Origins

Ellips originated from the personal care business that eventually became PT Kino Indonesia Tbk. The corporate history of Kino traces back to the expansion of its personal care operations in the late 1990s. PT Kinocare Era Kosmetindo was established in 1999 to develop personal care products, including Ellips hair vitamin, Resik-V, and Eskulin, following the Ovale brand. The company later renamed itself PT Kino Indonesia.

The Ellips brand was introduced in 2005, establishing its identity around hair vitamins. Kino describes it as the first hair vitamin brand in Indonesia.[1]

Soft-capsule innovation

A defining innovation of Ellips was the packaging of hair treatment oil in small soft capsules. Unlike conventional bottles or jars, this format provided a pre-measured dose that could be opened and applied directly to the hair. Kino states that the development process for this innovation took approximately 3.5 years and identifies Ellips as the first hair vitamin in Indonesia to utilize the soft-capsule format. This innovation proved influential, leading competitors to adopt similar packaging.[2]

The format became central to the brand’s identity, associating Ellips with colorful capsules that offer quick and convenient hair treatment.

While originally famous for hair vitamins, Ellips has expanded into multiple product categories. Kino currently lists five major ranges:[3]

1. Hair Vitamin
2. Hair Mist
3. Hair Mask
4. Leave-on Conditioner
5. Dry Shampoo

Hair Vitamin

Hair Vitamin remains the core of the Ellips brand. These products are designed to provide nourishment and protection to the hair shaft, specifically addressing stress from sunlight, heat styling, pollution, and coloring. Formulations vary by variant but include ingredients such as Moroccan Oil, Pro Keratin Complex, Milk Protein, and Wheat Protein. The range also emphasizes UV and heat protection.[4]

Moroccan Series

The Moroccan Series centers on Moroccan Oil and focuses on nourishing, smoothing, and protecting hair. It is described as helping maintain hair condition while providing softness, manageability, and shine.[5] In 2024, this line was featured in the #RambutTetapMuda campaign, which emphasized that hair requires ongoing care against damage from styling and environmental factors.

Pro Keratin Series

The Pro Keratin Series targets damaged or stressed hair using a Pro Keratin Complex. This technology includes components such as pro-vitamin B5, keratin, and a multivitamin complex.[4]

Ultra Light

In June 2026, Ellips expanded its portfolio with Ellips Hair Vitamin Ultra Light. Developed specifically for fine hair, this product provides nourishment without making hair feel heavy or greasy. It features an ultra-light formula designed for active consumers who wish to maintain hair volume.[5]

Hair Mist

Ellips Hair Mist extends the brand beyond intensive oil-based treatments into lighter, everyday products, aligning with the brand’s emphasis on convenient daily routines.[3]

Hair Mask

Ellips Hair Mask offers a more intensive conditioning format compared to daily products, allowing the brand to compete in the broader hair treatment market.

Leave-on Conditioner

This category expands the offering into everyday conditioning. Unlike rinse-out conditioners, leave-on products remain on the hair, fitting the brand’s positioning of convenient, low-effort care.

Dry Shampoo

Ellips entered the dry shampoo category as part of its portfolio expansion. This product provides quick hair refreshment and convenience, complementing the brand’s nourishment-focused offerings.[3]

Ellips positions itself as encouraging women to be confident and courageous in determining their preferences, with products addressing diverse hair needs.[6] Communication typically links hair care to appearance, confidence, and an active lifestyle. Rather than framing hair treatment solely as a cosmetic luxury, the brand presents it as a practical aspect of everyday self-care for women who work, socialize, travel, and style their hair.

Historically, Ellips has maintained a strong association with young women and female consumers interested in beauty and practical personal care. In the Philippines, historical company documents describe Ellips Hair Vitamin as targeting younger consumers, with marketing conducted through social media, television, print, and in-store channels.[7]

The products are suited to consumers who:

• Use heat styling tools such as straighteners, curling irons, or hair dryers
• Color or chemically treat their hair
• Experience dry, rough, or damaged hair
• Seek smoother and shinier hair
• Prefer quick, portable, and individually portioned treatments
• Are concerned about heat and UV exposure

Ellips is highly recognizable due to its visual product format. The traditional hair vitamin capsule is small, brightly colored, individually portioned, and easy to carry. This distinctiveness differentiates it from conventional shampoo, conditioner, or hair oil brands. The capsule itself functions as a brand asset, with many consumers identifying the colorful capsules directly as “hair vitamins.”

Ellips utilizes a mix of traditional beauty advertising and digital marketing, with campaigns increasingly focusing on confidence, self-expression, and women’s lifestyles.

#RambutTetapMuda

In 2024, Ellips launched the #RambutTetapMuda campaign centered on Moroccan Oil. The campaign highlighted common sources of hair damage, including heat styling, sunlight, and coloring, connecting healthier-looking hair with confidence and self-care.[3]

Digital marketing

The brand has invested significantly in digital campaigns, reflecting a shift toward social and digital beauty culture.[7]

Ellips has historically held a dominant position in the Indonesian hair vitamin category. Nielsen data cited by Kino indicated a 77% share of the hair vitamin category in 2016, though this is a historical figure. The brand has also received repeated Top Brand Award recognition in the hair vitamin category, including awards in 2015 and 2019.[8][9]

Ellips is distributed internationally, with a notable presence in the Philippines. Historical documents indicate that Ellips Cologne was among the first Kino brands launched in the Philippine market, followed by Ellips Hair Vitamin. The company utilized retail, social media, television, and other channels to market the brand in the country.[7]

Kino currently positions Ellips as the “No. 1 Hair Vitamin in Asia,” although this is a marketing claim rather than an independently verified ranking.[10]

Ellips is a key brand within the portfolio of PT Kino Indonesia Tbk, an FMCG company with products spanning food, beverages, personal care, baby care, household products, pharmaceuticals, and pet food. The company distributes more than 30 brands across multiple countries. Ellips represents Kino’s beauty and personal care portfolio alongside brands such as Ovale, Resik-V, and Eskulin.

Innovation is central to the history of Ellips. Its primary early innovation was the soft-capsule delivery format, which made hair treatment portable, pre-measured, and visually distinctive.[2] The brand has since expanded into new formats and specialized concerns, including Moroccan Oil, Pro Keratin, UV protection, dry shampoo, and serums.

In December 2025, Ellips introduced Ellips Hair Serum Ultra Treatment, a lightweight daily product designed to protect hair and enhance natural shine.[6] The subsequent 2026 launch of Ultra Light demonstrated further segmentation by targeting consumers with fine hair.[5]

Several factors contribute to the success of Ellips:

• Recognizable format: The soft capsule provides immediate distinctiveness and convenience.[2]
• Simple proposition: The “hair vitamin” concept is easily understood as an additional treatment rather than a complex regimen.
• Affordable self-care: Individual portions allow treatment to be incorporated into ordinary routines rather than reserved for salon visits.
• Adaptation to local needs: Formulations and marketing address relevant concerns such as intense sunlight, heat, humidity, and styling habits.
• Product expansion: The brand has moved beyond capsules to include masks, mists, conditioners, dry shampoos, and serums.
• Long-term recognition: Operating since 2005, Ellips has established significant familiarity in the hair care market.

As of 2026, Ellips has evolved from a single hair vitamin concept into a broader hair care portfolio. While its identity remains rooted in hair vitamins, the brand now covers multiple stages of care, including nourishment, protection, conditioning, masking, refreshing, and serum treatment. Recent product launches indicate a move toward specialized consumer needs, such as the 2026 Ultra Light variant for fine hair.[5]

1. Ellips, pionir vitamin rambut di Indonesia
2. Manfaat Vitamin Rambut Ellips Berdasarkan Varian Produk dan Warnanya
3. Kino
4. Kino
5. Ellips Perkenalkan Hair Vitamin Ultra Light, Nutrisi Maksimal Tanpa Rasa Lepek untuk Rambut Helai Tipis dan Perempuan Aktif
6. Ellips Perkenalkan Ellips Hair Serum Ultra Treatment
7. Female Daily Editorial – Kino Indonesia Memenangkan ‘Consumer Good of the Year’ di FMCG Asia Award 2023 untuk Ellips yang Selalu Menghadirkan Perawatan Rambut Inovatif!
8. Ellips | About Ellips
9. Ellips | Watsons Indonesia Online
10. #ellipskenewyork #proudtoshinewithellips #kinoindonesia #innovatetoday #ellipshairvitamin | PT Kino Indonesia Tbk | 10 comments