KAO CORPORATION

Overview

Kao Corporation is a Japan-based manufacturer of consumer and chemical products. Its consumer businesses span household cleaning and hygiene, skin and hair care, cosmetics, and other everyday products; its chemical business supplies materials for industrial and commercial uses. Founded in 1887 and headquartered in Tokyo, Kao operates in Japan and international markets across Asia, the Americas, and Europe.[1]+2

Kao states its purpose as “To Realize a Kirei World in Which All Life Lives in Harmony,” linking its products and innovation to the well-being of people, society, and the planet. In 2025, it reported consolidated sales of ¥1,688.6 billion and 31,514 employees; overseas sales accounted for 42.9% of the total.[4]+2 [1]+4

Products & services

Kao’s consumer products span laundry and fabric care, household cleaning, sanitary care, personal care and cosmetics. Examples include Attack laundry detergent, Humming fabric softener, Magiclean household cleaners, Cucute dishwashing products, Laurier menstrual-care products and Merries baby diapers. Its personal-care range includes Bioré facial and body care and Curél products for dry, sensitive skin; its cosmetics brands include KANEBO, KATE and SOFINA. Kao also sells professional hair products under brands including Goldwell and Oribe. Brand availability varies by market.[6][7]

For industrial customers, Kao supplies oleochemicals such as fatty acids, fatty alcohols, fatty amines and glycerin, as well as surfactants, functional polymers and additives used in cleaning, plastics, coatings and construction. Its digital-printing materials include LUNAJET, a water-based pigment ink designed for stable jetting and printing on materials including films. Kao also offers electronics-cleaning agents and process-development support, including customer testing of cleaning agents and operating conditions.[8]+3

In Kao’s reported 2024 sales mix, Hygiene and Living Care accounted for 33.5% of net sales, Health and Beauty Care 26.0%, Cosmetics 15.0%, Life Care 3.4% and Chemicals 22.1%. The chemical segment’s reported sales include intersegment transactions.[12] [6]+13

Geographic presence

Kao is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, and operates across Asia and Oceania, the Americas, and Europe and Africa through regional companies. Its listed operations include consumer-products manufacturing and sales in the United States and Germany.[1]+3

In 2024, Kao reported net sales of ¥923.0 billion in Japan, ¥313.7 billion in Asia, ¥207.3 billion in the Americas and ¥184.5 billion in Europe, against consolidated net sales of ¥1,628.4 billion. Japan accounted for approximately 57% of the total. These geographic figures are classified by the location where sales are recognized, rather than customers’ destinations.[12] [15]+10

Business segments

Kao reports its operations through consumer-products businesses and a Chemical Business. Under its 2025 segment structure, the consumer businesses are Hygiene Living Care, Health Beauty Care, Cosmetics and Business Connected; Chemical is a separate segment. Business Connected includes commercial-use hygiene activities previously reported in Life Care, while some former Life Care activities moved to Chemical.[17]

The most complete comparable sales mix available here is for 2024, before that reorganization. Hygiene and Living Care accounted for approximately 33.5% of reported net sales, covering laundry and fabric care, household cleaning, sanitary products and baby diapers. Health and Beauty Care contributed 26.0%, spanning skin and hair care, bath additives and oral care. Cosmetics contributed 15.0%, Life Care—then focused on commercial-use hygiene products—3.4%, and Chemical 22.1%, comprising oleo chemicals, performance chemicals and information materials. These percentages describe the former segment structure and should not be read as a separate sales share for the newer Business Connected segment.[18][17] [17][18]

Company history

Kao traces its origins to 1887, when Tomiro Nagase opened Nagase Shoten, a Western sundry-goods shop in Japan. It launched Kao Sekken soap in 1890, followed by Kao Shampoo in 1932 and the synthetic laundry detergent Kao Kona Sentaku in 1951. The business was incorporated in 1940.[19]+2

Kao established its first company outside Japan in Thailand in 1964 and expanded its U.S. presence by acquiring Andrew Jergens in 1988. Its later acquisitions included British beauty brand Molton Brown in 2005 and Kanebo Cosmetics in 2006, broadening its cosmetics and personal-care businesses.[19] [19]+2

Sources

• www.kao.com[1]
• www.kao.com[2]
• www.kao.com[3]
• www.kao.com[4]
• www.kao.com[5]
• www.kao.com[6]
• www.kaosalondivision.com[7]
• chemical.kao.com[8]
• chemical.kao.com[9]
• chemical.kao.com[10]
• chemical.kao.com[11]
• www.kao.com[12]
• www.kao.com[13]
• www.kao.com[14]
• KAO CORPORATION — Presentation (2024 Y)
  4 citations

  [15][16][17][18]
• www.kao.com[19]
• www.kao.com[20]