Developing Sustainable Products

“Let the product speak for itself.” These words from Shiseido’s founder and first president are reflected in our corporate mission and product development. We strive to provide new value to consumers by prioritizing high safety and quality standards, as well as excellent functionality, design and usability.
We have redefined our original research and development (R&D) philosophy — passed down for over 100 years — as “DYNAMIC HARMONY: a world where contrasting or complementary forces come together, exquisitely creating fusion and entirely new forms of beauty.” Under the “Premium/Sustainability” pillar, one of the five research approaches, we will step up to the challenge of creating sustainable value unique to Shiseido, which balances the satisfaction stemming from the results, high-quality design, and feel of our products with respect for and coexistence between people, society, and the global environment.
We will contribute to the realization of a sustainable world through the development of our own technologies and in collaboration with external parties. This includes packaging initiatives that aim to make more effective use of limited resources, as well as raw material procurement and formula development that minimize our environmental footprint.

Sustainable Packaging

Sustainable packaging plays a critical role in our efforts to reduce our environmental footprint related to climate change and marine debris.

In 2020, we introduced our packaging development policy, “Shiseido’s 5Rs” ^*1. To support the concept of a circular economy, we also disclosed our medium-term target: 100% sustainable packaging by 2025^*2 ^*3. To achieve this target, we are working to reduce packaging weight, develop refillable, recyclable and mono-material packaging, and use biodegradable resins.

*1：In order to reduce our environmental footprint and support the concept of a circular economy, Shiseido defined 5Rs: Respect, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Replace.
*2：For sale of products with plastic packaging.
*3：Amount of plastic packaging used in Japan in 2021 (Including estimates)：17,000t

Reduce/ Reuse

In line with our packaging development policy, “Shiseido’s 5Rs”, we promote efforts to reduce the amount of plastic used by optimizing the size of packaging according to product, reducing the weight of packaging, and offering refillable packaging.
Refillable packaging is a solid example of how a company’s sustainability efforts can help solve environmental issues, particularly when consumers are engaged. We use fewer resources for refillable packaging than regular (primary) packaging, while repeated reuse of regular packaging leads to a reduction in the amount of plastic used. The use of refillable packaging also reduces resource input and waste, resulting in carbon footprint reduction (compared to regular packaging) based on the Life Cycle Assessment methodology.
In addition to product packaging, we have also begun efforts to reduce the amount of plastic used at in-store point of sales by sequentially switching from plastic to paper materials.
We will continue to tackle environmental issues and offer new value through innovation, such as the development of new materials, new manufacturing processes, and new business models to establish a circular economy.

Recycle

To realize a circular economy, it is important to select materials and design products that can be recycled.
In order to reduce the use of single-use plastics, we are actively developing recyclable packaging such as mono-material packaging and packaging that can be easily disassembled after use to facilitate refilling — without compromising design quality. We are promoting such packaging through major brands with high sales volumes, including SHISEIDO, Clé de Peau Beauté, and ELIXIR.

In-store Collection and Recycling

As the global issue of plastic waste worsens, society is changing from a ‘take-make-waste’ linear economy to a recycling-focused circular economy. Companies are being asked to take responsibility for the products they produce and sell at every stage of the product life cycle — including after use and at disposal.

To support and promote recycling, we work closely with consumers, waste collection companies, and other related parties within the industry. As part of our responsibility, we collect empty packaging and recycle it as new a resource.

IPSA’s in-store recycling program

Replace

We are engaged in the development of alternative plastics, biomass-based materials with low environmental impact, and packaging that biodegrades naturally.
We are also expanding our use of biodegradable materials for cases and packaging, while pursuing biomass-based materials which emit less CO2 than petroleum-derived materials.
We will continue to take on the challenge of solving environmental issues through innovative packaging solutions in order to achieve our goal of 100% sustainable packaging.

SHISEIDO AquaGel Lip Palette made from KANEKA Biodegradable Polymer Green Planet

Sustainable Formula

We are committed to developing products and services that are safe and meet high quality standards. We aim to achieve this by using over a century’s worth of extensive research and results from dermatological and material science — combined with the latest formulation technologies. Currently, we are conducting research and development at eight innovation centers^* around the world.
Naturally derived raw materials are widely used in cosmetics products. From an environmental perspective, their sustainable and responsible procurement and use are of the utmost importance. Our Global Innovation Center (Yokohama, Japan), which manages all regional centers, is working to select raw materials and develop formulations that are not only safe but also respect the environment.
When selecting raw materials and ingredients, we strive to prioritize human safety, reduce our environmental footprint, and carefully consider various ethical issues.

*As of March 2022.

UV Care

We are accelerating innovation in the field of suncare to protect against UV, and pursuit coexistence between people, their ecosystems, and the environment. As a result of climate change, UV exposure for people around the world is expected to increase. Exposure to UV rays over extended periods of time causes spots and wrinkles on skin — symptoms of photoaging.
We developed an innovative new technology to convert UV light, which has been considered to have deleterious effects on the skin, into visible light (skin-beautifying light) that brings about beneficial effects on the skin — a first for cosmetics. We will continue our research with the aim of providing products and services with new values, including innovations such as this that realize harmonious coexistence with the environment.

SHISEIDO Ultimate Sun Protector Lotion ANESSA Perfect UV Sunscreen Skincare Milk N

SHISEIDO Ultimate Sun Protector Lotion
ANESSA Perfect UV Sunscreen Skincare Milk N

We are assessing the impact of UV filters in our products on corals^* by conducting joint research with the University of the Ryukyus and using the advanced method of ocean elution simulations. We are utilizing the results of these assessments for ingredient selection and the development of coral-respecting formulas, while applying them to suncare product development for both SHISEIDO and ANESSA.

*Colony of egg-laying size excluding planktonic larvae and juvenile coral colonies.

Actions Toward Consumer Needs

In recent years, we have seen how natural environments and communities suffer as a result of exploitation and unsustainable activities. Consumers are reacting to this. More than ever before, they are holding brands and companies accountable when it comes to showing social responsibility and taking real action to reduce the environmental impact of their activities. This includes the use of raw materials.

At Shiseido, we wish to give consumers and all other stakeholders insight into how our products are produced. Therefore, we issued our corporate product development policy, which reflects our human safety, environmental, social, and ethical considerations. We also exercise transparency in terms of corporate product development and raw material usage directions for all our brands.

Drunk Elephant

BAUM

Abolishing Animal Testing

We strive to provide safe and effective products to consumers while complying with cosmetics regulations and respecting the principles of animal protection.

For all our cosmetics and quasi drugs, we have established a safety assurance system based on alternative methods using cell cultures or in silico^*1, etc., that do not involve animal testing^*2. We continue to develop effective alternatives to test product safety, and work with administrative agencies in various countries/regions to certify these methods as official, according to the laws and regulations of the given countries/regions.

*1：A method of prediction by computer-based calculation.
*2：We do not test our cosmetic products or ingredients on animals except when mandated by law.

Initiatives in Response to Animal Testing and Alternative Methods

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