- Business
- Milbon Co., Ltd. manufactures and sells professional hair cosmetics exclusively to salons in Japan and internationally. The company offers hair care products including shampoos, conditioners, hair treatments, hair tonics, hair creams, liquid and foam hairstyling products, setting lotions and hair sprays; hair coloring products such as oxidative and acid hair dyes, hair bleaches; permanent wave products comprising thioglycolic acid-based and cysteine-based lotions and anti-frizz straightening lotions; and cosmetics including skincare and makeup items; as well as hair care tools such as rods, rollers and flat irons. Products are marketed under brands including Milbon, Aujua, Global Milbon, Elujuda, Ordeve, Villa Lodola, Sophistone and Imprea. Founded in 1960 as Yutaka Beauty Chemicals Co., Ltd. and renamed Milbon in 1965, the company is headquartered in Tokyo and operates through subsidiaries in the United States, South Korea, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Europe and an affiliate with Kose Milbon Cosmetics. Milbon conducts research and development at five facilities including Central Research Institute in Osaka and regional institutes in North America, Thailand and China, with production at three factories in Japan, Thailand and China; it serves over 30,000 salons in Japan and expanding international markets primarily in Asia, North America and Europe, where overseas sales account for about 25% of revenue.
In recent developments, Milbon launched the OW BYE TORI hair-styling brand in October 2025, exceeding its annual sales target of ¥120 million with ¥190 million in gross sales by October 31; introduced Aujua Altiell aging hair care series in February 2025 and Elujuda Extra Repair in April 2025, alongside Imprea Balance Tuner and new shades for IM Brow & Lash Color Mascara; expanded hair coloring lines with Ordeve Crystal High Bright and Villa Lodola Color Clear Veil in mid-2025. The company completed a ¥2 billion share repurchase of 811,700 shares from August to October 2025 to enhance capital efficiency; initiated joint delivery operations in August 2025 with ROHTO and Haleon Japan to improve efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions; surpassed one million registered users on its milbon:iD e-commerce platform in October 2025, boosting take-home product sales. Overseas, sales grew strongly in local currencies led by the United States and South Korea amid yen appreciation, with new hair coloring items launched in the U.S. in July 2025; domestically, hair care sales rose 5.2% year-over-year through Q3 FY2025 while cosmetics returned to growth via new launches, though overall operating income declined due to inventory valuation losses and higher SG&A expenses, prompting a downward revision of FY2025 earnings targets to ¥52.3 billion in net sales and ¥5.3 billion in operating income.