Building resilience: Kao reinforces men’s hair care with new launches inspired by skinification trend

The company’s men’s grooming brand Success has launched Success RESIL  with two products – shampoo and conditioner – that contain plant-derived amino acids in silicone-free formulas.

According to the company, the range aims to clean and nourish the hair, giving it a healthy, voluminous look and feel.

The shampoo was developed to remove excess sebum, dirt, and styling products.

The conditioner features a non-sticky formula that envelopes the hair strands in an elastic coating.

This gives the hair supple, elastic bounce while lifting the strands and giving hair some body.

Overall, the products claim to promote hair suppleness and elasticity, leading to better resilience.

“Moving forward, Success will continue to propose solutions that provide a sense of fulfilment in caring for the scalp and hair, empowering individuals to move forward with confidence.”​

This follows the relaunch of its Success 24 as a scalp care-centric range, encouraging male consumers to treat their scalp as an extension of their skin.

It contains two sets of shampoo and conditioners – one for oily scalp and another for dry scalp.

This line up was developed as there was a need for hair and scalp care solutions designed specifically for men, who have more sebum on the scalp compared to women.

According to the firm, the interest in scalp care among Japanese men is growing as they increasingly adopt skin care.

Premium men’s hair care opportunity

CosmeticsDesign-Asia​ previously reported​ that Kao plans to strengthen its entire hair care portfolio with fresh brands and revamped offerings in its home market of Japan.

The company aimed to capture the “high premium” ​segment, defined as brands above JPY1,400 or around USD9.

In line with this, the company to developed and launched Melt, a new premium hair care brand with a concept centred around self-care and relaxation.

According to Kao, the demand for more premium hair care products is seen in both the female and male demographics.

The company’s 2023 survey of over 10,000 men aged 20 to 59 showed that men start to worry about the condition of their hair as they age.

It observed a growing need among men for shampoos with “good cleansing power, but also give hair volume and contain ingredients that are good for hair and scalp.”​

Furthermore, the company noted that this group of consumers are more likely to be concerned about the ingredients.

Kao’s roots in hair care can be traced back to 1932 with the launch of Kao Shampoo, a solid shampoo bar. Since then, it has launched several hair care brands including Essential, Merit and Segreta.

Furthermore, Kao has also developed brands in the professional space, including Goldwell, Kerasilk, and KMS.

In 2018, the company also acquired luxury hair brand Oribe, which was founded by revered hairstylist, the late Oribe Canales.