The company was founded in 1946 by Kozaburo Kobayashi with his son as the principal chemist.[6] In 1956, the company established Albion, a manufacturer of premium cosmetics. Kosé and L’Oréal of France signed an agreement for technological cooperation, a joint venture that lasted until 2001. The company expanded its international presence in Asia during the 1960s to the 1980s. The company's name was changed to its present one in 1991.
Kazutoshi Kobayashi, the founder's grandson, took over as the company's CEO in 2007. Under the leadership of the new CEO, Kosé introduced the Jill Stuart branded cosmetics after the company acquired global trademark rights for the brand in 2009. Kosé subsequently expanded into the European and North American markets when it acquired Tarte Cosmetics in 2014.[7][8]