ViCREA was established in Tokyo in February 2016, with &honey becoming its third major brand upon launch in 2018.

&honey is built around the relationship between honey, moisture, and hair texture. The brand name combines “&” and “honey” to signify that honey is not used in isolation but is paired with other moisturising, protective, and botanical ingredients. This philosophy integrates organic-inspired beauty with honey to support moisture retention and scalp comfort.2

The core concept of “water-retention beauty” posits that hair requires an appropriate level of retained moisture to appear smooth, soft, and healthy. Original formulation targets aimed for approximately 14% hair moisture content, compared to roughly 12% in conventional products at the time of launch.1 The current product range continues to emphasise moisture balance, with formulations designed to wrap individual strands in hydrating ingredients to sustain hydration levels.2

Honey serves as the central visual and conceptual element. Rather than marketing products as primarily edible honey, the brand selects specific honey varieties for their moisturising properties and develops proprietary blends. These are combined with ingredients such as royal jelly, propolis, argan oil, and hyaluronic acid to reinforce deep hydration and natural-inspired aesthetics.12

Moisturising ingredients claim

A key marketing claim associated with &honey is that its products contain more than 90% moisturising and protective ingredients based on the brand’s specified calculation methodology. This figure does not indicate 90% honey content; rather, it reflects the proportion of hydrating and protective components relative to certain base ingredients, which may include water depending on the formulation.12

2018: Launch

&honey launched in Japan on April 5, 2018. Unlike many contemporary shampoos that focused primarily on cleansing or generic natural claims, the initial proposition centred on hair moisture content. The original formula featured honey, royal jelly, propolis, argan oil, and hyaluronic acid, with the company stating that over 90% of the formulation consisted of moisturising and protective ingredients.1

2019–2021: Line expansion

In 2019, the brand expanded beyond its initial lineup with limited Sakura editions and additional hair-oil variants.3 The &honey Melty range was introduced in 2020, targeting hair that is difficult to manage due to dryness, waves, or lack of smoothness. This marked a shift towards offering specialised ranges for distinct hair concerns.3 In 2021, the Silky range was released to address tangling and smoothness, alongside non-hair products such as hand cream.3

2022–2025: Diversification

&honey Creamy launched in February 2022, focusing on damaged hair through a 5D Repair formulation while retaining the moisture-centric philosophy.1 By 2023, the brand celebrated its fifth anniversary and achieved the number one position in a Japanese honey-cosmetics sales-share survey. During this period, the product scope widened to include skin and body care. By 2025, ViCREA described &honey as a honey-based beauty brand rather than solely a shampoo manufacturer.1

2026: Eighth anniversary

On April 5, 2026, &honey marked its eighth anniversary. The brand is now positioned as a total-beauty label with hair care remaining its core. In July 2026, the first &honey lip creams were released, extending the honey and moisture concept into lip care.1

&honey operates as a family of sub-ranges, each tailored to specific hair concerns or desired finishes. Current ranges include Deep, Melty, Milky, Pixie, Color, and Fleur.2

&honey Deep

Deep represents the classic moisture-focused direction of the brand, emphasising deep hydration and retention for dry hair. The lineup includes Deep Moist Shampoo 1.0, Hair Pack 1.5, Hair Treatment 2.0, Hair Oil 3.0, and various styling products. The numerical naming convention forms part of the brand’s step-by-step care system.2

&honey Melty

Melty targets wavy, unruly, or dry hair lacking smoothness, balancing moisture with manageability. Products in this range include shampoo, treatment, hair oil, mask, scrub, and hair mist.4

&honey Creamy

Introduced in 2022, Creamy focuses on damage repair and intensive moisture using the 5D Repair concept for hair requiring restorative care.1

&honey Pixie

Pixie is formulated for dry, tangled, and fine hair, utilising a “cashmere silk” formula to enhance smoothness. The range comprises shampoo, hair pack, treatment, and hair oil.2

&honey Milky

Milky offers intensive repair with richer formulas within the moisture and repair family. Available products include shampoo, treatment, and hair oil.4

&honey Color

Color is designed specifically for colour-treated hair. The range includes Color Control Repair Shampoo, Treatment, and Hair Oil.4

&honey Fleur

Fleur emphasises fragrance and floral aesthetics while maintaining the brand’s moisturising philosophy. Variants include Fleur Mimosa and Fleur Kinmokusei.5

A defining characteristic of &honey is its numbered routine system: 1.0 → 1.5 → 2.0 → 3.0. A typical regimen proceeds from 1.0 Shampoo to 1.5 Hair Pack, followed by 2.0 Treatment and finishing with 3.0 Hair Oil. Each step performs a distinct function within a cohesive moisture-care ritual, distinguishing the experience from standard shampoo-and-conditioner routines.2

Fragrance is integral to the brand identity. Rather than using identical scents across all steps, &honey assigns complementary fragrances to each stage of the routine. For example, the Deep Moist line features Peony Honey for shampoo, Etoile Honey for hair pack, Lavender Honey for treatment, and Damask Rose Honey for hair oil. This progressive scent evolution enhances the sensory experience of the daily care ritual.2

&honey packaging is designed to evoke honey jars, combining soft colours, glossy textures, feminine styling, and botanical imagery. The liquid itself often resembles honey in appearance. This visual consistency reinforces the “honey beauty” concept across ingredients, colour, texture, bottle shape, fragrance, and marketing imagery.6

Historically, &honey has appealed to younger consumers interested in Japanese beauty culture, aesthetic packaging, fragrance, and structured hair-care routines. The brand combines functional benefits such as moisture and damage care with sensory and visual appeal. It occupies a middle ground between mass-market drugstore shampoos and premium salon brands, offering accessible premium positioning with strong social media and community recognition.2

In Japan, &honey gained prominence through drugstores, variety stores, and beauty retail channels. It received an @cosme Best Cosmetics Award in 2019 and achieved further accolades, including another @cosme No. 1 award in 2021. Between January 2019 and April 2025, the brand accumulated 59 awards according to company records.2

Internationally, &honey has expanded across Asian beauty markets. Retailers in Malaysia, for instance, carry extensive lineups including Deep Moist, Melty Moist Repair, Creamy EX Damage Repair, Color Control Repair, Fleur, Milky, hair oils, masks, mists, cleansing products, and body washes.4 This international availability demonstrates the brand’s evolution from a domestic shampoo label to a broader beauty portfolio.

While &honey uses terminology such as “organic,” “natural,” and “botanical,” not all ingredients are certified organic. The original formulation included 100% organically certified Moroccan argan oil and excluded sulfates, parabens, synthetic colourants, and mineral oil. However, modern formulations vary by product. Consequently, “organic” refers to the brand’s formulation philosophy and positioning rather than a universal certification for every item.1

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5. &honey – Isetan Kuala Lumpur
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