Did you know our company has an over 100 year history?
HOMEI Weekly Gel was born in Japan 6 years ago (in 2016), but our parent company KITAO Cosmetics was established over a century ago, in 1919. Today we would like to share with you the story of our company with a history of 100 years.
KITAO Cosmetics is not only a nail product manufacturer but also a manufacturer of all kinds of cosmetics products such as skincare, makeup, and body care. KITAO has also been contributing to the Japanese cosmetics industry by producing products through OEM and ODM for many other brands and companies.
Back in 1919, there was rapid industrial growth in Japan and the pollution from the new plants caused skin and health problems (We know now that is free radical damage!). Cosmetic maker Nakayama Taiyodo saw there was a need to protect and pamper the skin and he worked with chemist Kunishiro Kawabata who is the grandfather of our current CEO. Together, they created a nourishing beauty cream and Kitao Skincare was born!
Kitao made a big effort to establish trustworthiness with leading stores in each region, and these strong relationships coupled with a quality product grew the company quickly.
But World War II ravaged many businesses, and Kitao was not an exception. Kitao needed to start from scratch after losing everything, including overseas factories. So our founder Kunishiro built the new brand "Robin" under the Kitao Cosmetics name.
Not only was Robin a trendy, fashion-forward brand, but KITAO then started making products for other companies through OEM to help other companies grow by using our experience and capabilities.Â
Stay tuned next week, you will know how Weekly Gel was born!