Our Mission

SHISEIDO is dedicated to improving the health and beauty of our planet’s oceans. In collaboration with the World Surf League, the global home of surfing, and PURE, the World Surf League’s environmental initiative committed to inspire, educate and empower ocean protection, the SHISEIDO BLUE PROJECT encourages ocean lovers from around the world to join hands in protecting and supporting the beaches we love, the oceans we depend on, and the skin we live in.

The environmental impact of sunscreens.

  • A Study on the effects of UV filters on coral

    SHISEIDO conducted joint research with Associate Professor Takashi Nakamura of the Faculty of Science, Ryukyu University, Japan. Professor Nakamura is actively conducting research related to reef-building corals and coral reef organisms. SHISEIDO scientists conducted research to assess the impact of each UV filter used in our products on two types of corals – the soft coral (Alcyonacea) and hard coral (Scleractinia) – collected under the special permission of the prefectural governor based on the rules of Okinawa prefecture. The research focused on the changes in the maximum quantum yield of photosynthesis *1 in the symbiotic zooxanthellae of the corals*2, as well as the coral polyps’ expansion and contraction under experimental treatments.

  • A Study of the dynamics of sunscreens when people use our sunscreens

    At the same time, SHISEIDO scientists used an in silico evaluation model to elucidate a worst-case ocean elution scenario of using SHISEIDO's water-resistant sunscreens for leisure. The simulation assumes overconservative conditions with the largest number of swimmers in midsummer*3. Tokyo Bay was used as the model in the risk assessment. This is a model developed by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology. This model is used in detailed risk assessments by governments, businesses, universities, etc. and multiple reports and papers using the model have been submitted.

    From the results obtained from the above, it is considered that the impact on coral colonies in the ocean when using SHISEIDO water-resistant sunscreens for leisure is insignificant even under exaggerated conditions.
    SHISEIDO is committed to developing products that can protect the skin from harmful UV rays while trying to minimize the impact on the marine environment.

  • *1 The value when light energy can be used most efficiently when organisms perform photosynthesis under certain conditions.
  • *2 Colony of egg-laying size excluding planktonic larvae and juvenile coral colonies.
  • *3 Calculated from information such as the parts used, the amount used, and the number of ocean swimmers in the past

We Are One Ocean

SHISEIDO delivered the We Are One Ocean petition to the United Nations Convention on Biodiversity together with the WSL and WSL PURE. The petition calls on world leaders to protect and conserve 30% of the global ocean by 2030. SHISEIDO continues being a global sustainability partner to work with WSL, WSL PURE and the world's top professional surfers through the "We Are One Ocean" activities to realize a more beautiful ocean toward 2030.

WSL WAOO URL https://www.weareoneocean.org/

We Are One Ocean We Are One Ocean

In Partnership with the World Surf League

Starting in September 2019, SHISEIDO will launch a range of global initiatives to protect the oceans. Events such as beach cleanups will be held in conjunction with our sponsorship of the World Surf League tour. With strong support from the World Surf League and local environmental organizations, we strive to make a positive impact on the health and beauty of the world’s beaches and oceans.

  • The World Surf League is dedicated to celebrating the world's best surfing on the world's best waves through a variety of best-in-class audience platforms. This global sport organization is headquartered in Santa Monica and has regional offices in Australasia, Africa, North America, South America, Hawaii, Japan, and Europe.
    The World Surf League has been championing the world's best surfing since 1976, annually running more than 230 global events across the Men's and Women's Championship Tours, the Big Wave Tour, Red Bull Airborne, Qualifying Series, Junior and Longboard Championships, as well as the World Surf League Big Wave Awards. The League possesses a deep appreciation for the sport's rich heritage while promoting progression, innovation, and performance at the highest levels, and in doing so crowns the undisputed Men's and Women's World Champions across all tours.

    For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.

  • PURE stands for Protecting, Understanding, and Respecting the Environment. Founded in 2016, WSL PURE is on a mission to inspire, educate and empower ocean protection, starting with the global surf community. PURE leverages the WSL's incredible platform to shine a light on the people making a difference - environmentalists, athletes, advocacy organizations, communities, individuals - and collaborates with world class, nonprofit partners.

    For more information, please visit WSLPURE.org.

SHISEIDO BLUE PROJECT Ambassador
Kanoa Igarashi

Professional surfer and ocean lover Kanoa Igarashi is the SHISEIDO BLUE PROJECT ambassador. Together, we will share our message with the world and protect the beauty of our oceans.

Profile

Kanoa is one of the world’s leading professional surfers. His fun-loving personality and healthy, eco-conscious lifestyle have made him one of the most respected figures in the surf community – both online and offline. As Global Project Ambassador for the SHISEIDO BLUE PROJECT from 2019, Kanoa aims to engage and encourage more people in the world to participate in the protection of our oceans. Belongs to the Kinoshita Group.

  • • Birthday : October 1, 1997
  • • Lives in: Huntington, California
  • • Height: about 180cm
  • • Languages: English, Portuguese, Japanese, Spanish, French
  • • Key achievements: 2022 WCT 5th place, 2022 ISA World Surfing Games gold medal.
  • • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kanoaigarashi/

Interview from
Kanoa Igarashi

A Natural Love for the Ocean

It started early for BLUE PROJECT ambassador and pro surfer Kanoa Igarashi.

“Growing up in and around the ocean, I have always had a natural instinct to want to protect it,” Kanoa says.

At the age of six, he and his friends began picking up trash on Huntington Beach before and after surfing. Realizing there was nowhere to dispose of the trash they would find in the water, the would-be environmentalist successfully lobbied the Huntington City council to install trash cans closer to the water’s edge – an initiative that is still in place to this day.

What started out as something small among friends – “we just wanted our local beach to look nice” – soon progressed to something bigger.

As his surf career began to grow, so too did his audience. Kanoa saw this as an opportunity to spread the message of protecting and respecting the ocean and began using his platform to do so.

“It’s all about spreading the word,” Kanoa says. “Anybody can start picking up trash from the beach – it’s easy.
It doesn’t cost money, doesn’t take a lot of time, so the more we share that message, the more it will become engrained in people’s minds – and that’s when it becomes a way of life.”

As such, he urges everyone to follow in his footsteps, start small and do whatever they can: “I believe that if everyone in the world did just 1% more, the impact on our oceans would be huge.”

Paradise Found

The first thing that comes to mind when Kanoa discusses the theme of LOVING BLUE is – of course – the ocean, and when asked to share his most beautiful moment of blue, he describes with passion a recent surf trip:

“I was in the water off a remote island in Indonesia, and I remember looking around and all I saw was blue. There wasn’t one person to distract my view.” He continues, “I was having a hard time surfing because I was so amazed by how beautiful it was. All I could hear was the wind and the waves – other than that it was just pure silence.”

Asked what made it so special, he explains, “being out there in the water alone and experiencing Mother Nature at its best was paradise for me. Fish jumping all around me, perfect waves, and crystal-clear blue water. I couldn’t ask for more. It’s definitely a moment I’ll never forget.”

That was five months ago, before COVID-19 shook the world.

A Powerful Realization

Being kept out of the water due to the global pandemic forced Kanoa, like all of us, to adapt to a new way of life. It also gave him time to consider just how much the ocean means to him.

“There was one period where the world was on lockdown, and we weren’t allowed outside. I spent about two weeks just staring at the ocean from my window,” he recalls.
“I felt like I was getting drawn towards it, because for me, the ocean is where I wash away all my stress and all my anxiety. It’s where I get away from everything and take time for myself.”

He continues, “That time apart definitely made me realize just how powerful the ocean is.”

Looking Forward

Not one to dwell on the cancellation of what looked set to be the biggest year of his life, Kanoa is looking forward with positivity and determination.

“My goals remain the same as what I set out back in January: win a world title and win a gold medal.” He explains, “and whether that’s in three months or three years, I’ll be more prepared than ever”.

His fierce competitiveness is present in every aspect of his life – even his role as BLUE PROJECT Ambassador: “This too is a competition to me. I want to be a part of making the best, most eco-friendly sunscreen there is, and I want to share our message with as many people as we can. Alongside SHISEIDO, I think that’s a real possibility!”

We couldn’t agree more,
and with Kanoa by our side,
the future looks brighter than ever.

World Surf League Activities

2022 Beach Clean up with Kanoa IGARASHI at Tsurigasaki, Japan

On October 28, 2022 (Friday), a beach cleanup was held at Tsurigasaki Beach (Ichinomiya-cho, Chosei-gun, Chiba Prefecture, Japan) as part of ocean protection activity, in conjunction with Kanoa Igarashi, just after becoming the world champion at the World Surfing Games 2022.

  • Tsurigasaki Beach is a mecca for surfing in Japan, where Kanoa Igarashi won the silver medal in 2021. Together with Kanoa Igarashi, more than 100 people participated, including youth who love the sea, local people from Ichinomiya, and Mayor of Ichinomiya Masaya Mabuchi.

  • Before the beach cleanup, Kanoa Igarashi directly explained to the local youth the importance of using sunscreen to protect their skin from UV rays and of using products with ingredients that are less harmful to the global environment. In addition, he stressed that we should try to reduce garbage in our daily lives, and through activities such as beach cleaning, we can help/support to protect the ocean environment.

2021 The US Open of Surfing at Huntington Beach, presented by SHISEIDO

As this exciting event drew crowds to Huntington Beach from all over the world, the SHISEIDO BLUE PROJECT came out to make a positive impact, with our beach cleanup activity on September 23rd, 2021 sponsored by SHISEIDO.

  • Beach cleanup

    Our SHISEIDO BLUE PROJECT ambassador Kanoa Igarashi, who competed in the U.S. OPEN event, participated in the beach cleanup we organized during the tournament. With Huntington Beach full of surfers, spectators and fans, and Kanoa Igarashi on our team, it was a great opportunity to collect various types of garbage and keep it out of the oceans and off the sand, and to have fun doing it.

2019 Quiksilver and Roxy Pro France Championship Tours

For our first SHISEIDO BLUE project, we sponsored the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro France Championship Tours. At the beach in France, we organized a beach clean up and dune planting on Oct 5th , where surfing champion Kanoa Igarashi, our SHISEIDO BLUE PROJECT Ambassador, joined in and worked alongside the volunteers.

  • Dune Planting

    Together with WSL PURE, we hosted an educational dune planting event led by the Hossegor City Council, focusing on informing people locally and globally on how to protect the dunes at their local beaches, and planting grasses on the beach at Hossegor.

  • Beach Cleanup

    Led by the French environmental education organization Water Family, 48 people including Kanoa Igarashi helped tackle the beach litter problem. “There is a lot of trash on the beach, so it’s important for surfers like myself to clean it,” Kanoa remarked. “As a project ambassador, I want to continuously clean up the beach, and I hope the importance of this issue will spread further as a result.”

SHISEIDO SUNCARE

SHISEIDO Suncare delivers scientifically advanced solutions
for sun protection, sun makeup, after sun skin restoration,
and skin tone enhancing self-tanning.