Cultivating Self-Efficacy Through the Power of Beauty

At Shiseido, we take a scientific approach to uncovering the power of beauty to enrich minds, spark joy, and bring happiness to life. This pursuit started in 1956 with the launch of Japan’s first makeup product designed to lessen the suffering of wartime burn victims, and we continue to explore ways to harness the power of beauty, such as the development of specialized cosmetics and application techniques to address the changes in a person’s appearance from discolorations and scars. We collaborate with various support groups, medical institutions, and local governments in activities that leverage the power of beauty to promote the mental, physical, and social well-being^* of people facing broad skin concerns and challenges.

In June 2023, we won an award for excellence at the 8th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, held in Nara Prefecture, Japan, for our presentation on joint research with St. Luke’s International Hospital. The study demonstrated that online consultations on appearance care provided psychosocial support for people with cancer, improving their quality of life.

In Japan, a highly skilled team of seven Social Area Leaders and 38 Social Area Partners from Shiseido Japan plays crucial roles in planning and leading activities that leverage the power of beauty by identifying the characteristics and social issues unique to their areas.
In 2023, Shiseido Japan and Yamagata City entered into the Agreement for the Health Maintenance and Promotion of the Citizens of Yamagata City.
Through this agreement, we are joining forces in initiatives to promote the health of residents through the city’s programs for cancer and health. In the same year, Shiseido Japan also entered into the Collaboration Agreement for Cancer Control with Tochigi Prefecture and held appearance care seminars for Tochigi residents living with cancer. Tochigi Prefecture and Shiseido Japan are working together to promote the prefecture’s measures for cancer with the aim of helping residents live more physically and mentally healthy lives.

In March 2024, Shiseido Japan implemented its first joint initiative with Matsue City during the 34th National Tsubaki Summit in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture. As part of this event, we partnered with Matsue City Hospital and Matsue Red Cross Hospital to host a Cancer Appearance Care Seminar for about 70 attendees, including the general public, healthcare professionals and cancer patients. The seminar was focused on the theme “Understanding and Confronting Cancer Correctly,” with approximately 40 attendees also participating in the Makeup Workshop.
In the same month, at AICHI AYA WEEK 2024 in Nagoya, we offered personalized appearance care consultations and held a hair and makeup show led by our top hair and makeup artists. The aim was to help AYA^*2 cancer patients enjoy wigs and feel confident every day. During the two-day event, 494 people participated in the Shiseido Beauty Experience.
Additionally, we participated in the AYA WEEK 2024 Grand Community Event in Fukuoka, where we provided our unique healing touch care®^*3, Personal B Color Diagnosis®^*4, and other services.

We also developed the Beauty for Health program, which incorporates research findings from Shiseido’s cosmetic therapy^*3 to help older people, and 497^*4 CRC^*5 member retailers have adopted the program. We are committed to providing access for local communities to improve well-being through the power of beauty.

In the medical field, oral frailty^*6 continues to affect the lives of older people. Shiseido’s cosmetic therapy has shown that the action of applying cosmetics stimulates the salivary glands, thereby improving oral function. Drawing on our research, we collaborate with dentists and dental clinics to hold seminars for local communities.

In 2024, Shiseido’s sunscreen brand ANESSA launched the ANESSA Sunshine Project, a new initiative aimed at supporting the healthy growth of children’s minds and bodies through activities in the sun. This project marks ANESSA’s first cross-border social contribution effort across 12 countries and regions in Asia^*1.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that children and adolescents between the ages of 5 and 17 engage in at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day (more than 7 hours per week)^*2. However, in modern society, children spend less and less time playing outside. According to an independent survey^*3 conducted by ANESSA in urban areas in four Asian countries (China, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam), less than 50% of children in all of the countries surveyed spend more than 7 hours a week playing outdoors. ANESSA is committed to addressing this social issue because playing outside nurtures five key aspects of child development (physical, emotional, social, intellectual and psychological development). In particular, it enhances autonomic function, which helps them develop life skills such as motivation and spontaneity^*4.

As part of the initiative to address this issue, ANESSA has become the first cosmetics brand to sign a Social Value Partnership with the Japan Football Association (JFA) under the JFA PARTNERSHIP PROJECT for DREAM. As a JFA Social Value Partner, ANESSA collaborates with the JFA to host interactive events for children and families. These events include UV-protection seminars to promote safe sun exposure and engaging mental and physical activities in the sun.