SANA is closely associated with Tokiwa Pharmaceutical Industries, a Japanese company whose business extends beyond pharmaceuticals into cosmetics and personal care [2]. Consequently, SANA is best understood as a large Japanese cosmetics portfolio or brand family rather than a standalone independent cosmetics company [2].

The company develops individual brands around particular consumer needs, which is a characteristic feature of the SANA business model. Instead of placing every product under one uniform SANA identity, it creates specialized sub-brands with distinct concepts, target consumers, and product philosophies [2]. Examples include:

• Nameraka Honpo: Focuses on soybean and isoflavone-based skincare.
• Pore Putty: Specializes in pore-focused base makeup.
• SANA New Born: Concentrates heavily on eyebrow makeup.
• Suhada Kinenbi: Combines skincare concepts with natural-looking makeup.
• excel: Encompasses color cosmetics and makeup.
• Maikohan: Draws inspiration from the traditional Japanese maiko aesthetic [2].

A defining characteristic of SANA is its emphasis on solving concrete beauty problems through functional products. Rather than positioning beauty purely around luxury or prestige, many SANA brands originate from everyday consumer concerns, such as covering pores, creating natural-looking eyebrows, achieving a polished look without heavy makeup, or integrating skincare with cosmetics. This problem-solving approach appears repeatedly throughout the portfolio.

For instance, Pore Putty is explicitly built around pore and skin texture concerns, promoting long-lasting, lightweight coverage that hides visible skin issues while maintaining a natural finish [1]. Meanwhile, Suhada Kinenbi is positioned around combining skincare and makeup, allowing consumers to enhance their appearance while retaining a “bare-skin” impression [1].

Nameraka Honpo

Nameraka Honpo is one of SANA’s most recognizable skincare brands. Its identity is strongly associated with soybean-derived ingredients and isoflavones, with products designed around moisturizing and skin-conditioning concepts [2]. The corporate site describes the line as “Soymilk Isoflavone combined” [2]. The line has expanded into multiple skincare functions beyond a single moisturizer range.

As of 2026, SANA continues to develop the brand. In August 2026, its moisturizing line received a new formulation designed for a more hydrated, smooth skin feel, while additional products such as an overnight treatment pack were introduced earlier in the year [1].

Pore Putty

Pore Putty is SANA’s pore-focused makeup brand. The name evokes a “pore putty craftsman,” reflecting the brand’s specialization in making pores and uneven skin texture less visible through makeup. Its product range includes BB creams, BB powders, primers, face powders, and other pore-focused complexion products. The brand describes its technology as being based on research into pores and makeup breakdown, emphasizing coverage that remains light and comfortable [1].

SANA states that the Pore Putty line has achieved particularly strong cumulative sales among self-selected pore-focused base-makeup brands, citing 2023 research by TPC Marketing Research [1].

SANA New Born

SANA New Born is primarily an eyebrow-focused makeup brand. Its concept centers on finding the user’s personal “correct” eyebrow—the shape, texture, and color that looks natural and stays attractive throughout the day. The brand currently reports cumulative sales of more than 33 million units across the line [1].

Products include 3-in-1 eyebrow products, eyebrow mascaras, liquid eyebrow products, fine-line eyebrow products, and fiber-containing brow mascaras. The brand has particularly emphasized extremely fine lines, including a 0.01 mm liquid eyebrow line, as well as long-lasting wear [1].

excel

excel is another major SANA cosmetics brand, particularly associated with color cosmetics and contemporary Japanese makeup. It is designed around combining attractive textures, colors, and practical makeup performance. Tokiwa categorizes excel within SANA’s makeup portfolio [2].

Maikohan

Maikohan takes inspiration from the traditional Japanese maiko aesthetic. The concept gives the brand a distinctly Japanese identity compared with more conventional contemporary cosmetics. Tokiwa describes it as a makeup brand incorporating the techniques and spirit associated with maiko [2].

Suhada Kinenbi

Suhada Kinenbi focuses on the intersection between skincare and makeup. Its central idea is that consumers may want to look better without feeling as though they are wearing heavy makeup. The brand promotes products that make the skin appear naturally attractive while providing skincare-oriented benefits [1]. Its range includes skincare powders, medicated skincare powders, concealers, and tone-up products [1].

ZuboLabo

ZuboLabo represents another aspect of SANA’s approach. The brand was designed for consumers who want beauty routines to be extremely convenient and low-effort. Its messaging humorously targets people who may be “lazy” about skincare but still want to look good [1]. Products included cleansing and skincare sheets intended to simplify morning and nighttime routines. This illustrates an important characteristic of SANA: the company frequently builds products around specific lifestyle behaviors rather than simply conventional cosmetic categories.

SANA’s portfolio can broadly be divided into three areas.

Skincare

SANA skincare includes facial cleansers, toners, emulsions, creams, masks, treatments, anti-aging-oriented products, pore-care products, and body-care products. Nameraka Honpo is one of its flagship skincare franchises [2].

Makeup

Makeup is an especially important part of the SANA portfolio. Products include foundations, BB creams, face powders, primers, concealers, eyebrow products, eyeliners, mascaras, and other color cosmetics. Pore Putty and SANA New Born illustrate two different approaches within this category: complexion correction and eyebrow specialization [1].

Body care

SANA also offers products aimed at total body care, including specialized body-care lines. Tokiwa’s corporate description explicitly places SANA’s activities into a Body Care category alongside Skin Care and Make Up [2].

A portfolio rather than a single beauty identity

SANA is fundamentally a house of specialized beauty brands. Consumers may recognize Nameraka Honpo or excel without immediately realizing that both belong to the broader SANA portfolio.

Functional beauty

SANA products tend to emphasize a specific function—such as pore coverage, eyebrow definition, hydration, convenient skincare, or natural-looking makeup—rather than relying exclusively on luxury branding.

Japanese consumer insight

Many SANA concepts are built around specific Japanese beauty habits and concerns. Maikohan explicitly draws from traditional Japanese beauty culture, while other lines respond to contemporary concerns such as pores, natural eyebrows, and minimal-makeup looks [2].

Accessible beauty

Compared with prestige Japanese cosmetics houses, SANA is strongly associated with the mass-market and accessible beauty segment. Its products are designed to provide specialized functions without requiring a luxury-beauty positioning.

Constant product development

The portfolio continues to receive new products and reformulations. For example, SANA announced multiple launches and updates during 2026, including new Nameraka Honpo formulations, new SANA New Born eyebrow colors, a Suhada Kinenbi tone-up cream, and new Pore Putty products [1].

SANA occupies a unique position in Japan’s cosmetics industry. It is not solely a skincare company, as makeup is a major component of the portfolio. Conversely, it is not solely a makeup company, because skincare franchises such as Nameraka Honpo are fundamental to its identity. Furthermore, it is not one homogeneous cosmetic brand, as the company deliberately operates numerous brands targeting different consumer needs.

The structure can be visualized as follows:

• Tokiwa Pharmaceutical Industries
• SANA
• Specialized beauty brands:
• Nameraka Honpo
• Pore Putty
• SANA New Born
• excel
• Maikohan
• Suhada Kinenbi
• Estheny
• Other lines

As of September 2026, SANA remains an active Japanese cosmetics portfolio with ongoing product launches and reformulations. Recent activity includes updates to Nameraka Honpo, new SANA New Born eyebrow products, new Suhada Kinenbi products, Pore Putty releases, and developments from other SANA brands [1]. Its official Japanese site presents SANA as the umbrella for brands including Nameraka Honpo, Pore Putty, excel, and Maikohan [1].

1. なめらか本舗・毛穴パテ職人などの化粧品ブランドSANA（サナ）｜常盤薬品工業
2. SANA｜TOKIWA Pharmaceutical Co.,Ltd