Japan's honey jar on every bathroom shelf

If you have ever walked through a Japanese drugstore, you know the bottles: amber, shaped like a honey jar, lined up in a row that seems to grow every year. That is &honey, one of the best-selling hair care brands in Japan. It is also one of the most confusing to shop, because there are now seven different lines.

&honey is made by ViCREA and built around what the brand calls water-retention organic beauty. The formulas focus on hair that holds around 14% water, and more than 90% of each formula (excluding the base) consists of moisturising and protective ingredients. Honey is the star. It is a natural humectant, which means it draws in water and helps keep it inside the hair.

Every product also carries a step number. 1.0 is the shampoo, 2.0 the treatment, 3.0 the hair oil and 4.0 the styling stick. The idea is that you use them in that order. You can mix steps from different lines: a Deep Moist shampoo with a Melty oil works perfectly well.

Seven lines, seven hair needs

Each line has its own finish, its own focus and its own honey scent. From richest to lightest:

Damage care

Milky Precious EX Repair

Very moist

The richest line, previously called Creamy EX Damage Repair. Made for thick, very dry or heavily damaged hair that tends to puff up. Sweet honey scent.

Shampoo · Treatment · Hair Milk · Hair Oil

Dryness care

Deep Moist

Moist

The original, and the bottle most people picture. Targets dry, rough and dull lengths with a blend of Manuka, acacia and raw honey, plus royal jelly, argan oil, hyaluronic acid and keratin. Peony honey scent.

Shampoo 1.0 · Treatment 2.0 · Hair Oil 3.0 · Body Wash

Frizz and wave care

Melty Moist Repair

Smooth and glossy

Honey, propolis and Damask rose water, with keratin and arginine for damaged hair. It also contains a heat-activated ingredient that bonds to the hair under your hair dryer and calms waves. Rose honey scent.

Shampoo 1.0 · Treatment 2.0 · Repair Oil · Rich Oil · Rose Body Wash

Tangle care

Pixie Moist Silky

Light and silky

The lightest line, made for fine hair that tangles easily. It replaced the Silky line, which was discontinued at the end of 2024. Cashmere-derived keratin gives a smooth finish without weighing hair down.

Scent care

Fleur

Light and airy

The scent line. Osmanthus (kinmokusei) and mimosa honey, with a fragrance that according to the brand lasts 140% longer than the rest of the range. For hair that should smell good all day.

Kinmokusei & Mimosa Hair Oil

Colour care

Color Control Repair

Light and glossy

Made for colour-treated hair. It contains less of the strongest cleansing agents than the other lines, so your colour fades more slowly.

All-round repair

Professional System Repair

Smooth and light

The newest line, launched in April 2026 and built differently from the ground up. Gentler amino acid-based cleansing, salon-style repair ingredients such as levulinic acid, and heat-activated care. The most complete damage repair in the range.

Sulfate-free is not the same as mild

All &honey shampoos are sulfate-free, but that does not automatically make them gentle. Most of the regular lines use olefin sulfonate, a fairly strong cleansing agent, and rely on the treatment to bring back softness. That is why the 2.0 treatment matters so much in this system. Skipping it is where most disappointing experiences come from.

Which &honey suits your hair?

Very dry, thick or damaged hair: Milky Precious EX Repair.

Dry, rough or dull hair: Deep Moist.

Wavy hair or frizz: Melty Moist Repair.

Fine hair that tangles: Pixie Moist Silky.

Hair that should smell good all day: Fleur.

Colour-treated hair: Color Control Repair.

Damage from every angle (heat, colour, styling): Professional System Repair.

Not sure what your hair needs? Your hair's porosity says a lot about how it handles moisture. Read more in Hair Porosity Explained.

The &honey routine, step by step

1. 1.0 ShampooMassage into wet hair and scalp, then rinse thoroughly.
2. 2.0 TreatmentApply to the lengths and ends, leave for one to two minutes, then rinse. Do not skip this step.
3. 3.0 Hair oilWork a small amount into towel-dried ends before blow-drying. The heat helps the care ingredients do their job.
4. 4.0 Matomake StickSmooth the Matomake Stick 4.0 over flyaways and baby hairs for a sleek finish.