Developing Sustainable Products

At Shiseido, we prioritize quality and safety above all else, ensuring that consumers can use our products with peace of mind. In addition to strict compliance with laws and regulations, we have established our own high-level standards to maintain and manage quality.
With high quality and safety as our foundation, we are committed to creating new value to meet and support the desires of consumers who wish to be beautiful.
DYNAMIC HARMONY, the unique Research & Development philosophy that was formulated when Shiseido was founded, reflects our commitment to creating new forms of beauty by combining contrasting forces: Eastern wisdom and Western science. One of our approaches is to establish Premium/Sustainability, through which we challenge ourselves to create unique sustainable value that is distinctive to Shiseido.
Through manufacturing based on the principles of green chemistry, we contribute to reducing environmental impact throughout the product lifecycle. We also take responsibility for our business activities that utilize the Earth's limited resources and aim to achieve a circular economy.

Shiseido has applied its extensive research expertise in dermatology and material science, accumulated over more than 100 years, to develop and deliver safe, high-quality products and services to society. To sincerely address the health of people and the environment, we have disclosed our Product Development Policy that outlines our approach to product development (formulas and packaging) and the use of socially controversial ingredients.

Since cosmetics often contain naturally derived ingredients, sustainable and responsible procurement and use of raw materials are critical issues from the perspective of environmental conservation. Based on a product lifecycle approach, we are committed to developing formulas/ingredients, packaging, and circular recycling models that promote the effective use of limited resources, environmental considerations, addressing climate change, and minimizing the impact on ecosystems.

As part of Shiseido's commitment to sustainable research and development, we focus on formulation development that considers not only safety, quality, functionality, and sensory experience for the human body but also environmental impact, biodiversity, and social effects. This approach contributes to creating value for consumers.

To reduce environmental impact, we use biomass-based (naturally derived) and recycled materials and ingredients, striving to create circular value. Our company establishes its own standards based on the Formula Development Policy and Ingredients Policy, which include not only strict safety measures but also environmental considerations and ethical perspectives. By applying the principles of green chemistry, we are challenging ourselves to create unprecedented new value. More information about our ingredients is disclosed on our website.

We recognize the need for companies to appropriately address the impact on ecosystems due to ingredient runoff, especially since suncare products are often used in marine environments.
Shiseido examines the impact of UV filters in our suncare products on coral^*5 by combining research on their ecological effects, conducted in collaboration with universities and research institutions, with simulation^*6 results of their concentration distribution in the ocean. These findings are utilized in ingredient selection and in designing formulas that consider the impact on coral, and they are applied to suncare products such as brand SHISEIDO and ANESSA.

In light of growing societal concern regarding the safety and environmental impact of chemical substances, as well as stricter regulations, particularly led by the EU, we are strengthening our commitment to responsible chemical substance management. From the formulation development stage of cosmetics, we are minimizing the use of SVHC (Substances of Very High Concern) and controversial ingredients. In addition, we are actively promoting the replacement of materials with plant-derived ingredients and the adoption of alternative processes and technologies utilizing green chemistry. For ingredients that are likely to be released into the environment after product use by consumers, we are analyzing their dynamics in the environment and enhancing our understanding of their impact on the ecosystem.
For newly developed ingredients, we refer to both domestic and international safety assessment guidelines while establishing our own strict standards. Additionally, we assess safety without conducting animal testing by utilizing alternative testing methods and other approaches in line with OECD Guidelines for the Testing of Chemicals. We continuously monitor global trends in chemical regulations and advanced technologies, including those in Japan and Europe. We comply with safety and environmental regulations in each country and region, while also ensuring a comprehensive and rigorous understanding of the impacts and management across the entire lifecycle of cosmetic ingredients—ranging from ingredient safety and material selection to manufacturing processes and post-use biodegradability. Through these efforts, we strive to deliver safe and sustainable products.

Under the premise that the resources on the Earth are finite, Shiseido promotes global initiatives to reduce plastic usage and environmental impact in accordance with the "Shiseido 5Rs" policy. These initiatives include such as optimizing container sizes to realize sustainability while maintaining the prestigious image, lightweighting containers, and launching refillable containers. Refillable packaging not only reduce the resources used, but also encourages the reuse of primary containers, thereby decreasing the total amount of plastic used in packaging. Evaluations conducted through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) have shown that compared to single-use primary containers, the use of refillable containers leads to lower resource usage waste generation, and significantly reduces CO₂ emissions. Since the launch of our first refillable product in 1926, we have provided refillable packaging in a wide range of product categories, including skincare and makeup. In 2024, we offered refillable packaging for about 790 stock keeping units (SKUs) within 31 brands globally in an effort to reduce the amount of plastic and ultimately the environmental footprint.

Shiseido is committed to reducing plastic waste by adopting refillable packaging. In 2024, for example, within the skincare category, we launched refillable products for SHISEIDO creams, Clé de Peau Beauté serums and eye creams, and ELIXIR serums. In the suncare category, we introduced refillable products for ANESSA serums. In the makeup category, we offer refillable products for MAQuillAGE foundation serums. In the fragrance category, ISSEY MIYAKE PARFUMS offers refillable products and uses wooden caps instead of plastic for the product lids.
We are committed to reducing glass usage. In 2024, in collaboration with our supplier, we successfully developed lighter glass bottles that maintain the same durability as previous containers. The SHISEIDO ULTIMUNE™ Power Infusing Serum launched in March 2025 feature glass containers that are 20% lighter than their predecessors.

To mitigate climate change and plastic pollution, we are focusing on the research of post-consumer recycled (PCR^*1) materials, plastic alternatives, and bio-based materials with low environmental impact—and promoting their use. For example, packaging of some Clé de Peau Beauté and ELIXIR products is made from recycled plastic.

Point of Sale Materials (POSM) used at retail stores, such as drug stores, and counters that are made from plastic will also be replaced with paper alternatives in due course to further reduce the amount of plastic we use.

Shiseido sets strict standards not only for primary and secondary packaging but also for tertiary packaging, which protects products from contamination during production and transportation. To conserve resources, we began reducing tertiary packaging, such as protective boxes and pillow pouches since 2023, thereby helping to minimize both plastic waste and paper consumption. In 2024, we achieved reductions for 91 SKUs in Japan, focusing on key brands such as MAQuillAGE and INTEGRATE.

As consumer awareness of environmental and social issues is increasing and becoming more personal, more consumers value not only product quality and usability, but also the safety of raw materials, environmental impact, and corporates' efforts to address social issues, such as human rights, when choosing products and brands. In response, Shiseido is advancing initiatives to address these fundamental environmental and social challenges across all its brands while also promoting brand-specific sustainability activities that reflect the unique concept of each brand.
Among these efforts, Shiseido has positioned several distinctive brands to have sustainability at the core of their value proposition, specifically targeting consumers who are highly conscious of environmental and social issues.

To realize a decarbonized society and a circular economy, it is necessary to add value to products and materials that have completed their roles once again and to reuse them as recyclable resources repeatedly in society.

Shiseido is working to establish a scheme for collecting used plastic cosmetic containers through retail stores, leveraging a wide range of interactions with consumers and business partners. This initiative aims to secure sustainable, high-quality resources for the future and implement a circular economy in society. By fostering awareness that used containers can become resources for new products and encouraging behavioral change across society, we aim to enhance the resilience of resource procurement from a long-term perspective.

In 2023, Shiseido launched a joint recycling initiative in China with a packaging material supplier. We recycle used plastic containers for the cosmetics of the AUPRES brand, which we market in China. The amount of plastic recycled in 2024 increased to nearly nine times compared to the previous year.
The containers are transformed into recycled materials through the supplier's recycling technology and are utilized for products such as desks, chairs, and novelty items.