Kao’s global strategy identifies Curel as one of the company’s important growth brands in dermatological skincare. As of March 2025, Curel was present in 12 countries and regions, with Kao targeting further international expansion.15

Curel is essentially a skin-barrier-focused skincare brand. Rather than positioning itself primarily around beauty trends such as anti-aging, brightening or luxury cosmetics, Curel concentrates on a fundamental problem: how skincare can help dry, sensitive skin retain moisture and remain resilient against external irritation.

The brand’s answer is ceramide care. Ceramides are lipids naturally found in the outer layer of the skin that play an important role in maintaining the skin’s barrier and helping it retain moisture. Curel’s product philosophy is therefore based on protecting and replenishing ceramide function rather than simply adding surface moisture.8 This distinguishes Curel from conventional moisturisers; the brand attempts to address the underlying moisture-barrier problem associated with dry, sensitive skin rather than treating dryness merely as a cosmetic symptom.

Curel is a brand of Kao Corporation, one of Japan’s major consumer-goods and chemical companies. Kao’s portfolio includes household products, personal care, cosmetics and chemical products. Curel sits within its skincare and cosmetics business and represents Kao’s dermatological approach to sensitive skin.

An important part of Curel’s story is that the brand grew out of Kao’s own dermatological research, particularly research into the role of ceramides in skin hydration and barrier function.2

Early research and development

Kao established a new research laboratory in 1976 to investigate the structure of human skin. This research eventually became the foundation for Kao’s work on dry and sensitive skin.3

In 1985, Kao researchers identified and published research concerning the importance of ceramide in maintaining skin moisture and barrier function. This served as a major scientific foundation for what would eventually become Curel.4

Natural ceramides were historically expensive and difficult to incorporate into skincare at effective concentrations. Kao therefore worked on developing ingredients capable of reproducing important functions associated with ceramides. In 1987, Kao successfully developed a ceramide-functioning ingredient and became one of the first companies to use such technology in skincare formulations.4 Consequently, Curel’s identity is historically tied to Kao’s research into ceramide biology and functional ingredients rather than merely using “ceramide” as a marketing term.

Launch and expansion

1999 is the key founding year for the modern Japanese Curel line. Kao launched Curel in Japan as a skincare range specifically addressing dry, sensitive skin, based on research indicating that ceramide deficiency or dysfunction was closely related to problems with dryness and weakened skin-barrier function.5 The first Japanese Curel range focused on body care.

Subsequent milestones include:

• 2000: Facial-care products launched in Japan
• 2006: Scalp and hair-care range launched
• 2008: Moisture-care range updated with newer ceramide-related technology
• 2009: Moisture-care range expanded into Hong Kong
• 2011: Expansion into China
• 2012: Expansion into Singapore and Taiwan
• 2016: Expansion into Thailand
• 2017: Expansion into Malaysia
• 2018: Expansion into Vietnam6

Although Curel is now marketed internationally, its core identity was developed specifically around Japanese dermatological research and Japanese consumers with dry, sensitive skin.

Distinction between US and Japanese origins

There are two distinct chapters in the Curel history. The Curel name existed in the United States before the Japanese line; it was originally created by SC Johnson in 1984 as a dry-skin product. Kao subsequently acquired Curel Skincare in 1998.7

After acquiring the brand, Kao used its own ceramide research to develop the Japanese Curel skincare line. The Japanese version launched in 1999 and became the foundation of today’s Asian Curel business.5 This explains why historical accounts may differ depending on whether they reference the original US Curel or the Japanese and Asian Curel lineages.

Ceramides are naturally occurring lipids in the outermost layers of skin. When the skin barrier is compromised, moisture escapes more easily and the skin becomes dry, rough and susceptible to external irritants. Curel makes ceramide protection and replenishment the foundation of its skincare system.8

Because natural ceramides can be expensive, Kao developed proprietary ceramide-functioning ingredients and technologies. Depending on the market and product, Curel materials refer to technologies such as:

• Ceramide Care
• Advanced Ceramide Complex
• Ceramide-functioning ingredients
• Moisture-retaining technology

The exact formulation differs between products and markets.9

Curel’s philosophy can be summarised as addressing the cycle where dry skin leads to a weakened moisture barrier, greater sensitivity and further dryness. Rather than only moisturising the skin temporarily, Curel aims to help maintain the skin’s natural barrier and moisture-retention ability.

Products are generally designed to be moisturising, relatively low-irritation, suitable for sensitive skin, focused on maintaining the moisture barrier and usable as everyday skincare. Kao specifically describes Curel as developing products that protect and replenish ceramide function while moisturising sensitive skin.10

The formulation philosophy is built around efficacy without unnecessary irritation, aiming to be gentle enough for sensitive skin while still providing effective moisturisation. Products are consequently often characterised by relatively simple, functional formulations rather than highly fragranced or aggressively active cosmetic formulas. However, because ingredient sensitivities vary and formulas can differ by country, “sensitive skin” designation does not guarantee compatibility for every individual.

Curel has developed into a comprehensive skincare system rather than a single moisturiser brand.

Facial skincare

Facial skincare is the most recognisable segment of the brand. Typical products include cleansers, foaming washes, makeup removers, moisture lotions, facial milks and emulsions, intensive moisturising creams, facial sprays, eye creams, lip care, sheet masks, UV and sun-care products, and serums or specialised treatments.

For example, regional catalogues in Southeast Asia include products such as the Intensive Moisture Care Foaming Wash, Makeup Cleansing Gel, Moisture Lotion, Moisture Face Milk, Intensive Moisture Cream, Deep Moisture Spray and Moisture Repair products.712

Body care

Curel also offers products designed specifically for dry body skin. These generally focus on maintaining body moisture, reducing dryness, supporting the skin barrier and minimising the discomfort associated with very dry skin. The US business, for example, markets body moisturisers around its Advanced Ceramide Complex.8

Scalp and hair care

The Japanese brand introduced its scalp and hair-care series in 2006, addressing dryness and sensitivity of the scalp.6 This reflects the brand’s broader philosophy that if the skin is sensitive, skincare should not be limited to the face.

Curel primarily targets people with dry skin (skin that feels tight, rough, flaky or uncomfortable due to insufficient moisture) and sensitive skin (skin that reacts easily to environmental or cosmetic factors).

The core target is dry, sensitive skin. The Japanese positioning is particularly explicit: Curel is formulated for people whose skin tends to become dry and sensitive and who repeatedly experience roughness or irritation.11 It is therefore not necessarily a brand exclusively for those identifying as having “extremely sensitive skin”; its broader proposition is daily care for dry, sensitive-prone skin.

Position in Japan

Curel has become a major sensitive-skincare brand in its home market. Kao states that Curel became the No. 1 brand for dry, sensitive skin in Japan in 2008 and has maintained that position since.13 More recent Kao materials describe Curel as Japan’s No. 1 brand for sensitive skin, with underlying market-share claims based on Japanese market research such as INTAGE data.14 This distinguishes Curel from niche Japanese skincare brands that gained overseas popularity through social media; it is a major domestic Japanese skincare brand that subsequently expanded internationally.

Relevance in Asia

Curel’s proposition translates well to many Asian markets where consumers encounter air conditioning, high UV exposure, pollution, seasonal changes, humidity fluctuations, frequent cleansing and skin dehydration despite oily skin. Because oily skin and dehydrated skin can coexist, Curel’s barrier-focused approach appeals beyond people with traditionally “dry” skin. Kao has increasingly localised Curel products and technology for different regional needs rather than assuming Japanese and overseas consumers have identical concerns.6

Global expansion

International expansion accelerated across Asia following the timeline: Japan → Hong Kong → China → Singapore/Taiwan → Thailand → Malaysia → Vietnam, followed by broader expansion into Western markets. Kao’s 2025 integrated report stated that Curel was already operating in 12 countries and regions, while targeting further expansion.15

In 2026, Kao continued pushing Curel into Europe. For example, Kao announced the introduction of Curel in the Netherlands as part of its broader dermatological-skincare expansion strategy.16 A new Curel Moist Barrier Oil Serum for extremely dry environments was also scheduled for European launch in September 2026.17 Curel is currently transitioning from being primarily a Japanese/Asian sensitive-skin brand into a more explicitly global dermatological skincare brand.

Current strategy

Kao aims for Curel to become the world’s No. 1 brand for dry sensitive skin.18 The strategy involves three major elements:

1. Ceramide technology: Maintaining ceramide care as the brand’s core technological advantage.
2. Localisation: Developing products around different climates, lifestyles and consumer needs rather than exporting identical Japanese products everywhere.
3. Global dermatological positioning: Expanding Curel beyond traditional Asian markets into Europe and other regions with significant sensitive-skin demand.

While comparisons are necessarily simplified, Curel’s ceramide/barrier + Japanese dermatological research combination is the core of its identity.

Curel vs CeraVe

Both brands are strongly associated with ceramides and skin-barrier care, but their histories differ. Curel is a Japanese Kao brand founded as a sensitive-skin line in 1999, rooted in Japanese dermatological research and particularly associated with dry/sensitive skin and Japanese skincare aesthetics. CeraVe is an American dermatological skincare brand developed around a multi-ceramide system, with strong associations with dermatologists and the US pharmacy market. While both occupy the “ceramide skincare” space, Curel’s identity is distinctly Japanese and Kao-research-driven.

Curel is a cosmetic/skincare brand, not a pharmaceutical or prescription dermatology company. Its products are designed to support dry and sensitive skin but should not automatically be considered treatments for diagnosed skin diseases. Kao’s regional FAQ states that people with atopic dermatitis should consult a dermatologist rather than assuming Curel is an appropriate treatment.19 Thus, Curel is skincare developed using dermatological research for dry and sensitive skin, rather than medicine.

Curel’s brand proposition can be distilled into five core concepts:

1. Ceramide: The scientific foundation.
2. Moisture barrier: The main biological concept.
3. Sensitive skin: The primary consumer problem.
4. Gentle daily care: The product philosophy.
5. Japanese dermatological research: The brand’s heritage and differentiation.

These elements combine to form the proposition: “Use Japanese ceramide science to protect and replenish the moisture barrier of dry, sensitive skin.” Curel is Kao’s Japanese sensitive-skincare brand, built around decades of ceramide research and designed to help dry, sensitive skin maintain moisture and a healthy protective barrier through gentle everyday skincare.20

1. About Us | Kao Curél
2. Brand History | Kao Curél
3. Skincare for Sensitive Skin | Curél® Official Site
4. キュレルとは｜乾燥性敏感肌を考えたキュレル［公式］
5. Curel Skincare: History
6. Dry and Sensitive Skin | Kao Curél
7. Kao Thailand | Product catalogue | Curel
8. Curél® ─ Japanese Skincare For Dry Skin | Curél® Official Site
9. About Curél® Japanese Skincare | Curél® Official Site
10. Q&A | Kao Curél
11. The Story Behind the Accessibility Video: “Curel Everyone’s Skincare Method”｜花王 公式note編集部
12. Kao Thailand | Product catalogue | Moisture Face Care
13. Kao Thailand | Product catalogue | Aging Care
14. Kao Singapore | Product Catalog | Curél
15. Curél品牌理念與歷史 | 花王Curél
16. Kao Thailand | Product catalogue | CUREL UV PROTECTION ESSENCE SPF30+ PA+++
17. Kao Thailand | Product catalogue | Sebum Trouble Care
18. Curél | Gentle Skincare for Sensitive Skin
19. Curel Skincare: A Mission to End Dry Skin
20. Curel Skin & Facial Care Lotions, Moisturizers and Creams