Kao’s Newest Brand, Re/cover, Offers the Pimple Patch of Eczema Care — Without Adhesives
As part of a larger effort to strengthen its presence in the therapeutic skin care space, Kao is rolling out its first eczema care brand: Re/cover.
Launching Nov. 1 direct-to-consumer, the brand’s two-step treatment system features a colloidal oatmeal-infused Calming Eczema Serum and an ultra-thin Moisture Patch, which claims to become invisible on any skin tone within 10 minutes of application.
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“We understand that there are multiple products right now that address and can provide solutions for eczema-prone skin — we’re hoping that we are able to disrupt the category with this innovation,” said Carla Ferrario, director of marketing, therapeutics at Kao U.S.
Re/cover’s eczema serum taps secondary ingredients horse chestnut seed extract and allantoin for their believed anti-inflammatory properties, while the patch — developed using Kao’s patented fine fiber technology — was designed to disappear over time.
“We call it a patch because consumers understand how a patch works and what a patch is, but this is like a membrane — the fine polymer is thinner than a strand of hair; it’s like second skin,” said Ferrario, adding that the patch harnesses a clinging technology that nixes the use of potentially irritant adhesives. “Consumers will feel an immediate relief upon application, and then within three to four days, significant improvement.”
The dermatologist-tested set retails for $39.99 for a seven-day regimen, which includes the serum and 14 patches — one for daytime use and one for nighttime use each day.
“We thought it was important from a compliance perspective that the product works within a week — it’s shorter than a prescription, and if you extend the period of time that consumers need to use the product, then you lose compliance,” Ferrario said.
The anti-inflammatory skin care space has seen a surge of innovation lately, with brands like SkinFix, Ouai, Murad and Nécessaire introducing recent launches to address concerns like keratosis pilaris, eczema and seborrheic dermatitis.
According to data from Mordor Intelligence, the global eczema market is worth an estimated $9.39 billion this year, and is on track to exceed $13 billion by 2028.
“Eczema is an issue for so many consumers, but the dermatologist route can be expensive; prescription steroids, we know, are not always suitable for long-term use, and then there are over-the-counter items you can buy in the mass channel as well, but those have limitations as well — they tend to be greasy, they don’t smell great or act as fast — that all affects compliance,” Ferrario said.
Though Ferrario did not specify sales expectations for the launch, industry sources think Re/cover could do upward of $5 million in sales during its first year on the market. Because the brand has the added challenge of “stimulating new consumer behavior” with its two-step M.O., though, one source said Kao will likely need to go big on driving awareness to get Re/cover off the ground.
It’s a possibility Kao appears to be ready for.
“We have an aggressive PR plan, an aggressive social plan — we’re looking at partnering with somebody to develop an app for education, but that’s kind of longer-term,” said Ferrario, noting Re/cover is focused on eczema for now, but “there are discussions that would take us beyond eczema several years down the line.”
In terms of distribution, the goal is to bring Re/cover to Amazon within 12 to 18 months of the brand’s debut.
“Launching direct-to-consumer first, for Kao, is not the norm — what we were trying to do here is launch as quickly as possible with a pilot launch, then move to Amazon when we’re ready,” said Ferrario, who did not specify how significant of a driver Amazon is for Kao’s business, though she said each brand within the company’s portfolio is sold on the e-tailer.
Kao ranked number 12 on on Beauty Inc’s list of the top 100 beauty manufacturers of 2022, posting $4.33 billion in sales for the year, a 4.6 percent revenue increase versus the year prior. In August, the company acquired Australian sun care brand Bondi Sands for an undisclosed sum.
“Our strategy right now is to win in skin,” Ferrario said.
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