Sustainable Cosmetic Award Japan announces best beauty products 2021

As more people became aware of SDGs in Japan, more brands released sustainable products last year. Beauty brands are no exception, and they have produced goods that are gentle to the environment as well as to users. As consumers, it can be difficult choosing the most sustainable item ourselves amongst other options available. Considering award-winning beauty brands may help us to narrow down the list.

Last month, the Sustainable Cosmetic Award Japan announced the best beauty products from 2021. This recently formed organization offers an award program for a wide variety of beauty products to honor the ones that are “kind to people and the earth.” Starting in 2019, it sets high standards in many categories from work environment to ingredient supply, from water and natural resources to CO2 emission and waste management. Run by an activist team, Mother Earth, which is led by a few ambassador members of the Ministry of the Environment, the award invites many specialist judges in diverse fields. Last year, Moist Setouchi T&K Herb skin lotion won the gold award, followed by Ashita wa kakinoki ni noboru feminine oil and Athletia toning lotion.

Here are 2021’s top four winners!

Gold Award: Yaetoko Iyokan Moisturizing Soap

This top-notch bar soap is made to wash your face with as you enjoy the pleasant iyokan citrus fruit fragrance. It creates a rich foam that is gentle and gives fine moisture to the skin. The producer aims to “bring out the best of iyokan,” grown without herbicide and chemical fertilizer in Ehime Prefecture. The hand-made soap only contains high-quality ingredients, including plant-based essential oils, distilled water and powdered pearl. The Yaetoko brand is operated by Muchachaen, a farmers group that practices sustainable agriculture.

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Silver Award: Botanicanon Passion Fruit Lotion

This is a mist lotion that can be sprayed onto your face, hair and body, and it has a bittersweet and refreshing fragrance of passion fruit. It contains fresh passion fruit extract which helps to give beaming skin. No water or artificial ingredients were added to the product. The brand, Botanicanon, is owned by Botanical Factory located on the Osumi peninsula in Kagoshima Prefecture where they harvest and upcycle local plants as ingredients. The passion fruit used for this particular lotion is upcycled to support local farmers.

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Bronze Award: Shizooju White Essence Lotion and FofO Bee Balm Kaabuchii / Sannin

The bronze award went to two products this year. One of them, Shizooju’s White Essence Lotion, contains 100% plant-based ingredients and is designed for total skincare, including whitening, moisturizing, and wrinkle and freckle prevention. The product features organically grown traditional Japanese plants such as red shiso perilla, which has a component that fights bacteria. Owned by natural and organic focused cosmetics company, Palseylle, none of the Shizooju series’ production process involves animal testing.

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FofO Bee Balm Kaabuchii and FofO Bee Balm Sannin also won the bronze. FofO is an Okinawan brand, run by a cosmetic studio, Fromo, that promotes locally produced ingredients. These simple and moist bee balms feature 100% beeswax made at their bee farm and Okinawan kaabuchii citrus fruit and sannin flower. The brand also incorporates sustainable packaging to reduce waste.

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Sustainable Cosmetic Award Japan plans to close the program in 2030. The operation team believes “Cosmetics kind to people and the earth” are hopefully the norm by then.