. Chemical substances may take the form of a single element or chemical compounds. If two or more chemical substances can be combin ...

and

cosmetics Cosmetics are substances that are intended for application to the body for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering appearance. They are mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either Natural product, natural source ...

company headquartered in

Nihonbashi is a business district of Chūō, Tokyo, Japan, which sprung up around the bridge of the same name that has linked two sides of the Nihonbashi River at this site since the 17th century. The first wooden bridge was completed in 1603. The curre ...

-Kayabacho,

Chūō, Tokyo is a special ward in the Tokyo Metropolis in Japan. The ward refers to itself in English as Chūō City. It was formed in 1947 as a merger of Kyōbashi and Nihonbashi wards following Tokyo City's transformation into Tokyo Metropolis. C ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

History

Kao was established in 1882 by Tomiro Nagase as a manufacturer of domestic toiletry soap. Until 1954, they were known as , and finally in 1985 to Kao Corporation. ; 1960s and 1970s : During the 1960s and the 1970s, the company expanded to

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

and

ASEAN The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, commonly abbreviated as ASEAN, is a regional grouping of 10 states in Southeast Asia "that aims to promote economic and security cooperation among its ten members." Together, its member states r ...

countries, and also to

oleochemicals Oleochemistry is the study of vegetable oils and animal oils and fats, and oleochemicals derived from these fats and oils. The resulting product can be called oleochemicals (from Latin: oleum "olive oil"). The major product of this industry is soap ...

in order to complement their main business. During this time, the company launched household products, laundry products, and industrial products to expand its revenue base (such as New Beads detergent, Humming fabric softener, Haiter bleach and Magiclean household cleaners). ; 1980s : During the 1980s, its products Merries diapers, Attack detergent, Bioré daily skincare and Bioré U daily body care, Curel (1986) and Sofina cosmetics were launched. During this time, Kao engaged in several joint ventures (haircare in Europe,

Nivea Nivea (, stylized as NIVEA) is a German personal care brand that specializes in skin and body care. It is owned by the Hamburg-based company Beiersdorf Global AG, who also makes the Eucerin brand. ''Nivea'' comes from the Latin adjective ''ni ...

in Japan with

Beiersdorf Beiersdorf AG is a German multinational company that manufactures personal-care products and pressure-sensitive adhesives headquartered in Hamburg, Germany. Its brands include Elastoplast, Eucerin (makers of Aquaphor), Labello, La Prairi ...

), and acquisitions (Andrew Jergens Company in 1988, Goldwell AG in 1989) in North America and Europe. During this period, Kao also expanded to the manufacture of floppy disks. ; 1990s and 2000s : During the 1990s and 2000s, the company expanded into China and Vietnam—countries that, during that time, were opening up their economies to the rest of the world. Also, the company expanded into food products with Econa and Healthya. Additionally, the company made floppy disks and optical discs during this time. It created the electrostatic cleaning market in 1995 with the release of its Quickle Wiper products, which it licensed to S. C. Johnson & Son under the

Pledge Pledge may refer to: Promises * a solemn promise * Abstinence pledge, a commitment to practice abstinence, usually teetotalism or chastity * The Pledge (New Hampshire), a promise about taxes by New Hampshire politicians * Pledge of Allegianc ...

Grab-It brand in Europe and the US. It also continued to acquire businesses (

John Frieda John Frieda (born Alan Howard Frieda, 9 July 1951) is a British celebrity hairstylist and founder of hair salon and hair product businesses. The hair product business was acquired in 2002 by Kao Corporation, Japan. As of March 2025, ''The ...

in 2002,

Molton Brown Molton Brown is a British fragrance brand founded in 1971 by Caroline Burstein and Michael Collis. The brand was conferred with a Royal Warrant for the supply of toiletries by appointment of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2012. The brand is ...

in 2005 and Kanebo Cosmetics in 2006). In 2020, Kao Corporation was ranked the #4 out of 42 companies in the Corporate Knights Industry Group’s Personal Care and Cleaning Products category, recognized for its excellence in innovation capacity, employee retention as well as clean revenue, or revenue from all goods and services which have clear environmental benefits. For the company's national and international experience in sustainable development, and eco-friendly products, the Environment Possibility Award conferred the "Environmental Heroes of the Year" to Kao Corporation in 2020. In 2021 two of Kao’s products, the 3D Space Shampoo Sheet and the Space Laundry Sheet, were chosen to be sent to the International Space Station, with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in 2022. File:A skin you love to touch.png, This picture was part of an advertising campaign by the Andrew Jergens Company in 1917. It was given out for every purchase of a cake of

Woodbury's Facial Soap The Woodbury Soap Company was an American manufacturer of personal care products, such as cold cream, facial cream, facial powder, after-shave talc and ear swabs. Founded in Albany, New York, in 1870, it became a subsidiary of the Andrew Jergens ...

. Valid in the United States and Canada through 5 October 1917

Brand ownership

* Attack * Ban *

Bondi Sands Bondi Sands is an Australian Sunless tanning, self tanning brand. The brand specialises in self tanners, suncare, Skin care, skincare, and cosmetics. The business was established in 2012 and operates in Oceania as well as the US, UK and Europe. ...

* Bioré * Biozet * Curel * Goldwell * Guhl * Healthya *

Jergens Jergens is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Adele Jergens (1917–2002), American actress * Diane Jergens (1935–2018), American film and television actress See also *Andrew Jergens Company *Jurgens Jurgen *Antonius Johann ...

* Kanebo * Kate * KMS * Laurier owned by

Glaxo Wellcome GSK plc (an acronym from its former name GlaxoSmithKline plc) is a British Multinational corporation, multinational Pharmaceutics, pharmaceutical and biotechnology company with headquarters in London. It was established in 2000 by a Mergers an ...

* Liese owned by

SmithKline Beecham GSK plc (an acronym from its former name GlaxoSmithKline plc) is a British multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company with headquarters in London. It was established in 2000 by a merger of Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham, w ...

* Magiclean * MegRhythm * Merries * Merit *

* Oribe * Segreta * Sensai * Sofina * Success

References

External links

Kao Worldwide website in English

Kao Japan website

Kao corporate website in English

Kao Brands Company, Kao's US subsidiary
{{authority control Companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Companies in the Nikkei 225 Chemical companies based in Tokyo Cosmetics companies of Japan Japanese brands Personal care companies of Japan Chemical companies established in 1882 Japanese companies established in 1882 Multinational companies headquartered in Japan Chūō, Tokyo