Rich, creamy foam lathers & spreads easily, cleanses effectively and gently without rubbing
Plans to initiate fun educational activities to help children develop voluntary handwashing habits
Kirei Kirei, which means “Clean Clean” in Japanese, is an anti-bacterial foaming hand wash that has finally made its debut in Malaysia this month.
It is the No. 1 Hand Wash* brand in Japan and is widely available across several Asian countries with Korea, Singapore and Thailand also holding the number one position in hand wash category in their respective markets.
Launched in 1997, Kirei Kirei was developed after a series of mass outbreaks of food poisoning in Japan caused by pathogenic E.coli bacteria which became a big social issue in 1996. Beyond developing a product that addresses the spread of bacteria, the brand undertook a social mission to establish a habit of handwashing to protect children from germs. As this habit can only be established with parents’ and teachers’ guidance at homes and schools, and not through strict discipline or force, Kirei Kirei decided to instil fun into handwashing and to get kids to wash their hands voluntarily so as to keep clean at all times!
One of Kirei Kirei’s uniqueness is its rich, creamy foam or fine bubbles which children love! As its foam has 12 times more volume** than ordinary liquid hand wash, it lathers easily without water and spreads thoroughly all over the hands from palms to fingertips. It also rinses off easily after scrubbing. In essence, this bubbly, fun and easy-to-use foaming hand wash provides loving parents the ideal ‘tool’ to practise hand washing together with their children and foster family bond as they guide their kids to build a lifetime habit.
According to Mr. Kazuo Mabuchi, the Managing Director of Southern Lion Sdn Bhd, the company decided to bring in Kirei Kirei to Malaysia at a time when parents are most concerned with their children’s hygiene habits. Citing a recent study of handwashing behaviour among Malaysian pre-schoolers in the Klang Valley, which indicated parents as having the greatest influence in teaching their children handwashing,1 he said: “Kirei Kirei is very useful for parents due to its foamy nature and is proven to encourage kids to embrace handwashing. The product’s unique anti-bacterial formulation with 100% cleansing ingredients derived from plants provide 99.9% anti-bacterial protection to effectively remove germs, and is dermatologically tested to be gentle and safe for children and suitable to be used for the whole family”.
There are other plus factors for parents to choose Kirei Kirei for the family. They include:
- cost effectiveness – lesser amount of soap is required to achieve effective cleanliness in each wash;
- lesser water consumption — users need less water to lather and rinse off; and
- no more messy wash as foam sticks to the hands and don’t drip off like liquid hand wash!
Mr. Mabuchi added: “Because of its unique foam format, efficacy and ease of use, Kirei Kirei is not only popular in homes in Japan, but also in schools, offices and restaurants. Kirei Kirei has been the No. 1 Hand Wash in Japan since 2000 for 20 consecutive years!”.
The study of Klang Valley pre-schoolers’ handwashing behaviour also found only half of them use soap and less than half of them rinse their hands thoroughly after using soap.1 To this, Mr. Mabuchi said: “In line with children going back to schools in CMCO and RMCO states in recent months, we are currently speaking to kindergarten and primary school operators to activate fun educational programmes for children to learn the right handwashing method. Our aim is to help them develop voluntary handwashing habits at school, where they are more exposed to germs and virus that spreads through touch”.
“Kirei Kirei had held successful educational programmes in pre and primary schools in Japan and we are confident to duplicate it here to instil fun into handwashing for kids”, he added enthusiastically.
Kirei Kirei is best used with its bottle which comes with a unique pump, specially designed to generate very fine and creamy foam that easily lifts dirt off hands. Mr. Mabuchi reminded consumers who purchase the bottle to reuse it by replenishing it with the refill pack. “This simple step not only helps to reduce plastic usage but also plays a part in creating a cleaner environment,” he said.
“Since the launch of Kirei Kirei’s Malaysia social media page, we have been receiving good feedback from current users who have been purchasing the products from neighbouring countries. They are excited that it is finally available in Malaysia now. They also highlighted how Kirei Kirei cleans very effectively and this shows how our loyal users love and are confident about our products,” he added.
Malaysian mother of two Rane Chin, whose family tried Kirei Kirei anti-bacterial foaming hand wash recently said her 8-year-old daughter, Jia Xuan started to wash her hands voluntarily without any reminder from her. “While she loves the very cute bottle and the rich, creamy and fine foam, I am all for the fruity scent and moisturising after-wash feeling. The best part is it protects us from harmful germs!” she said.
Another mother, Rabiatul Adawiyah Zakaria and her 7-year-old son, Adam who tried Kirei Kirei for the first time found its soft and smooth foam texture turned handwashing from a chore to a breather! “Just pump a little and spread widely in your hand and the next 20 seconds is so refreshing from the scent to the gentle cleansing. It rinses off easily too!” she exclaimed.
Kirei Kirei anti-bacterial foaming hand wash comes in two variants: Moisturizing Peach and Nourishing Berries. Each variant is available in the 250 ml bottle and 200 ml refill pack formats. Each bottle retails at the recommended price of RM12.50; and each refill pack at RM8.50. Purchase Kirei Kirei products from selected AEON and AEON Wellness, Don Don Donki in Lot 10 or have them delivered to your doorstep by ordering on Lazada or Shopee today!
For more information about Kirei Kirei, check out its official Malaysia Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/kireikireimalaysia or Kirei Kirei website at https://kireikirei.com.my/.
* Japan’s No. 1 Hand Soap Series INTAGE SRI, Hand Soap Value Sales, CY2019
** Based on lab test conducted in Japan
Reference: 1 Assessment on Hand Hygiene Knowledge and Practices Among Pre-school Children in Klang Valley Tengku Zetty Maztura Tengku Jamaluddin, PhD1, Nurul Azmawati Mohamed, MPath2 , Mohd Dzulkhairi Mohd Rani, MPH2, Zarini Ismail, PhD2, Shalinawati Ramli, MSc2, Habibah Faroque, MSc2, Farishah Nur Abd Samad, BDS2, Abdul Rasyid Ariffien, MBBS2, Aisyah Ar Redha Che Amir Farid, MBBS2, and Ilina Isahak, MSc2, Global Pediatric Health Volume 7: 1–8
