Sustainable Cosmetics Award 2025 celebrates Japanese sustainable beauty

The Sustainable Cosmetics Award 2025 ceremony took place on 20 March in Tokyo. The 2025 edition highlighted the best of 2025’s sustainable cosmetic Japanese products that combine traditional wisdom, regional revitalisation, and circular economy principles into their business models. Award categories included these themes, like the Upcycle Award, Carbon Neutral Award, Diversity Award, along with a new category UPDATER Award that recognises brands’ transparency.

Here are some of the winners of the Sustainable Cosmetics Award 2025.

Gold Award: Amritara White Birch Moist Water

The Gold Award was presented to Amritara for its White Birch Moist Water. This high-moisturising lotion is notable for containing no added water, instead using 100% pure birch sap harvested from Bifuka, Hokkaido. The harvesting process is strictly limited to a two-week window in mid-April when the trees send sap upwards to prepare for budding. Amritara ensures the health of the forest by drilling only small holes in the trunks and sealing them immediately after collection. This practice respects the traditions of the indigenous Ainu people, who have long valued birch sap as a natural blessing.

Amritara also demonstrates a commitment to the circular economy through its “Amrecycle” programme. The brand collects used containers and refills at its flagship stores in Omotesando and Hanshin Umeda to transform them into new resources. Furthermore, the White Birch Moist Water utilises a refillable system to reduce single-use plastic waste. The company also addresses regional social issues by sending its own staff to assist with the harvest in Hokkaido, supporting a local industry facing labour shortages and an ageing population.

Silver Award: Kruhi The Layer Serum and The Face Cleanse

The Silver Award was presented to Kruhi, a circular personal care brand founded by actor Shin Iura and Ai Iura. Two products, The Layer Serum and The Face Cleanse, were recognised for their 100% naturally derived formulations and use of unutilised regional resources. Kruhi operates on the concept of “positive circulation,” ensuring that consumption contributes to the health of the user, the community, and the environment. The brand utilises ingredients such as rice bran-derived inositol, yuzu from Kochi, and Sakhalin fir from Hokkaido, effectively upcycling materials that might otherwise go to waste.

As a brand, Kruhi also integrates social sustainability into its production process by outsourcing parts of its manufacturing to social welfare facilities. It is a member of 1% for the Planet, donating a portion of its profits to environmental protection organisations. Judges praised the brand for its consistent dedication to plastic-free packaging and its ability to maintain high product quality while adhering to strict ecological standards.

Bronze Awards: La Vie en Rose Aroma Tonic, Saicha Facial Oil, V Rich Aqua Sheet Mask

Several brands received Bronze Awards for their specific contributions to sustainable beauty. Ecomaat Japan was recognised for its La Vie en Rose Aroma Tonic, which uses organic Bulgarian roses processed via CO2 extraction to preserve botanical integrity. Saicha received an award for its Facial Oil, which upcycles tea seeds from abandoned tea plantations in Shizuoka, providing income for local farmers and employment for welfare facilities. Additionally, Ruhaku was honoured for its V Rich Aqua Sheet Mask, a Cosmos Organic certified product featuring Okinawan botanicals like Shekwasha and Noni, paired with unbleached organic cotton.

The Sustainable Cosmetics Award 2025 has been going on since 2019, and there is a trend of a growing maturity in the Japanese cosmetics market for sustainable and ethical options. Japan excels in bridging the gap between traditional Japanese values and modern circular mindsets in the sustainable beauty realm, and we can certainly expect more in the coming years.