A New Concept of 'Aiming for Odorless': Fragrance-Free Brand 'mushu' Debuts

Hoyu Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture, President & CEO Executive Officer: Yoshihiro Sasaki, hereinafter Hoyu) announced the launch of its fragrance-free brand 'mushu,' developed under the new concept of 'aiming for odorless.' Triggered by morning sickness during pregnancy, its formula design considers not only the fragrance itself but also the odors perceived during use. As the first step, shampoo and treatment will be sold on the crowdfunding service 'Makuake.'

(Project Page URL: https://www.makuake.com/project/mushu_hoyu/ )

Background & Objective

In recent years, the variety of fragrances in hair care and daily necessities has become increasingly rich, and a culture of enjoying scents in daily life has been expanding. On the other hand, due to morning sickness during pregnancy, changes in physical condition, and olfactory hypersensitivity, many voices express concerns like 'fragrances are difficult to tolerate' or 'limited products can be used.' The development was triggered by the developer's wife experiencing intense aversion to all smells during her pregnancy.

Even products labeled 'fragrance-free' may have odors derived from raw materials. In reality, the options for fragrance-free hair care are not abundant.

Against this backdrop, Hoyu has developed the fragrance-free brand 'mushu' under the new concept of 'aiming for odorless,' considering not only the fragrance itself but also the odors perceived during use.

The aim is to provide 'having no fragrance' as a positive choice, rather than tolerating scents.

About the Products 

'mushu' shampoo and treatment have three main features.

1. In addition to being free of synthetic fragrances, they utilize Daiichi Kogyo Seiyaku Co., Ltd.'s 'Odor Neutralization Method,' developed in collaboration, to minimize even the base odor.

*This does not guarantee that no odor will be perceived.

2. The formulation is designed for satisfaction not only in terms of odor but also usability, making them suitable for daily use.

The shampoo combines amino acid-based cleansing agents*1 and betaine-based cleansing agents*2 to balance gentleness and cleansing power. The treatment contains W keratin*4 and gamma-docosalactone, hair repair ingredients, to address dryness and lead to smooth, manageable hair.

3. Some people sensitive to smells may get dizzy from text or colors.

The design, considering visual stimuli, is only in white and gray.

Labels can be peeled off if not needed.

*1: Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Alaninate, TEA Cocoyl Glutamate

*2: Cocamidopropyl Betaine

*3: Dihydroxypropyl Arginine HCl

*4: Isostearoyl Hydrolyzed Keratin (Wool), Steardimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Keratin (Wool)

【Odor Neutralization Method】

This is a technique that 'cancels out and reduces the perception of odor' by combining a bad odor with a complementary scent. The point of this method is to weaken the odor itself, rather than masking it with a strong fragrance. Unlike 'masking' scents, it aims for a more natural state 'close to odorless.' Natural essential oils have the power to act on human 'senses' of smell. The human nose has a property where it perceives both a bad odor and a specific scent as weaker when they are present together. This property is cleverly utilized to soften the unpleasant aspects of bad odors and make them less noticeable.

*Measurement results by an odor assessor using pre-production samples on September 4.

The diagram above does not guarantee that the product is odorless.

【Intended Use Scenarios】

While this product is not a pharmaceutical, it is intended for use in the following scenarios:

・Serves as an easy-to-use hair care option for those sensitive to fragrances
・Suitable for use during pregnancy or periods of physical change when avoiding fragrances
・Does not interfere with the scent impression when used in combination with fragranced products (perfumes, fabric softeners, etc.)

By offering 'fragrance-free' as a new criterion for hair care choices, which have traditionally assumed the presence of fragrance, this product caters to a wider range of life situations.

Below are the evaluation results from actual use tests.

*Survey by Hoyu, N=21 (Targeting individuals with morning sickness, users of fragrance-free hair care, etc.)

Sales Plan & Outlook

This product will be available for pre-order on the crowdfunding site 'Makuake' starting March 28.

(Project Page URL: https://www.makuake.com/project/mushu_hoyu/ )

Based on user feedback obtained through the project, future improvements and developments will be considered.

General sales are planned to begin after the Makuake campaign concludes.

About Hoyu Co., Ltd. 

Since its founding in 1905 (Meiji 38), Hoyu has been engaged in the business of hair color and hair care products for consumers and professionals. It boasts the No. 1 domestic market share*1 in the retail hair color market and has been involved in the manufacturing, sales, research, and development of hair color-related products for many years.

Celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2023, the company continues to move forward into its next century with its unwavering spirit of innovation, including aggressive overseas expansion and ventures into allergy research, looking ahead to future safety studies.

*1 Survey Period:

INTAGE SRI Hair Color Market: Cumulative sales value for each year from January 1996 to December 2017
INTAGE SRI+ Hair Color Market: Cumulative sales value for each year from January 2018 to December 2025

About Ikiiki・Wakuwaku Vision 2030

Hoyu has set forth the 'Ikiiki・Wakuwaku Vision 2030,' aiming to create value in three aspects—customers, environment, and employees—and realize a sustainable society. This vision is based on the corporate slogan 'COLOR YOUR HEART,' and comprises the 'Customer Color Vision' to deliver color to customers' lives, the 'Environmental Color Vision' to promote reduction of environmental impact and the 4Rs, and the 'Employee Color Vision' to foster an environment where employees feel healthy and find job satisfaction.

Hoyu Co., Ltd. Company Profile

Headquarters: 501 TokuGawa, Higashi-ku, Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture

Representative: Yoshihiro Sasaki, President and CEO Executive Officer

Founded: 1905 (Meiji 38)

Established: 1923 (Taisho 12)

Capital: 110 million yen

Number of Employees: 1,080 (As of October 31, 2025)

Consolidated Sales: 52.7 billion yen (Fiscal year ended October 31, 2025)

Domestic Production Bases: Seto Factory (106 Yamano-da, Seto City, Aichi Prefecture), Sakuragaoka Factory (985 Anada-cho, Seto City, Aichi Prefecture)

Business Activities: Manufacturing and sales of hair color and hair care products

HP Address: https://www.hoyu.co.jp/

Daiichi Kogyo Seiyaku Co., Ltd. Company Profile

Headquarters: 48 Higashi Jōden-cho, Higashi Kujo, Minami-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture

Representative: Naotaka Yamaji, President and CEO

Founded: 1909 (Meiji 42)

Established: 1918 (Taisho 7)

Capital: 8.895 billion yen

Business Activities: Manufacturing and sales of various industrial chemicals, health food, and other life science-related products

HP Address: https://www.dks-web.co.jp/