Our Story
Honest skincare brings locally sourced Japanese super ingredients from the farm to your face. Authentic Japanese botanicals encourage beautifully healthy skin free from concerns.
With the combined power of science and nature, WASO is able to create exciting, clean, and sustainable products that work effectively to fundamentally improve skin’s condition and bring out honest, natural beauty in everyone.
Learn more about farm to faceWe believe in connecting every step of the skincare making process from beginning to end. Working directly with farmers from various regions of Japan, rather than conventional large-scale suppliers, allows us to ensure the traceability, freshness, and potency of our ingredients, while supporting local economies. The power in each of these locally sourced ingredients is then harnessed by our Shiseido scientists to create nutrient-rich skincare with proven clinical efficacy to address a new generation of skin concerns.
Super Ingredients
Discover the story of
our local Japanese ingredients.
Products
Shikuwasa in WASO
Through our extensive research, we’ve found that Shikuwasa can be an incredibly beneficial component of skincare and provide numerous benefits such as supporting skin barrier functions and moisturizing young skin*. In addition, its peel extract is high in polyphenols (flavonoids) and has positive effects on the skin as well as other parts of the body.
*In vitro testing.
Yuzu in WASO
WASO YUZU-C collection uses "Yuzu-Complex" to help maintain skin's moisture levels*.
This complex contains fruit extract from Yuzu cultivated in the sunny coastal hills of Nakayama, Kochi, as well as Yuzu seed extract which helps maintain skin’s moisture levels*.
*In vitro testing.
Satokibi in WASO
Using the combined power of nature and science, Shiseido has incorporated sugarcane extract (Satokibi in Japanese) into its formula to help target the skincare concerns of a new generation. The WASO SATOCANE pore care collection contains Satokibi extract to help with the prevention of sebum buildup which can be a major cause of clogged pores*.
*In vitro testing.
Koshihikari Rice in WASO
Through its research, Shiseido discovered that Koshihikari rice extract offers antioxidant benefits.
The WASO KOSHIRICE features this extract to help prevent excess oil, a major cause of outbreaks, and help soothe the skin.
The enzymes used to draw out Koshihikari’s antioxidant-rich* rice extract are all plant derived.
*In vitro testing.
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Our Promise
WASO’s exciting, clean, and sustainably packaged products improve skin’s condition, feel amazing, and are beautifully textured to bring out the natural beauty in everyone, while helping support a sustainable future.
Our Promise to Skin
We strive to make our products WASO clean, which is why we say no to unwanted ingredients. WASO is about fundamentals, focusing on maximizing the benefits of what’s proven to work and leaving out what’s unnecessary.
Our Promise to Nature
We prioritize recycling and upcycling to minimize waste. For example, we use upcycled water from apple juice production to reduce our overall water consumption.
Our Promise to People
We work together with farmers to help revitalize local economies.
Clean Formula
WASO Clean means that we exclude the unwanted and maximize what’s proven to be good for skin and the environment.
Excluding the UNWANTED & Maximizing the GOOD
Each ingredient in our formulas has gone through our rigorous and strict WASO “CLEAN 5” check to make sure that only the best ingredients are used.
WASO “CLEAN 5” Check
A strict examination system based on five safety criteria: purity, origins, allergenicity, toxicity, and environment.
Only Scented by Botanical Extracts
The WASO lineup is scented only by the botanical extracts used in our formulas to bring nature’s benefits to your skin.
Clinical Efficacy
The skin efficacy of our products is clinically proven by in-house and third-party labs, showing significant and visible improvement in skin concerns after testing.
Food Grade Raw Materials
Our Yuzu, Shikuwasa Lime, Satokibi Satocane, and Koshihikari Rice are Japanese ingredients that comply with food-grade level standards.
Vegan
Our products do not use any animal-derived ingredients and are in line with Shiseido’s animal welfare policy.
Giving Back
By working with local farmers we hope to contribute to and support the livelihoods of Shikuwasa farmers as well as help the Shikuwasa region grow. Our key ingredients are also 100% traceable. We are able to track our full production cycle of Yuzu, Shikuwasa, Satokibi, and Koshihikari.
Water Saving Formula*
We’ve managed to help reduce the amount of water used in production by recycling water from apple juice distillation back into our production chain.
Recycled
Pushing for sustainability, our packaging features 95% recycled plastic for its outer jar.
Upcycled
We believe in the power of transformation; therefore, the outer cap of our sustainable packaging is made with 30% upcycled rice husk.
Reuse
The use of a refill jar reduces plastic use by 89% compared with purchasing a new jar**.
*Using upcycled apple water except for Calming Spot Treatment.
**Calculated by weight of plastic saved by not purchasing a new jar.
We’ve worked diligently to make sure that every material used in our packaging is selected consciously and with sustainability in mind.
REDUCING PLASTIC USAGE
Outer caps made from 30% rice husk
Through our extensive research, we found that normally discarded rice husks can be reused as a vegetal material and substituted for plastic in our caps.
95% recycled plastic for outer jar
In order to reduce the plastic usage, WASO’s outer jars are made using 95% recycled plastic.
10% plant derived plastic elements for tube
The use of sugarcane-derived polyethylene, produced from discarded sugarcane molasses, avoids plastic production competition with ford production and emits less C02 during the manufacturing and disposal stages.
As we considered ways to make our production more sustainable, we looked at water usage as a starting point. Usually, when apple juice is made, the water that is left behind after the distillation and concentration process is mostly discarded. WASO has found an innovative way to upcycle this water through purification, done primarily in Aomori, Japan. Once purified, we can incorporate this water into our products to avoid the use of fresh and new water as much as possible. With our goal to reduce and reuse as much as possible in the production of WASO, we vow to use water as effectively and efficiently as possible*.
*Using upcycled apple water except for Calming Spot Treatment.
WASO LOCAL REVITALIZATION PROJECT
Beautiful Nature. Beautiful Skin.
WASO promotes clean beauty through ecologically enriching agriculture. This nature-driven skincare starts with SHIKUWASA, a citrus fruit celebrated for its health benefits. And now, we donate a portion of sales to provide seedlings through the WASO LOCAL REVITALIZATION PROJECT. It’s our love of nature that inspires beauty. Join us in protecting our environment.