Product research and production at Shiseido are designed to create products that customers can use with confidence and peace of mind. Based on our belief that correct knowledge of the skin is critical, the cosmetics development process starts with intensive research into skin structure conducted in collaboration with Japanese and overseas dermatologists, universities, and other research institutions utilizing state-of-the-art technology from a broad range of disciplines related to cosmetics (including the life sciences, dermatology, surface science, ergonomics, and psychology). Then ingredients are thoroughly investigated for impurities and other substances that might adversely affect the skin, and only those of unquestionable safety are selected for use. Finally, we conduct patch tests and dermatologist-supervised trials to ensure that the resulting formulations will be free of problems when used in products.

During product manufacturing, Shiseido establishes strict standards with regard to hygiene, manufacturing and product quality at its factories. Personnel, working under hygienically controlled conditions, use clean facilities and manufacture products while conforming to stringent manufacturing guidelines. In addition to verifying products through implementing respective inspections during and after the manufacturing processes, Shiseido conducts sensory tests to check smell, color and usability, thereby ensuring that there is no uncomfortable feeling for customers when using products. Sensory testing is an inspection carried out by internally qualified inspectors, whose senses (vision, smell, touch) are relied upon to make judgments. Products that have passed such quality checks are then shipped and delivered to customers. Additionally, we are also checking the quality of our products by storing product samples for five years after shipment.

When treating patients with dermatitis (rash) suspected to have been caused by cosmetics, dermatologists attempt to track down the cause of the condition by conducting patch tests with the cosmetics used by the patient, as well as their ingredients. Statistical data summarizing the rate of positive results for these patch tests for individual manufacturers can be interpreted as an indicator of the effectiveness of those companies' safety assurance programs. Published reports show that the rate of positive results for Shiseido cosmetics is the lowest of all domestic and overseas cosmetics manufacturers*, and that a high level of safety is maintained.

*From Fujimoto et al., "Patch Test Results in 492 Patients of Suspected Cosmetic Dermatitis (1996 to 2000)," Environmental Dermatology, Vol. 9, No. 53-62, 2002

Shiseido also promotes a 100% customer-oriented approach to the manufacture of healthcare products.
The Company’s state-of-the-art technology plays an important role in the commercialization of beauty, health and pharmaceutical products like The Collagen, which is gaining customer support as a patented beauty product.

We’ve also made social contributions in the area of food products,For example, for individuals with rice allergies, in 1991 we launched Fine Rice, Japan’s first Food for Specified Health Uses (FOSHU)<*3>. The product employed technology for eliminating allergens from rice germ and was sold for 16 years until 2007, when alternative technologies became available.
We pride ourselves on manufacturing healthcare products that our customers can consume with confidence and peace of mind by following GMP standards developed for pharmaceuticals<*1> or Shiseido standards at every stage of the manufacturing process, from ingredient selection to commercialization and production.
As with our cosmetics, the ingredient selection process involves gathering information from around the world and checking data describing site conditions, soil quality, residual pesticides, and other characteristics so that we can use only ingredients that inspire peace of mind. In commercialization and production, we maintain systems capable of maintaining a stable supply of high-caliber, high-quality products by observing internal Shiseido standards as well as HACCP<*2>, ISO 9000, ISO 22000, GMP, and other industry standards and guidelines.
In all of these initiatives, we are not satisfied to rest on our accumulated experience, but rather continuously strive to develop safe and original products while gathering the latest health information and applying state-of-the-art technologies. To this end, our research, product development, and beauty services departments cooperate and regularly exchange information.

*1 GMP: Good Manufacturing Practice. Quality control standards for pharmaceuticals and other products developed by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare in accordance with Japan's Pharmaceutical Affairs Law.
*2 HACCP: A technique for controlling food product hygiene developed in the 1960s in the United States to ensure the safety of space rations used by astronauts.
*3 Food for Specified Health Uses (FOSHU): Foods approved by the Health Promotion Act, Article 26, paragraph 1 or Article 29, paragraph 1 that are sold with labeling that consuming the food can result in certain health maintenance effects.

Shiseido has embarked on a series of reforms to transform itself into a 100% customer-oriented company. Key to this endeavor is a reorganization of the activities of about 10,000 Beauty Consultants (BCs) who are capable of breathing new value into products developed in response to customer needs, and communicating that value directly to customers. We eliminated sales targets for BCs in April 2006 as part of this ongoing effort and replaced them with a satisfaction-based mechanism for evaluating customer service. Feedback from customers is provided to individual BCs on a monthly basis and used to enhance the level of service and customer satisfaction by enabling them to reflect on their own activities and identify areas for improvement. Following this approach, BCs can ask themselves how many customers they helped become more beautiful each day, and whether those customers were satisfied with the service they received. All Company employees have focused their energy and resources on improving day-to-day customer service and trust.

voice

In addition to moving beyond the retail outlets that comprise our most common point of contact to seek out the opinions and desires of our customers, we are promoting two-way communication as a way to provide a range of information about products and beauty.

Shiseido provides extensive product, beauty, and company information on its website(Japanese only), reflecting efforts to create appealing content and administer the site in response to customers' desires and needs.
Additionally, the Shiseido Global website is also available through three carriers, iMode, EZweb and Yahoo! Mobile.
Shiseido Net members (Japanese only) receive various exclusive service offers including participation as monitors, application to receive complimentary product samples and viewing of "my page" with personalized information.
Additionally, subscription to email magazines including Shiseido News (Japanese only) packed with a variety of the latest information is also available.

Shiseido gathers customer feedback through a broad range of methods and puts it to work in developing a deeper understanding of its customers.

Customer feedback that has been aggregated by the Voicenet C system is subjectively analyzed by employees and used to provide better products and services.

In order to collectively manage customer information, Shiseido has implemented the "Voicenet C" (Japanese only) system since 1996.
The Voicenet C system provides functionality for supporting responses at the Customer Center (Customer Consultation Support System), recording and storing feedback details and associated circumstances (Customer Information Entry System), supporting contact between the Consumer Information Center and other worksites and departments throughout Japan (Customer Service Information Management System), and analyzing issues and trends in customer information that should be shared (Customer Information Analysis System).
Information from these four functions can be accessed from any Company location via the Internet, enabling the results of customer feedback analysis to be employed in enhancing a variety of operations.

Shiseido maintains a system for quickly routing information obtained from the Consumer Information Center, which forwards feedback received on a daily basis to other departments as appropriate, ensuring its ability to take optimal and timely action in regard to customers. Customer feedback continuously circulates throughout the Company so that customer satisfaction can be assured not only in times of emergency, but also in daily operations.

Shiseido shares feedback from customers internally to ensure our products will satisfy customers for as long as they use them. The valuable information we gain from this feedback is used in company activities, and these initiatives are also applied to the product creation process.
Recent key examples are introduced here.

Key examples up until now are introduced in customer page.

Click here for customer page (Japanese only)

Employing 100% recyclable paper drink containers

Customer Voices

I enjoy drinking it every day, but it is troublesome to dispose of the containers – a lot of cans. I wish they were made of paper. (40s)

Cans are heavy and wasteful. Why can't it come in paper packs? Those are more ecological, aren't they? They are particularly convenient because they are easy to crush. (40s)

Shiseido adopted ecological "carton cans" made of paper. Like milk cartons, they can be recycled. Domestic timber from forest-thinning and lumber scraps are used to make the paper for the carton cans. A portion of the proceeds from KIREINOSUSUME is donated to Green Fund, so, in addition to enjoying the drink, customers can contribute to the sound development of forests in Japan.

Launched mini-size nail colors (limited to summer 2010)

Customer Voices

I don't necessarily use the same nail color every day, so it can be hard to use them up. With lower prices for smaller sizes, I could enjoy nail art with different colors. I hope small bottles will be available for MQ, too. (30s)

They are smooth and pretty, but I hope Shiseido will offer mini-sizes. The volume of the current product is too much…. I could enjoy trying different colors if they were smaller and cheaper. Nail art, too. (30s)

Our Improvements

In response to the voices of many customers – asking for MAQuillAGE glossy nail colors in smaller sizes – Shiseido launched multiple colors in small sizes on a limited basis. A line of rich colors, tones and textures is available so that customers can collect all their favorites and enjoy trying new ones.

Launched refill for the powder and a puff sold separately

Customer Voices

I bought the product because it is good and I like it, but was disappointed to find that there was no refill. The powder case is quite pretty and it seems like a waste to throw it away and buy a new one. This is not very ecologically minded. (40s)

It is beautiful powder, and it's fun because there is a knack to applying it to the face. But it's a waste to buy the entire case each time. (50s)

Our Improvements

Responding to our customers’ voices – calls for a refill so that compacts can be reused, and a separately-sold puff so that one can be use while the other is washed – refills and unbundle puffs were released six months after the original products, when customer demand was at its peak.

Water-resistant, but without the need for special cleansing

Customer Voices

What is a good water-resistant sunscreen for children in the upper grades of elementary school that requires a minimum of re-applications? I want something that can be removed with body soap. (40s)

Can the gold or silver finish ANESSA be removed with normal soap? I want to minimize things I carry on a trip and am looking for a sunscreen requiring no special cleanser to remove. (50s)

Our Improvements

In response to customers’ voices – calls for easy removal without special cleanser – Shiseido used its unique powder coating technology to accomplish the quite contradictory functions of being resistant to sweat and water while being easy to remove.

Customer Voices

It's quite hard to press the pump dispenser. I was wondering if it's possible to make the container easier to use. (Female, 70s)

The container often falls over as the contents are used up. Just pumping the dispenser causes the container to fall on the tray next to the product creating a mess! It seems that the bottle is unstable because the cap is too large and heavy. Please tell the company to improve the container. (Female, 40s)

Our Improvements

Customer opinions regarding containers, including "the dispenser is hard to press," "the container falls over easily as the contents are used up and the quantity becomes less" and "the container is too tall and I can't store it easily," have been reflected in the development of a new bottle design that facilitates use.

In addition to making the container shorter and the pump dispenser easier to press, the shape of the container was widened at the bottom to enhance stability and also enable convenient storage in a vanity drawer, thereby adopting a design that enables everyone to comfortably use the products regardless of age.

Launched product refills in line with brand renewal.

Customer Voices

I like the product and have been using it for a long time; however, for refills, I think a plastic pouch would be better than a plastic bottle. (Female, 20s)

I have been regularly using MA CHÉRIE for a long time because I like the brand, but there is one thing I would like to see improved. Would it be possible to change the refill container to a plastic pouch such as those used for TSUBAKI ? It's easy to simply replace dispensers, but the volume of waste increases. Is there any plan to change the packaging? (Female, 30s)

Our Improvements

In response to the opinions of numerous regular users, the containers were changed from "bottle-type refills" to "pouch-type refills." With this change, plastics used for containers will be reduced by approximately 110.7 tons annually.

Launched Japan's first standing pouch-type refills for a hair styling product.

Customer Voices

Excellent product from Shiseido!

I used to use wax and spray, but I became a regular user of FOG BAR because I only need to use one item and styling is easy, plus it's convenient to use.

It would be nice if refill products were available. (Male, teens)

The product is used up quickly because I use it every day.
Since the container is well made, wouldn't it be more environmentally friendly if refill products were available? Wouldn't the price be cheaper as well? (Male, 20s)

Our Improvements

By taking advantage of the product's liquid formulation, Shiseido launched Japan's first standing pouch-type refills for a hair styling product. As a result, Shiseido managed to reduce plastics used for containers by 88% compared with bottle-type products.

Launched single-touch styling hair color that easily resolves concerns over gray hair to achieve a beautiful finish.

Customer Voices

I use hair color once a month, but it's especially hard to apply hair color at the roots of my hair. Gray hair starts to show quickly if I don't color my hair every 10 days.
Because I'm working, it's convenient to use hair color that easily allows coloring of certain parts of my hair.
I would like to use hair color exclusively for specific areas and a product that allows me to use only the amount I need without mixing. (Female, 60s)

I am concerned about hair damage caused by the frequent use of hair color. At the same time, it's hard for me to color my hair because my eyesight is getting worse with age and my hands aren't as flexible anymore. Since I am concerned about my roots and other certain areas, I need a product that enables me to cover only those areas. (Female, 60s)

Our Improvements

Shiseido launched a new type of hair color in response to customer requests to "quickly and beautifully cover gray roots and around the parting of hair as needed in between coloring hair. "

Simple application by combing thoroughly covers gray hair at the roots and around the parting of hair. The new product not only covers gray hair but it also gradually colors hair without causing damage. Since hair does not become stiff, it realizes a light and airy, youthful hairstyle with natural color.

Universal design takes into account the environments in which all kinds of people live. It is an important approach for Shiseido given our commitment to create products that all customers can enjoy with confidence and peace of mind.
Shiseido adopted the Shiseido Universal Design Guidelines in 2005 based on expert theory and legislation, and crafted to reflect the characteristics of our products. The guidelines span 6 principles and 14 provisions and describe a product development process in which all product planning and design departments share information. A key point during the formulation of the guidelines was to precisely identify what kind of customers used actual products, as well as how they used them and in what circumstances. It was also important to imagine as many such situations as possible.
For example, the principle requiring that it be obvious how to use the product includes an "intuitive design" checkbox indicating that users should intuitively understand where to hold the container and twist in order to open it. Designs that take such considerations into account are defined as easy-to-use designs. Conversely, a design that contravenes the user's intuition by having a non-functional design element that looks like a button that should be pressed to open the container would be a difficult-to-use design.
In fall 2008, we launched ELIXIR PRIOR for customers aged 60 and over. During the development of the container, designers met many times with customers in the target age group to solicit feedback on what they found inconvenient about their daily makeup routine and to give them an opportunity to handle the actual container. The requests and concerns that emerged from those meetings were incorporated into the design as shown in the photograph below.
Shiseido will continue to value customer's perspectives in product development.