Kao's "THE ANSWER" Launches a New Spring/Summer Line: The Ingredients and Design of "Seasonal Care SS," Built to Tackle Frizz and Puffiness in High Humidity
かずのすけ
Translated from 日本語
Kao's hair care brand "THE ANSWER," developed by drawing on the company's 100 years of hair care research, has launched a new series, "Seasonal Care SS," aimed specifically at the hair concerns that come with spring and summer weather. The original THE ANSWER won fans with formulas finely tuned to the statistically "average hair type," but how does the brand address hair that becomes harder to manage as the seasons change? Kazunosuke, who analyzes cosmetics from a cosmetic chemistry perspective, explained the mechanisms of hair science along with the ingredient design and feel of the shampoo and treatment.
Seasonal Changes in Hair and the Challenges of Spring and Summer
The original THE ANSWER was developed for the average hair type, which accounts for the majority in Kao's research. It has been well received, winning numerous awards including Best Cosmetics awards. At the same time, hair type and scalp condition vary greatly from person to person and are also strongly affected by seasonal changes in the environment.
According to a survey conducted by Kao, more than 75% of respondents said the condition of their hair and their hair concerns change with the seasons, and about 82.7% of those felt that "humidity has a negative effect on their hair." Against this backdrop, Kao developed "Seasonal Care SS" with a focus on the climate changes of spring (Spring) and summer (Summer).
In the high-humidity conditions of spring and summer, hair is prone to waviness, puffiness, and oiliness. According to Kao's experimental data, when flat-ironed frizzy hair was left for 30 minutes under different humidity conditions, the level of change in hair shape rose sharply once humidity exceeded 80%.
"Hydrogen bonds" inside the hair play a major role in this phenomenon. Hydrogen bonds within the hair remain stably connected when dry but break when they absorb water. Styling with a flat iron or blow dryer works by rearranging these bonds, but when outdoor humidity rises, as during the rainy season or summer, excess moisture from outside penetrates the hair and breaks the hydrogen bonds, softening the hair and causing waviness and puffiness.
[Shampoo] An Inherited Core Formula and "Lamellar Platform Technology"
The main cleansing agents in "THE ANSWER Seasonal Care SS Super Lamellar Shampoo" are Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate and Sodium Lauroyl Methylaminopropionate. The former is a taurate-based cleanser that is mild yet leaves hair feeling fresh and clean, while the latter is an amino acid-based cleanser known for its fine lather and mildness. These are combined with the nonionic surfactant Glyceryl Caprate, amphoteric surfactants that refine lather and texture (Lauramidopropyl Betaine and Sodium Cocoamphoacetate), and Laureth-11 Carboxylic Acid, a carboxylic acid-based cleanser unique to Kao, resulting in a well-balanced formula suited to a wide range of hair and scalp types. It also contains a silk-based PPT surfactant (Sodium Lauroyl Hydrolyzed Silk) that can be expected to repair mild damage.
For hair repair ingredients, the formula covers all of the "5 Essential Ingredients for Beautiful Hair" that Kao identified through 100 years of research.
- Hydrolyzed keratin (wool): repairs the proteins that make up hair
- Ceramide α (Bis-Methoxypropylamido Isodocosane): repairs the cuticle's lipid layer
- Lanolin acid: an 18-MEA-like lipid that keeps hair soft and smooth
- Fatty acid glyceride α (olive fruit oil): a lipid ingredient that adds flexibility
- Malic acid: an organic acid that keeps the hair's interior weakly acidic and helps prevent hollowing
What makes it possible to stably incorporate these lipid ingredients into a shampoo at high concentrations is Kao's proprietary "Lamellar Platform Technology." The micelle structure used in typical shampoos has difficulty holding large amounts of oil-based ingredients and has also been a factor in the loss of the hair's natural lipids during washing. In contrast, Lamellar Platform Technology forms a lamellar structure in the shampoo, with water and oil phases stacked alternately like a mille-feuille, allowing roughly 12 times more lipids than the company's previous products. Thanks to this structure, the shampoo itself has a translucent, serum-like appearance.
The "Mannitol" Approach to Restricting the Movement of Free Water
The defining feature of Seasonal Care SS is the newly added "mannitol," a type of sugar alcohol, to combat spring and summer humidity. Mannitol is known as a naturally derived moisturizing ingredient found in kelp and dried persimmons, but in Kao's research it was selected as "an ingredient that restricts the mobility of water molecules inside the hair under high humidity."
Water inside hair exists in two states: "bound water," which is attached to structures such as proteins and lipids, and "free water," which is not bound to anything and can move around freely. The water involved in hydrogen bonds is in the bound state, and because its mobility is low, it is less directly linked to waviness and puffiness. On the other hand, when excess moisture that has entered from outside moves around inside the hair as free water, it breaks hydrogen bonds and triggers waviness.
Because mannitol binds strongly to water molecules, it captures the moisture that enters the hair due to humidity and forces it into a state similar to "bound water." Kazunosuke suggests that the aim is to reduce the water's mobility and thereby suppress changes in hair shape even under high humidity.
The shampoo also contains Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine (Pellicer), known as an ingredient for treating hair distortion, as well as hydrolyzed conchiolin, hydrolyzed collagen, human-type ceramide (Ceramide NG), jojoba seed oil, γ-docosalactone, which repairs hair in response to heat, various amino acids, NMF components, niacinamide, and more. It is free of silicones, sulfates, parabens, and synthetic colorants.
[Treatment] A Spring/Summer Formula with High Concentrations of Three Essential Ingredients
"THE ANSWER Seasonal Care SS EX Treatment" is based on stearyl alcohol, dimethicone, cetanol, and DPG, and uses Stearoxypropyl Dimethylamine, a tertiary amine salt, as its main cationic surfactant. Quaternary ammonium salts (such as Dialkyl (C12-18) Dimonium Chloride), which are widely used in typical treatments, are included only in trace amounts to fine-tune the feel, a design that takes into account irritation for sensitive skin.
The previous standard EX Treatments each boosted "two" of the 5 Essential Ingredients for Beautiful Hair according to damage type (color, everyday, heat). In this new Seasonal Care SS, however,
- Ceramide α
- Fatty acid glyceride α
- Malic acid
are included at high concentrations, for a total of "three."
Research has shown that acidic ingredients such as malic acid act to relieve the stress that strengthens the hair's natural curl. In addition, replenishing lipid ingredients such as ceramide α and fatty acid glyceride α increases the hair's water repellency, a design intended to make it less likely to absorb outside moisture. As with the shampoo, it also contains mannitol, Pellicer, various amino acids, γ-docosalactone, and more, making for a formula specialized in combating spring and summer waviness and puffiness.
Feel and Effective Use as Seen in the Demonstration
In a test using 100% human hair extensions, effective ways to use the products, tailored to their characteristics, were demonstrated.
The shampoo has a cloudy, viscous texture characteristic of its lamellar structure. Because it contains a large amount of lipid ingredients, "apply-and-wash" is recommended: after a thorough pre-rinse, work it through all of the hair like a treatment before lathering. Once it has been spread throughout the hair, lathering produces a rich, springy foam. The fragrance is "Jasmine & Mandarin Orange," and taking into account comments about the strong scent of previous products, it has been toned down slightly this time.
The treatment has a somewhat firm texture. Because tertiary amine salts, the main ingredient, tend to adsorb onto and penetrate hair more gently than quaternary ammonium salts, leaving it on for a little while after application gives hair a soft, untangled feel.
After rinsing and blow-drying with warm and then cool air, the hair bundle showed less puffiness than in its original frizzy state, with a smooth, cohesive finish.
Lineup and Availability
"THE ANSWER Seasonal Care SS" has been rolling out in stores since April 4.
- Shampoo (400ml): ¥1,870 (suggested retail price, tax included)
- Treatment (220g): ¥1,870 (suggested retail price, tax included)
- Shampoo and treatment set: ¥3,630 (tax included)
- Shampoo refill: ¥1,430 (tax included)
- Single-use trial pouch: ¥154 (tax included)
The price is slightly higher than the standard version (¥1,760), but given the increased repair ingredients, it can be considered reasonable.
It is sold only at select AEON, Tsuruha, Welcia, LOFT, and Hands stores, the Kao official online store, and various e-commerce sites, and there are no plans to expand to other sales channels during 2026. Note also that the format varies by retailer; for example, individual items are sold only on e-commerce sites and at LOFT and Hands.
In addition to the "SS" lettering on the packaging, the video also mentioned a design element reminiscent of "AW (Autumn/Winter)," closing with a hint at future seasonal releases.
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