Japanese hair care has a habit of doing quietly what other shampoos promise loudly, and THE ANSWER is Kao’s most technical take on it yet. The bottle looks like a lab sample for a reason: the formula is built in lamellar layers — the same structure as the lipid layers inside healthy hair — so the repair ingredients travel into the fibre while you wash instead of rinsing straight down the drain.
Why you will love this shampoo
It lathers softly rather than squeakily. There are no sulfates and no silicones in it, so nothing strips the scalp and nothing coats the hair to fake smoothness. What you feel afterwards is the hair itself: denser at the root, calmer at the ends, and a shine that is still there on the second and third wash.
- Sulfate-free and silicone-free, so colour and keratin treatments last longer
- Hydrolysed keratin replaces the protein hair loses to heat and bleach
- Ceramide α and ceramide NG rebuild the lipid layer that keeps moisture in
- Malic acid smooths the cuticle so light reflects evenly instead of scattering
- Eleven amino acids plus hyaluronic acid, squalane and jojoba oil for softness without weight
- A pump bottle, so you use what you need and no more
- Made in Japan by Kao
What it does
Damaged hair loses two things: protein from the cortex and lipids from the cuticle. Most repair shampoos replace one or the other. The lamellar structure here carries both at once — keratin for the inside, ceramide and fatty acids for the outside — and the acids in the formula close the cuticle behind them. Hair that used to tangle in the towel starts combing out in one pass.
The scent
Bergamot over daphne: bright citrus at the start, a soft white floral underneath, and it settles within the hour rather than fighting whatever perfume you are wearing.
Who it is for
Dry, coloured, bleached or heat-styled hair that needs rebuilding rather than coating. It also suits anyone moving away from silicone shampoos, and scalps that find sulfates too harsh.
How to use it
- Wet hair thoroughly with warm water
- Work one to two pumps into a lather in your palms first
- Massage the scalp with your fingertips for about a minute
- Let the lather run down the lengths, then rinse well
- Follow with a treatment or conditioner on the mid-lengths and ends
Key details
- Brand: THE ANSWER by Kao, Japan
- Type: repair shampoo for daily use
- Free from: sulfates and silicones
- Key actives: hydrolysed keratin, ceramide α, ceramide NG, malic acid, lanolin acid, olive oil fatty acid glyceride
- Also inside: hyaluronic acid, squalane, jojoba seed oil, niacinamide, vitamin E, silk protein
- Scent: bergamot and daphne
- Format: pump bottle
Pre-order
This one is a pre-order. We bring it in directly from Japan, so it arrives 3 to 4 weeks from the day you order — not in two days. Reserve yours now and we will keep you updated on WhatsApp.
Size
400 ml.
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