HONEYQUE Brings Honey and Keratin Protein Haircare to Costco

HONEYQUE, a Japanese haircare brand, launched its Honey Protein Series in Costco warehouses and online nationwide on July 20.¹ The line is formulated for color-treated, bleached, and heat-styled hair, positioning honey and protein-based ingredients as the basis for its repair and conditioning claims.¹

For manufacturers watching ingredient trends move from specialty retail into big-box distribution, the launch is a data point in how quickly formulation stories built around functional actives can scale once a mass retailer picks them up.

What Ingredients Are Behind the Honey Protein Formula?

According to the brand, the series centers on organic Manuka honey combined with a blend of proteins and hydrolyzed keratin, marketed as working together to replenish moisture, reinforce weakened strands, smooth lifted cuticles, and reduce frizz.¹

Both ingredient categories have an established, if general, evidence base in cosmetic science literature, separate from any claims specific to this product.

Honey functions primarily as a humectant, drawing and holding moisture at the hair or skin surface, a property attributed to its sugar content along with trace amino acids and phytochemicals; a recent review of honey's moisturizing potential describes this humectant action as central to its use as a cosmetic active.²

Hydrolyzed keratin, meanwhile, is a peptide-based ingredient chemically similar to the keratin naturally present in hair, which allows it to bind to damaged cuticle surfaces. A 2025 laboratory study found that hydrolyzed keratin deposited on hair cuticles formed a protective film and partially penetrated the hair cortex, improving tensile strength retention after ultraviolet exposure compared with untreated hair.³

How Does This Fit Into Broader Hair Repair Product Trends?

Damage from coloring, bleaching, and heat styling remains a common driver of hair care purchases, and formulators have increasingly turned to protein- and humectant-based actives as alternatives or complements to silicone-based conditioning agents.

That shift reflects broader consumer interest in ingredient transparency across personal care categories, a dynamic that has also shaped demand in adjacent segments like food and dietary supplements, where recognizable, naturally derived ingredients have become a purchasing driver in their own right. HONEYQUE frames its approach as rooted in Japanese cosmetic formulation practices, though the announcement does not specify concentrations of its key actives or reference any product-specific testing beyond descriptive ingredient function.

What Should Be Understood About the Evidence Behind These Claims?

Mechanistic research on honey and hydrolyzed keratin describes how these ingredient classes behave in general cosmetic applications, not how HONEYQUE's specific formulation performs.

The company's latest announcement did not disclose independent clinical or consumer testing data, ingredient concentrations, or third-party substantiation for its repair and strengthening claims. That distinction matters for a finished product audience: an ingredient having documented humectant or film-forming properties in isolated studies does not establish the efficacy of a specific finished formulation at an unspecified concentration.

What Comes Next for the Product's Retail Footprint?

The Honey Protein Series is now available at Costco locations nationwide alongside the retailer's website, expanding HONEYQUE's presence beyond its previous distribution channels. It’s unclear as to whether the retail launch is exclusive to Costco or whether additional retail partnerships are planned.

References

1. HONEYQUE. Japanese hair care brand HONEYQUE launches Honey Protein Series at Costco nationwide. July 20, 2026. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/japanese-hair-care-brand-honeyque-launches-honey-protein-series-at-costco-nationwide-302828614.html

2. Fortune Journals. Honey: chemical composition and moisturizing potential for the skin – a review. September 30, 2025. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://cdn.fortunejournals.com/articles/honey-chemical-composition-and-moisturizing-potential-for-the-skin-ndash-a-review-6291.pdf

3. Fan J, Wu L, Wang J, Bian X, Chen C, Chang K. Performance and mechanism of hydrolyzed keratin for hair photoaging prevention. Molecules. 2025;30(5):1182. doi:10.3390/molecules30051182