Kao and Daiichi Sankyo Healthcare join forces for skincare tech acceleration
24 Nov 2022 --- Kao has signed an agreement with Daiichi Sankyo Healthcare to collaborate on a skincare-related joint development in the company’s Life Care Business segment. The partnership aims to put the two companies’ fundamental formulation technologies together to work toward developing healthcare products.
With the joint development, Kao aims to accelerate its research and produce individualized solutions to meet consumers’ needs.
Daiichi Sankyo Healthcare, active in the pharmaceutical industry, has created a wide range of products with an emphasis on science-based quality and is experienced in the field of over-the-counter medications. The business now wants to diversify its product offerings and create items to promote consumer health and beauty, especially in the skincare and oral care categories.
Kao has leveraged its accumulated research in surfactants to formulate skincare and hair care products for its health and beauty care business. Surfactants have foaming and cleaning capabilities, which make them suitable components for use in color cosmetics, skincare and hair care formulas.
With this cooperation delving deeper into Kao’s Precision Life Care approach – analyzing and predicting various causes of health issues and accordingly proposing appropriate solutions – the company hopes to expand its reach to address lifestyle and environmental issues.
Monitoring technologies
According to Kao’s current Life Care Business portfolio, the company seeks to combine AI with mental and physical monitoring technologies to deliver solutions that meet consumers’ current and future needs.
Kao has leveraged its accumulated research in surfactants to formulate skincare and hair care products.The company recently introduced Skin Potential Analysis, a service powered by skin surface lipids-ribonucleic acid (RNA) monitoring technology, that allows customers to learn about their skin’s condition paired with an appropriate skincare regimen. This monitoring technology collects facial sebum with an oil blotting film, from which the RNA is extracted and analyzed.
Additionally, in conjunction with B&R K.K. and Kyoto Seisakusho, Kao has created a decorative processing technology to be launched next year. It allows products to be personalized in accordance with consumer needs by leveraging dynamic cell production technology that enables high-mix low-volume manufacture.
At the moment, Kao provides products that address the requirements for professional hygiene at commercial and public institutions including restaurants, lodgings, hospitals, nursing homes and even the farthest reaches of outer space.
In recent news, Kao’s 3D Shampoo and laundry sheets were launched to the International Space Station, where experts explained that the shampoo offers a convenient hair-washing method that can easily wipe off the dirt from astronauts’ scalps and hair, while the space laundry sheet removes stains and odors from clothes.
Edited by Mieke Meintjes
