Shiseido has launched Sustainable Beauty Actions (SBAS) through its flagship brand, implementing a range of sustainability-focused activities and products to create social value unique to the beauty industry. The initiative is built upon three key pillars unique to the company that will help to create a more sustainable future.
MOTTAINAI (recycle and reuse): In the spirit of respecting the beauty of all things, Shiseido will carry out environmental initiatives inspired by the Japanese concept of mottainai, a term that conveys a sense of regret over waste and is a call for gratitude and respect. The concept is used by environmentalists to encourage people to reduce, reuse, and recycle.
HARMONY (with society and the environment): Shiseido will nurture the beauty of society by engaging in community-focused activities in harmony with people and nature. Under the banner of the Shiseido Blue Project, the company will continue to protect and support the beaches we love, the oceans we depend on, and the skin we live in, and ensure greater transparency with a new safety policy.
EMPATHY (resonate with all): Through the concept of #AliveWithBeauty, Shiseido strives to bring out the beauty of every individual, regardless of gender, age, nationality, or any other personal attribute to ensure diversity and inclusion.
The Sustainable Beauty Actions Initiatives:
Refill Service: Shiseido will launch its first refill service in Japan for the brand’s iconic Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate. The service will be available at the Shiseido Global Flagship Store in Ginza, Tokyo, where customers can bring their empty Ultimune bottles—they will be cleaned in a sanitation-controlled environment and refilled. This new service is the culmination of Shiseido’s 100 years of skincare and material research, and is built upon the five Rs (Respect, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Replace) to minimize environmental impact. The goal is to achieve 100% sustainable packaging by 2025.
World’s First PHBH Cosmetics Package: To protect the beauty of the earth and find harmony with the oceans, Shiseido has developed the world’s first biodegradable polymer PHBH cosmetics container used as the base material for its AquaGel Lip Pallet. Utilizing Kaneka Corporations 100% plant-derived polymer, a material certified for its marine biodegradability, the container is biodegradable even in seawater. The limited-edition lip palette features five different colors and textures inspired by nature. The design was created in collaboration with Niky Roehreke. Niky is a German-Japanese artist born and raised in Tokyo who sees art as a tool for social change and peaceful activism.
Dedicated SBAS Website: Launched on October 15, 2020, the SBAS website is home to the company’s Sustainable Beauty vision, and contains information regarding upcoming activities, products, and events. It will also become a space for discussion and co-creation between Shiseido and its community—a space where consumer voices are heard and Sustainable Beauty can evolve and grow. The hashtag #ShiseidoSBAS will be used online to drive discussion around Sustainable Beauty, beginning with brand ambassadors and employees.
