Semantic Coherence: Kao EMEA – Signal Evidence & AI Readability

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Providing care and enrichment for the life of all people and the planet.

Founded in Japan in 1887, Kao is built on a strong heritage of innovation and a cultural philosophy to always walk the right path.
We have a portfolio spanning five business fields from Hygiene and Living Care, Health and Beauty Care, Life Care, Cosmetics, as well as a wide range of chemical products needed by industry.
We are part of people’s everyday lives across the world and aim to provide a future where humans and nature thrive together.

Our Global Business

Our Global Purpose and Value Creation

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Kao EMEA

Discover our business and offices in our 13 locations across Europe, Middle East and Africa.

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Brands

From iconic hair care brands to innovative skin care and sun protection—learn more about our 12 brands in the EMEA region.

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Innovations

Learn more about how we are leveraging research and technology to develop cutting edge formulas, products and packaging.

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Careers

Explore how you can shape your unique career path and make an impact in our inclusive, value-driven organization.

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Job Portal

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Sustainability

Promoting the Kirei Lifestyle Plan, our ESG strategy, to work towards a sustainable and enriched society.

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Latest News

JOB PORTAL

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From breakthrough innovations in our European Research Laboratories to precision and care on the production line, from seamless logistics in our warehouses to bold ideas in our offices—our teams across the EMEA region work towards one shared ambition: to create exceptional products guided by the values and principles of The Kao Way, our corporate philosophy.

We are a value-based company built on integrity, trust, and ethical business practices. It’s this philosophy that makes Kao a company people are proud to work for, and a business partner our customers can count on.

The business in our region focuses on premium beauty brands across three distinct sectors: Kao Professional Hair with its master brands Goldwell, KERASILK, KMS Hair, Oribe and VARIS is the fourth biggest salon hair care business in the world while the Consumer Care Business features high quality hair and skin care brands such as John Frieda, Guhl, Bioré, Bondi Sands, JERGENS® and Curél. Our premium cosmetics portfolio, Molton Brown, our British luxury brand has been creating distinctive fragrances and sensory experiences for over 50 years.

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Our Business Sectors

The business in our region focuses on three sectors: Kao Professional Hair, which offers professional hair care to salons and consumers across the globe, the Consumer Care Business, featuring well-known hair care and skin care brands, and Molton Brown, our luxury fragrance and premium skincare business.

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Kao Professional Hair

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Consumer Care Business

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Molton Brown

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Our Locations

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In the EMEA region we operate in 13 countries, our main business hubs are in Germany, the UK and the Netherlands.

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Our History

Kao was founded in Japan in the late 19th century and has since evolved to become one of Japan‘s largest consumer goods manufacturers. In the EMEA region, our business was built in 1980, with the acquisition of iconic hair care brand Guhl. Today, our portfolio spans 13 premium hair care and skincare brands. Learn more about our history here.

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Latest News

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Our Brands

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At Kao EMEA we are passionate about beauty and our brands reflect that

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Whether it's cutting edge, innovative products for salons, transformative skin and haircare solutions, or luxury bath and shower gels, our brands are committed to quality, safety and high performance.

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Kao Professional Hair

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Kao Professional Hair is the fourth biggest salon hair care business in the world. Headquartered in Darmstadt, Germany which is also home to our Global research center and our main production facility, we do business in more than 40 countries around the world, serving more than 40,000 salons.

With a global presence and local expertise, we are uniquely positioned to support stylists and salons in delivering exceptional experiences every day. From high-quality products to cutting-edge innovation, from world-class education and inspirational content to tailored business support.Understanding the needs of our business partners, salon owners, stylists, and consumers worldwide is at the heart of everything we do. As each consumer is different and every stylist unique, we offer a comprehensive portfolio of salon-quality brands: Goldwell, KERASILK, KMS Hair, Oribe, and VARIS.

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Goldwell

​Goldwell is a stylist-centered brand, putting colorists at the center of everything we do. Offering a portfolio created by stylists for stylists - from industry-leading professional haircolor and high-performing care and styling products to world-class education and inspiration. ​
Goldwell is led by listening to build the most collaborative, most relatable, and high-performance color brand.​
Together with stylists Goldwell will pioneer a positive beauty tomorrow, because Goldwell believes a brand powered by people is the future. ​
Let's color the future together.​

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Goldwell website

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KMS Hair

ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES FOR HAIR—KMS HAIR opens up a whole world of new possibilities for the way you wear your hair as part of creating your personal style. Our versatile products allow you to do things with your hair that you previously never thought possible, help you do your look exactly the way you want.

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KMS website

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Oribe

Since 2008, Oribe Hair Care has set the standard for hair care within the prestige category. Blending award-winning packaging and its signature Côte d’Azur fragrance, the collection is designed with talented hairdressers, sophisticated salons and discerning customers in mind. Represented in more than 40 countries, Oribe has become synonymous with best-in-class product performance and technical education, sparking deep connections with its consumers.
These are the products of the hair-obsessed.

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Oribe website

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KERASILK

YOUR BEST HAIR IS AHEAD OF YOU.

If you doubt that the hair you have can become the hair you’ve always wanted, KERASILK will make you a believer. And if you think responsible hair care products can’t deliver high-performance results, KERASILK will change your mind. Built on our heritage of innovation, today’s formulations are 100% vegan* and our most sustainable and effective yet. Silk+ Technology combines our exclusive Biomimetic Silk with carefully selected high-potency ingredients to create hair as strong as it is beautiful. Today’s KERASILK will restore your confidence in the transformative power of hair care.

STRONG AND BEAUTIFUL AS SILK AND FULL OF POSSIBILITIES—BELIEVE IN WHAT YOUR HAIR CAN BE WITH KERASILK.

*No animal-derived ingredients.

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KERASILK website

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VARIS

VARIS offers a collection of meticulously crafted styling tools created and inspired by master global stylists, for stylists. VARIS is engineered to deliver flawless results, intuitively meeting the needs of stylists by carefully considering every detail of the styling experience. Recognising that styling is part artistry and part craftsmanship, the VARIS collection was designed to be the ultimate conduit for each artist’s creative energy. Each VARIS tool is created to allow the stylist to effortlessly execute their creative and artistic vision, every time.

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VARIS website

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Consumer Care Business

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In the Consumer Care Business, we follow the mission of “Kirei everyday”—through our products, we want to contribute to more sustainable, beautiful lives for our consumers. We aim to make everyday moments more extraordinary for everyone around the world.

We believe that it is the little moments in life that make a difference and give the exceptional feeling of beauty and joy—not only on the outside but also from the inside. This is what we mean by “Kirei”. We believe in the positive energy of these Kirei moments: the confidence when you look in the mirror and see not only healthy-looking skin and hair but your inner beauty shining through.With that in mind, we offer quality, premium beauty solutions for our customers around the world. Whether it is hair transformations or skin protection: our brands John Frieda, Guhl, Bioré, Bondi Sands, Curél and JERGENS® offer a range of amazing, customer focused products, developed and crafted with care.

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John Frieda

At John Frieda, we believe in salon quality hair transformation, tailored to each individual. For over 30 years, the John Frieda brand has been dedicated to developing outstanding products that are fuelled by an understanding of what makes each individual hair type unique. Because when it comes to hair needs, there is no one-size-fits-all approach and what makes us different, makes us beautiful. Whether brightening blonde, banishing frizz or boosting volume, John Frieda leverages its salon expertise to deliver specialized, transformational formulas to reveal your best self.

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John Frieda website

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Guhl

Genuine quality you can trust to enjoy your moment of well-being without a care in the world.
That's the Guhl brand.
For over 85 years, we have been using our expertise and passion to create high-quality hair care products you can rely on. With more than 20 product lines, we offer the right care for almost every hair need and ensure visibly and tangibly well-groomed hair. Our products are dermatologically tested, formulated without silicones, PETA APPROVED VEGAN/Global Animal Test Policy certified, contain regional ingredients from Europe, and are developed and manufactured in Germany. Give your hair the care it desires— and enjoy the pampering lather, heavenly scents, and velvety textures of our products for a sensual care experience every time you wash your hair.

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Guhl website

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Bondi Sands

Inspired by Australia’s most iconic beach, Bondi Sands is more than just the best Self Tanning and Suncare. We help our community show up as the most confident, radiant version of themselves, offering an endless summer experience to the world.

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Bondi Sands website

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Bioré

Bioré is the #1 cleansing brand in Japan*, #1 SPF brand in Japan** and the #1 pore strip brand in the UK & France***. Built on the belief that no skin concern is too complex to solve—especially when you start with the pore.
Powered by Japanese pore expertise and packed with sensorial satisfaction, our products don’t just work—they wow. From tingles to peels, fizzes to foams, every formula is designed to deliver visible transformation you can feel. The result? Polished pores that create the foundation of beautifully healthy skin and confidence that feels refreshingly real.
Bioré—Works. Wonders.
*Based on SRI+ Data, Facial cleansing category, Japan, Jan 2023—Dec 2024, Value Base **Based on SRI+ Data, Suntan Care, Japan, Jan 2021—Dec 2024, Value Base ***Based on Circana Data, Facial cleansing category, UK, FR, MAT 52 weeks, Aug 2025, Value Base

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JERGENS®

JERGENS® is a body care brand that offers a range of products that transforms skin for a noticeably improved look & feel.
Since 1901, JERGENS® skincare has been the trusted brand for comforting moisture. That’s because everything we do is designed to help you feel good—soothing relief from dryness or a fruity scent that makes Monday feel like Friday. We’re not here to stop at skin deep. We’re here to help you feel truly, deeply, skin-to-soul comfortable, with a few surprises along the way. We bottle all that up into the Feel-Good Feeling of JERGENS® .

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JERGENS® website

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Curél

Curél is No.1 brand in Japan for sensitive skin*.
Its unique Ceramide Biomimetic Technology, the culmination of over 40 years of research, is scientifically proven to strengthen the skin’s protective barrier and increase hydration to transform dry, sensitive skin into silky soft, luminous skin. Inspired by the Japanese tradition of Double Cleansing and Double Moisturising, Curél’s products are extra gentle and specifically designed to protect and promote the skin’s natural ceramide moisturizers.
*Based on INTAGE Inc SRI Data, Sensitive Skincare Product Market, Jan 2017 —Dec 2024, Value Base

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Curél website

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Molton Brown

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Our British luxury brand Molton Brown has been creating distinctive fragrances and sensory experiences for over 50 years. Rooted in its British heritage and shaped by a London perspective, the brand celebrates creativity and diversity—both in its collaborations with perfumers and in the experiences it offers to customers. Each fragrance reflects the unique inspirations and expertise of its perfumers, designed to enhance everyday moments with depth and character.

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Molton Brown

Molton Brown has crafted the finest fragrances, unique scents and unrivalled sensorial experiences for over 50 years. Its British roots and London point of view mean creativity and diversity are at the heart of the brand, their customers’ lives and enduring relationships with its perfumers, who have always had the freedom to express themselves.
The brand creates a scent experience that’s vivid, enlivening and that enriches the ordinary to create the extraordinary via fragrance, body wash, home aromas and more. It has an uncompromising approach to ingredients and sustainability; products are made in England and it has never tested on animals. The brand strives to work in harmony with nature and people, including their perfumers, who imbue fragrances with their memories to stir senses and deepen every moment’s meaning. These sensorial experiences come to life through Molton Brown customers, amplifying their truth and showing what’s possible when nature, memory and culture connect.
Where will they take you?

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Research & Development

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Driving innovation at the heart of our consumers’ needs
We work at the forefront of innovation and leverage the latest research and technology todevelop cutting edge formulas, products and packaging that provide tangible results to ourconsumers.

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Driving Innovation by Decoding Hair’s Relationship with Water

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Guhl: Low-Impact Formulas and Sustainable Packaging

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Goldwell Colorance Gloss Tones: Professional Toning, Reinvented

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Molton Brown Drives Innovation Through Refillable Luxury

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Oribe: Redefining Shine Through Glass Hair Technology

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At the Heart of the Business

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We like to think of R&D as the heartbeat of our business. Kao was born from a spirit of technical innovation, and research and development have remained central to what we do ever since. Driven by a passion to always evolve and improve and develop cutting-edge products, our R&D teams work to shape the future of the beauty industry every day.

All our R&D activities are guided by our two main principles—Genba and Yoki-Monozukuri—which are rooted in our corporate philosophy, The Kao Way. Everything we do starts at the Genba, which means “actual spot” or “on site”. By talking to our consumers and experiencing firsthand how people use our products, we can uncover unmet needs with empathy and precision.

This is followed by what we call Yoki-Monozukuri, which at Kao describes an excellent creation process that benefits everyone and inspires us to continuously improve. Based on this, we develop products, brands, technologies, and solutions that uniquely answer the needs of our consumers and society, with the environment in mind.

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“Research and Development at Kao is founded on strong ethical principles and a commitment to creating value for society. Our diverse R&D departments collaborate to drive innovation and secure Kao’s future growth. A key example is our Basic Research Department, which is granted the freedom to explore a broad range of scientific fields without marketing constraints or time pressures—helping to foster long-term discovery and advance our innovation.”

Martin Uellner
Vice President, REO Beauty Research, Europe Research Laboratories

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In the EMEA region, our R&D work is centred around our European Research Laboratories, with its main hub located in Darmstadt, Germany. In Kao's Haircare Centre of Excellence, 150 researchers and scientists from 19 nations work across five specialized teams to deliver high-quality products that meet the needs of our consumers around the world.

At the Haircare Centre of Excellence we are committed to:

Interdisciplinary teamwork—from basic research and product development to packaging design, intellectual property, safety and regulatory affairs.
A truly international environment—where different perspectives spark new ideas.

Room to grow—whether through career development programs, collaboration with global teams, or by bringing your own ideas to life.

What unites us is a shared passion: creating innovation that makes beauty more sustainable, accessible, and inspiring—for people, society, and the planet.

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Our Global R&D Network

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Globally, Kao scientists work across 15 research centres, driving innovation across all business fields, from consumer goods to sustainable chemistry.

With different competencies, strengths and expertise, we work together to develop products and services designed to transform the future of our business and improve the lives of our consumers.
Unlike many other companies, Kao is not only investing in product development but also in base research—enabling us to create products that truly transform the future of our industry as well as solutions that contribute to society.
What sets Kao apart is not size, but mindset: Our teams go the extra mile—not only to shape the future of our industry, but to create solutions that serve society and the environment.

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Kao Americas, Research Laboratories

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Kao Specialties Americas LLC, Research Laboratories

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Kao Chemicals Europe, S.L., Research Laboratories (Mexico)

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Molton Brown Research Laboratories (UK)

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Kao Chemicals Europe, S.L., Research Laboratories (Germany)

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Kao Europe, Research Laboratories

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Kao Chemicals Europe, S.L., Research Laboratories (Spain)

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Kao Corporation, Research Laboratories

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Kao (China), Research & Development Center. Co., Ltd.

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Kao Chemical Corporation, Shanghai, Laboratories

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Kao (Taiwan),  Corporation, Laboratories

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Kao Consumer Products, (Southeast Asia) Co., Ltd., Production Application Center

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Kao Industrial (Thailand) Co., Ltd., Laboratories

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Kao Oleochemical, (Malaysia), Laboratories

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P.T. Kao Indonesia Chemicals, Laboratories

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Innovation That Matters—and Makes a Difference

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Innovation is a way of thinking. Our openness to new ideas has advanced our business since the days of our founder. Whether it is steady improvements, breakthrough technologies, or new ways of doing business and communicating the uniqueness of what we offer, we are committed to growth and change. Here are some of our recent innovation stories—from more sustainable packaging to smart solutions for better handling, from new hair colors that you have never seen before to hair care that goes beyond our stylists' expectations.

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Driving Innovation by Decoding Hair’s Relationship with Water

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Guhl: Low-Impact Formulas and Sustainable Packaging

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Goldwell Colorance Gloss Tones: Professional Toning, Reinvented

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Molton Brown Drives Innovation Through Refillable Luxury

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Oribe: Redefining Shine Through Glass Hair Technology

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