De farmácia a cosméticos

A marca SHISEIDO foi criada em 1872 por Arinobu Fukuhara no distrito de Ginza, em Tóquio, para desenvolver a primeira farmácia de cultura ocidental no Japão.

Em 1906, Shinzo Fukuhara, quarto filho de Arinobu, partiu para os Estados Unidos para adquirir conhecimento da farmacologia ocidental. Após seus estudos, ele viajou para a França, onde aprendeu a arte da fotografia.

Sua admiração pelas artes, ciência e cultura ocidental o levou a retornar ao Japão para introduzir um novo estilo de vida, combinando as tradições orientais com uma visão ocidental. Em 1915, Shinzo tornou-se o primeiro presidente da SHISEIDO e decidiu dedicar sua empresa à fabricação de cosméticos.

A sua paixão pela estética e inovação foi posta a serviço de uma cultura de excelência na concepção da empresa, uma reputação ainda ativa entre artistas e designers de todo o mundo. Através da visão de Shinzo Fukuhara, a SHISEIDO evoluiu para um laboratório de ideias artísticas e científicas, desenvolvendo constantemente o melhor de ambas, para melhorar a qualidade da vida cotidiana.

Em 1922, uma seção de cuidados para o cabelo foi criada dentro do departamento de cosméticos da Shiseido em Ginza para servir de base para o desenvolvimento de métodos de cuidado da pele. Ao apostar na sua atividade estética, a Shiseido passou as décadas seguintes a reinventar-se para oferecer constantemente novos produtos validados por esta atividade profissional.

 Salões Shiseido

A Shiseido inaugurou seu primeiro salão de beleza em Ginza em 1934. Posteriormente, em 1956, a marca inaugurou um salão de beleza completo (o primeiro Shiseido Beauty Salon) no antigo Tokyu Bunka Kaikan em Shibuya, que marcou o lançamento em larga escala de sua atividade estética . Desde então, a Shiseido tem ajudado mulheres a tornar suas vidas mais bonitas por meio de cuidados com os cabelos, maquilhagem e beleza, além de vender cosméticos. Após a abertura dos salões, a empresa criou um departamento dedicado à venda de produtos profissionais, que posteriormente foi ampliado para oferecer aos salões serviços completos. Por meio desses salões, a Shiseido deu uma grande contribuição para a indústria de cabelo e beleza.

Da Tailândia em 2001, a Shiseido expandiu seus negócios de produtos profissionais para nove países asiáticos, estabelecendo uma subsidiária no mercado asiático para acelerar significativamente a expansão de seus negócios locais de serviços de cabeleireiro e salão de beleza.

Em 2013, a empresa inaugurou o SHISEIDO PROFESSIONNEL Beauty Congress destinado a todos os profissionais asiáticos, inclusive japoneses. Paralelamente, a marca organizou e sediou o BEAUTY INNOVATOR AWARD, um dos maiores concursos de fotografia da Ásia, com o objetivo de apoiar a formação de gestores que irão liderar a indústria de salões de beleza no futuro. Eventos que pretendem contribuir significativamente para o desenvolvimento desta atividade em todo o mundo.

Sunscreen

Choosing the Right Sunscreen: What You Need to Know

Summer is approaching, and everyone dreams of relaxing in the sun. While the sun is beneficial for the body and mind, prolonged exposure can be harmful to the skin. No exposure without protection!

 UVB is the main cause of sunburn
No sun, no life. The sun is the source of multiple benefits for the body (providing heat, synthesizing vitamin D through the skin, a sense of physical well-being) and for the mind. It even improves certain skin conditions, such as psoriasis or eczema. But if you overuse it, the consequences can be harmful to the skin.
The ultraviolet radiation (UVA and UVB) emitted by solar radiation can cause irreversible damage to skin cells. UVB represents only 2% of ultraviolet rays, but they are very energetic. They are the main culprits of sunburns, which can range from simple redness with a sensation of warmth to a real burn with painful swelling accompanied by fever, headache. Repeated burns during childhood are risk factors for the occurrence of skin cancer (melanomas, carcinomas) in adulthood.
UVA rays, on the other hand, penetrate the dermis, cause degradation of collagen and elastin fibers, and are the main responsible for accelerated skin aging (wrinkles, dry skin, appearance of brown spots). Sunscreen products should, therefore, prevent visible or invisible, immediate, or long-term effects of UVB and UVA rays. To achieve this, they contain combined mineral filters that reflect UV filters and chemicals that absorb UV. Mineral filters consist of inert powders (zinc oxide, titanium dioxide) and do not cause allergies. Therefore, they are mainly found in sunscreen products intended for sensitive skin and children.

Four categories of sunscreen products

Sunscreen products are classified according to their level of protection (sunburn protection factor or SPF), sun protection index (IP5), or even sun protection factor (SPF), in four categories:
1. Low protection, SPF between 6 and 14;
2. Medium protection, SPF between 15 and 29;
3. High protection, SPF between 30 and 59;
4. Very high protection, SPF of 60.

SPF does not guarantee a duration of protection: applying a sunscreen with a high index does not mean that sun exposure can be longer. It does not provide any information on UVA protection. That's why brands add UVA protection, but there is no single index. As for the term "total protection," it should no longer be used.

How is the protection index calculated?

The calculation of the protection index results from a method that all laboratories apply. Volunteers expose their backs, divided into different areas (one without sunscreen, the other or the others covered with sunscreen) to artificial UV radiation. This determines the dose of radiation needed to cause the equivalent of a sunburn (minimum erythema dose or MED). The protection index is the ratio between the MED on the skin protected by the product and the MED on the unprotected skin. Regardless of the brand, the SPF corresponds to the same level of protection. Note, however, during laboratory tests, 2 mg of sunscreen are used per square centimeter, which is never done in practice, as it would be equivalent to using a quarter tube of cream in a single application.

My skin type

 
Each of us has a unique ability to sunbathe and develop sunburn. This ability is determined by hereditary factors, such as skin or hair color, which is called phototype. Scientists generally classify skins into six categories. In practice, four main phototypes are distinguished:
1. Redheads with milky white skin, extremely sensitive to the sun;
2. Blondes with fair skin, sun-sensitive;
3. People with intermediate skin, brown hair with sufficiently thick light skin, renewing quite easily, getting sunburned during very intense exposures;
4. People with fairly sun-resistant skin, brown hair, brown skin with easy tanning.

Which product to choose?

The choice of protection coefficient should essentially depend on the skin's phototype and the intensity of the sun. Exposure can be:
• extreme (mountain, tropics);
• important (beach, long outdoor activities, etc.);
• moderate (outdoor life ...).
The lighter the skin color, the higher the exposure, and the higher the index.

Enhanced protection for children

Children spend most of their time outdoors and are not prepared to defend themselves from the sun. Their fragile skin keeps the traces of sunburn for many years, risk factors for the appearance of skin cancer in adulthood. It is estimated that a child receives three times more UVB per year than an adult and that half of a person's sun exposure during life occurs before the age of 18.
If the sun is necessary for health, it represents a danger to children's skin. Before the age of 3, direct sun exposure is prohibited because the skin is immature, thin, and vulnerable. Their thermoregulatory system is insufficient, and we must be very careful about the risks of dehydration and heatstroke. This fragility of children's skin persists until the age of 8-9. Therefore, it is advisable to expose them as little as possible and favor clothing protection. The sunscreen used should be of very high protection and "special for children." Avoid using products with chemical filters on young children.

Avoid the appearance of small blisters on the neckline

After two or three days of exposure, you are covered with small blisters on your arms and neckline. This is undoubtedly Polymorphic light eruption (PLE): it is characterized by the appearance of red nodules accompanied by intense itching, mainly affecting young women.
These small pimples and itching disappear as soon as you stop exposing yourself. PLE is the result of brutal exposure to ultraviolet rays and can reappear every year if you are not careful. To avoid it, take three weeks before exposure and throughout the sun exposure, dietary supplements based on carotenoids (beta-carotene, lycopene) and anti-free radical vitamins (A, C, E) that prepare the skin to tan, strengthening its defenses. Expose yourself very gradually at first, avoiding hours rich in UVB (12 to 4 pm), and use high protection sunscreen products.

Self-tanner, smooth and bronzed skin

The self-tanner causes skin coloration without the intervention of solar radiation. Most often it contains dihydroxyacetone or DHA, which darkens in the air by oxidation. It looks good two or three hours after application. It is then eliminated over the days. The obtained coloration is only superficial. Be careful, the self-tanner does not prevent the appearance of sunburn. It is advisable to exfoliate before application. This way, the coloration is more uniform, and the result is natural. Be sure to rinse your hands well after application.
 

Tips for the proper use of sunscreen products

- Insist on sensitive areas (ears, neck, nose, shoulders).
- Gradually reduce the index when the tan intensifies.
- Apply sunscreen in a sufficiently thick layer and renew the application every two hours and after bathing, even if the product is presented as water-resistant.
- Avoid prolonged sun exposure, even with a high index cream.
- Close the product well after use and store it in the shade.
- After opening, do not keep sunscreen for more than one season.

Medication + sun, beware of danger

Certain medications increase skin sensitivity and can induce reactions in it. The intensity of the reaction depends on the dose and exposure of the drug. The responsible medications are very numerous: certain antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, antidepressants. If you are taking any medication, before any exposure, consult your pharmacist.


Did you know
At the beach, you are not fully protected under a parasol. This does not prevent sunlight reflected by the sand.
Clouds, wind, and swimming have a deceiving effect, giving you a false sense of coolness and the impression that the sun is not shining.

Face

Solar

Sun Protection Products: Choose a Safe and Effective Product!

Without the protection of clothing and effective sunscreen, prolonged exposure to the sun can be risky.

Which Sunscreen Product to Choose?

Always check the instructions on the product label!
Sun protection products (creams, gels, oils, or sprays) are cosmetic products intended to protect against the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation from the sun (UVA and UVB) when applied according to the instructions provided on the packaging.
However, it is wrong to believe that these products offer complete sun protection and allow you to stay exposed for longer. Caution should be exercised in terms of time and duration of exposure.

UVA, UVB, Make the Difference!

Tanning is a skin defense reaction that opposes a filter to the penetration of solar radiation. But this filter does not have unlimited capacity.
Solar radiation is composed, among other things, of ultraviolet B rays (UVB rays) and ultraviolet A rays (UVA rays). "Sunburn" is mainly caused by UVB rays. UVA rays are responsible for premature skin aging.
UVB rays are the main factor in skin cancer, while UVA rays play a significant role in its appearance.

Different Types of Sun Protection: Which to Choose?

There are two main categories of sun protection offered by cosmetics, depending on the nature of the filters and their mode of action; all must be expressly authorized by regulations:
•    Organic or chemical filters that act by absorbing UV radiation;
•    Mineral filters, namely titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, which act by reflecting UV rays: they do not penetrate the epidermis;
•    Organic or inorganic filters may be present in nanometric form. The [nano] mention must then be added to the name of the substance in the mandatory list of ingredients on the packaging.
•    These different filters, chemical or mineral, nano or not, can be combined by manufacturers to optimize efficiency.

Sunscreen Products, Protection Level: Read the Label!

Against UVB rays: the sun protection factor (SPF) or protection index (IP) is an essential criterion of choice. It corresponds to the delaying effect of the product in relation to sun aggression.
The product category followed by a number corresponding to the "sun protection factor (SPF)" is used to assess its effectiveness. The higher the SPF, the greater the photoprotective action.
The European Commission proposed grouping sun protection factors to keep only eight different numbers on labels. However, not all labeling has been changed, and old sun protection factors are sometimes retained.

Note: Claims like "full screen" or "total protection" should not be used. Although common, they are false because no sun product offers complete protection against ultraviolet radiation.
The European Commission defined, in its recommendation of September 22, 2006, the labeling rule for sunscreens. Taken from this recommendation, the table below specifies the correspondences between categories and sun protection factors:

Sun Protection Factors

Low protection    6-10
Medium protection    15-20-25
High protection    30-50
Very high protection    50+

Against UVA rays: check if your sunscreen has, in addition to the SPF, the UVA logo. This is the guarantee of ideal protection against ultraviolet rays.

Note: This logo is not mandatory but recommended and used by many professionals. Other mentions or indications regarding protection against UVA rays may, however, appear on the packaging.
Some "conventional" media insist on the existence of so-called controversial ingredients in sun products.
Remember that sunscreens can only contain UV filters authorized by cosmetic regulations (about thirty) because they are assessed as risk-free for human health. Exposing yourself to the sun without any protection, however, is dangerous.
Consumers are advised to read labels and inquire about the composition of the products they purchase, especially if they have special ethical or environmental requirements or a history of sensitivity to certain substances.

Usage Tips
The National Union of Dermatologists has published the 10 precautions to be taken against the harmful effects of the sun:
•    The best protection is clothing for everyone (especially children): hat, sunglasses, shirt.
•    Babies and young children should not be exposed to direct sunlight;
•    Sunburns are dangerous, especially in children;
•    Avoid direct exposure between 12:00 and 4:00 PM
•    Sun exposure should be gradual;
•    Sand, snow, water can reflect more than half of the sun's rays on your skin;
•    Your sunscreen, anti-UVB and anti-UVA, should be renewed every two hours and after each bath, regardless of its protection index;
•    Use sunscreen suitable for your skin type;
•    Sunscreen is not intended to increase the exposure time;
•    In altitude and in the tropics, it is necessary to increase the sun protection index of the product usually used.