| Category | Sensitive Skin |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Headquarters | Tokyo |
| Listing | Not separately listed; parent Kao is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (4452.T) |
| Latest revenue | Group FY2025 sales JPY 1,688.6bn, operating profit JPY 164.1bn |
| Hero SKUs | Moisture Care Foam |
Brand History
Curél was launched by Kao in 1999 for dry, sensitive skin, built on ceramide-functioning ingredients that mimic the skin's own lipids, organised into a three-step Moisture Care routine of cleanser, lotion and cream. Unlike brands that grow on marketing cycles, its line-up has barely changed in two decades, relying on drugstore repurchase in Japan.
China has been its main incremental market of the past decade. Priced around RMB 100 with a no-fragrance, no-colourant, weakly acidic claim, it secured stable positions in sensitive-skin creams and cleansing foam, then extended into lower-tier cities via cross-border e-commerce and Watsons after 2020. Kao's FY2025 results name Curél alongside KANEBO as core growth brands and cite expanded local production in China as a cost and supply improvement.
Hero Products
Three-Year Financials
| Year | Revenue (JPY bn) | YoY | Net profit (JPY bn) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1,532.6 | -1.2% | 43.9 |
| 2024 | 1,628.4 | +6.3% | 107.8 |
| 2025 | 1,688.6 | +3.7% | 120.1 |
Brand-level：Kao does not break out Curél sales, but names it among the six priority brands that grew 13% combined in 2025 and drove the cosmetics segment back to profit.
Source：Kao FY2025 results; Kao cosmetics segment briefing (Feb 2026)
Company Coverage
- 2026-02Curél named a priority brand
Kao said six priority brands including Curél and KANEBO grew 13% in 2025, lifting cosmetics operating profit to JPY 10.4bn.
Source：Kao results briefing - 2025-10Local production expanded in China
Kao expanded Chinese manufacturing to reduce the price impact of FX and logistics swings.
Source：Kao filings - 2025-04Sensitive-skin cream competition intensifies
Domestic ceramide creams entered the same price band at lower prices.
Source：Trade media
Editor's note: Curél's playbook has worked in Japan for two decades — no hero launches, just repeatable basics. That logic is being tested in China, where domestic brands sell ceramide creams at RMB 79 and stretch 'sensitive skin' across every category. Formula trust and drugstore distribution protect share, but the brand must answer a harder question: once the ingredient is no longer scarce, where does the premium come from?