Wife’s Skin Problems Inspire Founder

Imagine having chronic skin problems which most skincare and cosmetics only aggravate. 25 years ago, that was the plight of FANCL founder, Mr. Ikemori's wife. In the late 70s, preservatives and additives in skincare & cosmetics caused widespread skin problems.

Mr. Ikemori discussed his wife’s problems with her dermatologist, who explained that ingredients like preservatives, colors and surfactants are the main culprits. Manufacturers were routinely adding preservatives to extend shelf life, and coloring agents to make products look better, yet their often negative impact on skin condition was not addressed at all.

Mr. Ikemori was struck by the irony - something which should make woman more beautiful, confident and attractive - actually may sabotage her looks and her self-esteem. He questioned the industry by challenging the need for harsh ingredients in the first place. He then hit on the revolutionary concept of preservative-free skincare, without any additives to trigger skin problems. In April 1980, FANCL was born. From there emerged the solution to millions of women’s skin problems.
Our Treasured Asset: Trust

The most important thing we possess at FANCL is our relationship of trust between our customers and ourselves. We have always respected our customers and listened very closely to their comments.

For instance, we heard many remarks about the ideal shape of the tablets in our supplements. Many had similar ideas along the lines of “change the shape from this, to more like that, for easier swallowing.”

We heard the voices of our customers and tested the tablets to find that the customers were right. The FANCL table shape was modified accordingly!

This is just one of the many examples when the customers’ voice led us to further enhancement of our products. Nowadays, FANCL supplements are very highly regarded even among industry specialists.”

We continue to make it our mission to develop revolutionary new products. At the back of our minds is always the thought we started out with – that the customers’ trust is our most precious treasure.”
Simple is Best

FANCL’s policy has always been that simple is best.

In 1982, FANCL began selling preservative-free cosmetics in tiny 5ml bottles that had never been seen before.

At the same time, FANCL introduced the simplest 3-step skincare system ever. FANCL told women that you need to simply wash, moisturize and nourish, using simple products in tiny and simple packaging.

An extension of our policy of simplicity is that we approached different skin problems from the perspective of simply adding whatever the skin is lacking and taking away whatever it has in excess. In doing so, our aim was to simply support the skin’s own natural power.

Our “simple is best” policy meant that we would always adhere to out belief that no chemical fragrances or preservatives were needed – just the necessary and pure ingredients to boost skin’s innate capabilities. Simple really is best!

FANCL Defied Skeptics

Mr. Ikemori’s first breakthrough was to accept that preservative-free skincare cannot have a long shelf life. Hence, he put items in tiny packs so they could be used within a short period. Many industry professionals had no faith in FANCL’s “simple is best” policy. They felt that the tiny pack sizes, in packaging that was so simple, it resembled medicine containers, would never sell.

But the skeptics were wrong.

The 5ml bottles were well-liked from day one. Many women found them convenient and trendy and appreciated that they were economical, as you needed to buy only the amount you required. More importantly, customers loved the concept of preservative-free skincare products that did not contain skin-aggravating additives.

100% Preservative-Free, in Tiny Pack Sizes

New FANCL preservative-free skincare was a dream come true to a generation of women who had suffered skincare-related troubles. Nowadays, 25 years later, modern women are embracing FANCL’s safe, gentle purity. There’s an ever-increasing awareness that harsh chemical additives can’t possibly be good to your precious skin, which is, after all, a living and breathing part of your body. Just as a pure and healthy diet is being followed by legions of informed modern people, savvy women are rejecting the notion of putting chemical-laden and less-than-fresh products onto their skin.

The negative effects of chemical additives in skincare have in no way diminished, but have increased. Pollution is worsening and lifestyle is increasingly stressful. More and more people are suffering from unstable skin condition due to the ever-worsening onslaught of external irritants. It's plain logic that pure, preservative-free skincare and makeup are more beneficial to modern women than ever. That is why FANCL is so loved by millions in Japan , Singapore , Hong Kong , Taiwan , USA and other Asian countries!

The tireless FANCL Central Research Centre enabled packaging to be changed from glass to environmental friendly plastic, and pack sizes being increased with no compromise of 100% preservative-free purity. In 2002, average skincare pack size increased to a more convenient 30ml. Thanks to cutting edge technology, FANCL's preservative-free know-how is No. 1 in the world.





No 'Dissatisfaction' in the FANCL Vocabulary!

Mr. Ikemori says that resolving all negative elements’ has been the motto of FANCL for the last 25 years. FANCL's highest priority has always been customer satisfaction via elimination of all uneasiness 不安, dissatisfaction 不满 and discomfort 不便. As a result, FANCL has truly earned the brand image of being utterly reliable, safe, preservative-free, fresh, clean and natural.

Based on these brand assets, FANCL expanded into the health supplement business in 1993. In those days, the price of health supplements was 5 times that of overseas markets, resulting in widespread consumer dissatisfaction. FANCL focused on the main distribution channel, door to door sales, which was one of the underlying causes behind the unacceptably high prices. FANCL soon succeeded in providing its own highest quality royal jelly at 1/5 of the previous market price, which obviously led to customers being more than pleased!

In 1993, in response to the customer feedback of Want to see and touch the product before choosing, FANCL introduced FANCL HOUSE. Currently, there are more than 130 FANCL HOUSE stores in Japan.

Recent Fine-Tuning: FENATTY, Evanté & Cleartune
In 2002, FANCL introduced a totally innovative inner and outer beauty concept based on FANCL’s strong research capability. FANCL believes that beauty is not only skin deep but comes from a totally healthy body, and it clinically proved that better results can be achieved when inner (supplements) and outer care (skincare) are combined.

FANCL introduced three skincare ranges with both an inner and outer beauty holistic approach, targeting skin with different problems: FENATTY for sensitive skin, Evanté for matured skin and CLEARTUNE for acne-prone skin.

In 2003, FANCL opened FANCL Square in the centre of Ginza , Tokyo , where all the top international brands compete. Here, customers can buy all FANCL products, can enjoy facial and body treatments with FANCL products, and can savour different menus featuring FANCL food products such as germinated brown rice and green juice!

As it was 25 years ago, so it is now. The FANCL policy of customer satisfaction being of highest priority will always remain true to Mr Ikemori's vision.