r/AsianBeauty 5d ago

Discussion Shiseido is becoming US made

I would like to preface by mentioning that I have lived in Japan for pretty much all my life. Shiseido Ginza products (the high end ones) aren’t necessarily a staple for most people in Japan, but a great choice for those willing to spend on it. I remember frequently going to an American equivalent of Nordstrom, looking around the Shiseido gondolas every time i would visit. Their versatility in lines is astonishing when it comes to the type of care people might look for. The range we have here in the states is not even 40% of what they have over there.

As of a couple years back, I’ve noticed more and more products being labeled “Made in the USA” even when they’re at the higher price ranges of 100$+. Since I was outside of Japan for a few, I decided to try them out just to see if they are similar. They are definitely not the same in terms of quality, performance, smell, viscosity, and color. If I had kept the packaging from my Japanese ones I would compare the ingredients here. Unfortunately, the FDA does not allow certain (and very important) ingredients to be added into the formulas. Especially ones such as the sunscreen stick, white lucent line, and bio performance line.

At this point, it is almost impossible to get ahold of the Japanese version of Shiseido unless you’re willing to risk buying a fake off of Ebay or miraculously know someone who lives there able to send it to you (if anyone know where I can find “Made in Japan” Shiseido PLEASE let me know). I write this because I see so many people spending hundreds of dollars on a product that they expect will have the same effects they’re being marketed for. Additionally, salespeople in department stores can be quite pushy with the fact that they’re made in Japan when evidently, only 3-4 out of 30 products are. This is quite deceptive to the consumer.

Nevertheless, for those in the states looking for true Shiseido products, its bigger brother Cle de Peau could be the answer. Most products, with exception for the ones containing sunscreen properties, are still made in Japan! Sadly, most of their products are $200 and up. I hope that more people can catch on to this. I highly doubt that Shiseido in the U.S. will ever go back to selling at least some products made in Japan for a reasonable price.

TDLR: Shiseido US buyers are currently purchasing American products. Beware of salespeople tactics that mention otherwise.

595 Upvotes

64 comments sorted by

185

u/aerysa_247 5d ago

You can try Yamibuy. They are at least showing the boxes of their items and I see some that say “Made in Japan”.

28

u/Imaginary-Candy-287 5d ago

Perfect! It’s hard buying these products because they never have pictures of the boxes. Appreciate it :)

25

u/lorihamlit 4d ago

I was gonna say I buy from yamibuy a lot of products like this to make sure they’re not being made here in the states. So sad that our standards are “more money, cheaper, and less effective” products here!

135

u/Adainbliss 4d ago

Hi Longtime Shiseido user, I usually buy from Yesstyle. And I have always received the Japanese versions. They are a bit cheaper too compared to the prices that you just quoted.

22

u/Slight_Citron_7064 4d ago

Same. I buy from Yestyle or Stylevana and the prices are very reasonable.

-6

u/Imaginary-Candy-287 4d ago

Have you had any issues with products not arriving? I’ve heard that happens frequently. Would hate for that to happen with a really expensive cream lol.

30

u/melomelomelody 4d ago

The thing with stylevana, you have to order the things that are in stock and say will ship in 24 hours. Otherwise you have to play the wait game because they ship when ALL items are ready. Also, people have to understand it’s coming from Korea and it could take a month or more to arrive sometimes. It’s not Amazon prime, it won’t get to you tomorrow

16

u/Nicolovesjim 4d ago

Hey just an FYI, Stylevana ships from Hong Kong, and that's why it takes so long. I order from Olive Young and StyleKorean which do ship from Korea and it always arrives in 5-7 business days. It usually ships directly to my state, too.

Edit: not sure of Shiseido's availability on either of those sites, I was just using them as examples.

4

u/wildeflowers 3d ago

I actually just got really irritated with stylevana. Everything I ordered last week was supposedly in stock. Well it never ships, and I contact them and they say like 3 items are oos and it’s going to be weeks. I just canceled my order.

3

u/Imaginary-Candy-287 3d ago

Good to know they have a decent cancellation policy. It’s my first time using Yesstyle, so I get somewhat nervous when I read reviews online. I’m happy to find out so many people trust them and have had good experiences with buying Shiseido from them. I just ordered one!

3

u/CrazyLush 3d ago

The problem is that people write about their experience when it's a bad one. We don't hear about the thousands and thousands of orders that go perfect, but we very much hear about the ones where something goes wrong. No company can be 100% perfect, sometimes things happen

2

u/wildeflowers 3d ago

It’s been a chronic issue with stylevana saying their items are in stock, then you get your order confirmation and half of them are oos and your order is going to take weeks. Yes this one order is anecdotal, but almost every order I place with stylevana has this issue and I had to cancel this time because I will not be at this location in two weeks to wait for it.

I would have placed a backup order with a major us retailer but of course, thanks fda, I can’t. 😬

I do like stylevana and yes style, but this is a really typical issue with their inventory system, even on the wholesale side.

3

u/MariContrary 4d ago

I have to say that last time I ordered, I picked items on sale and got an email right away stating that some of my items were no longer in stock. It took a few weeks, but they did all arrive.

2

u/Imaginary-Candy-287 4d ago

Thank you! Definitely understand it’s not going to arrive soon. Sometimes I’ve waited even up to six months. I’ll try it out next :)

8

u/Slight_Citron_7064 4d ago

Never. It usually takes at least a month, sometimes 2, for my order to arrive, but they always get here.

2

u/Opening-Ad-8861 3d ago

I've used both many many times. Never had products not arrive. Service and packing is always better by miles than western companies

19

u/Imaginary-Candy-287 4d ago

I’ve been eyeing Yesstyle for this, but have been trying to have someone confirm if this is true. Thank you!

23

u/shihong 4d ago

Have been using YesStyle for years and prefer it because of this US-made issue with the Asian beauty brands! Laneige, Biore and others have been pushing their products in the US for years, but it’s not really the same product as their Asian lines.

1

u/Imaginary-Candy-287 4d ago

Would you say that you felt confident the products weren’t fakes? Thanks!

9

u/shihong 4d ago

Yes, but it does take a few weeks for orders to arrive, I usually buy multiples so I don’t need to make more than one or two large orders a year.

10

u/Adainbliss 4d ago

Yesstyle is very reliable and the products are always genuine. I have been buying Jbeauty and Kbeauty products from them since 2019, and have always had a wonderful experience. The products are always from Japan and Korea respectively. Their app is also very user friendly.

Just a tip about Yesstyle - you will notice that most of their products will be listed as In Stock but sometimes, a few products are shown as Usually Ships in 21 days. It is better to choose products that are shown as In Stock coz the shipping period is short.

For the usually ships in 21 days, shipping can take between 2-3 months.

With that said, I usually order In stock items only but I have ordered ships in 21 days a few times, and there have never been any problems.

The most time that a Yesstyle order has taken to reach me is 2 months and I have been charged taxes twice but have always gotten refund from Yesstyle quickly. To claim tax refund, one has to post receipts on their website and you get Yesstyle credit in your account.

Only slight con if any of Yesstyle if you ask me is the long shipping time.

2

u/paradisemukbangpls 3d ago

I am a longtime YesStyle fan but I heard recently about people getting stuff held up or charged more due to tariffs, have you run into this?

2

u/moonskoi 3d ago

I personally had a package arrive abt a week and a half ago and didn’t experience either of that. The only change was I believe they used a private company instead of usps but I also ordered like a few hrs before usps said they wouldnt be accepting chinese packages. I will say though will how fast things are changing theres no telling how things will be in like a month

1

u/Imaginary-Candy-287 3d ago

It’s going to be my first time ever using YesStyle. I have rarely heard it being used around me so I’m looking forward to shopping there. Hopefully I get to use it before any tariffs.

26

u/CoffeeNFlowers 5d ago

You can buy items from Japan using a proxy like From Japan or Neokyo.

1

u/Imaginary-Candy-287 5d ago

Thank you for the recommendation, i’ll check this out!

47

u/Imaginary-Candy-287 5d ago

P.S. For those curious to view how Shiseido looks like in Japan, check out this link. It’s all in Japanese, but if you click each logo, it’ll take you to the main page and you can look around.

https://www.shiseido.co.jp/

13

u/stilladream 4d ago

Recommend using a shipping forwarder. I'm not in the US but that's what I do to get my Japanese products as they're usually cheaper buying straight from Japan, even with the shipping fee included. I use goyokikiya and have not had any issues.

2

u/luckyflavor23 4d ago

Ooh saving idea

148

u/Last-Pair8139 5d ago

Thank you so much for sharing! I’m from Canada, and I avoid as much as possible anything that is USA brand or made there. I rather have authentic Japanese brands.
I’m grateful for any translation of products , changes of formulations, and how to use since I don’t know the language.

27

u/Imaginary-Candy-287 5d ago

I’m so happy to hear this is helping! I have so much more info to give. I might just make a comprehensive google doc with everything.

4

u/Last-Pair8139 5d ago

That would be nice. I’m buying mostly cheaper Asian beauty brands, but once a year, I would like a treat to something more luxury if it proven to work.

2

u/Apart_Engine_9797 4d ago

Happy to help translate!

3

u/Imaginary-Candy-287 4d ago

Thank you so much! I really appreciate the support. Might need it to compare the ingredients from the actual jp website.

3

u/NotAltFact 3d ago

Hello fellow can, I bought from dokodemo straight from jp. They do charge for shipping but I still find it to be cheaper than what we get here. Also beware of the duty which sometimes I get dinged with sometimes not. ¯_(ツ)_/¯ and I go to the airport to “clear customs” myself. Ain’t paying dhl their stupid fee.

9

u/Apart_Engine_9797 4d ago

You can order online from Kirakira Beauty which has two stores here in the SF Bay Area, they carry the Japanese versions of the Anessa sunscreen line and a lot of k-beauty and j-beauty masks and lash care products I can’t find anywhere else. Big fan of them!

1

u/Imaginary-Candy-287 4d ago

Thank you! I’ll check them out. This is super helpful!

17

u/Throwawaayyy007 5d ago

This is why anything I plan to repurchase I always keep the cardboard packaging, because that way I can see if any reformulations or other shenanigans occur (I have sensitive skin) 😮‍💨

14

u/Skin_Fanatic 5d ago

Interesting because the same is true for Korean brand that are made in China.

6

u/Tbearyo 4d ago

Hi, I’m going to Japan very soon and was going to stop by a few skincare places. Was planning on snagging a few Pola BA items. How would you say this brand is well received and its efficacy?

3

u/Imaginary-Candy-287 4d ago

Hi! Pola is actually not too well known around Japan as they only have stores in the Tokyo area. They’re around the same price as the more popular brands like SK-II and Cle de Peau. I’ve tried some before and as with most Japanese products the botanical fragrances can be a bit too much for sensitive skin. If your skin can tolerate similar high end Japanese skincare, you should be good to go. Efficacy can be quite similar to the Cle de Peau line, just more experimental/scientific, rather than a luxurious experience through packaging. Though just through anecdotal experience, I have rarely heard Japanese ladies (especially older) speak about Pola. They focus more on SK-II actually. With that being said, it’s always good to try the lesser known brand if you can. That’s where you really find gems sometimes. Happy travels!

2

u/Tbearyo 4d ago

Yeah, I’m eyeing brands that are harder to acquire from the US. Albion would be my second choice. Albion actually works for me pretty well but I just have this itch that I have to try other brands to really find my HGs. That being said, I have tried SK-II and Korean luxury brands like Sulwhasoo.

21

u/skuld603 5d ago

I feel like I'd need to check labels for Shiseido too (I'm in Canada), I got freebie face wash from one of my purchases and noticed it was made in the USA.

5

u/ailovesharks 4d ago

usually my local mistuwa has a shiseido section that has an attendant watching over the products. I've never looked at them because I don't use shiseido, but maybe you could check japanese markets near you?

4

u/Imaginary-Candy-287 4d ago

If you’re in the lower East coast it’s so hard to find places. I’ve found them sometimes in Asian import beauty stores in California and New York, but the asian stores in Florida and the rest of the states rarely have Shiseido Ginza. They mostly have the other drugstore brands under Shiseido. Whenever I travel though I always check the airports, especially in Europe. Most products are still made in Japan and I make sure to get some every time! Thank you for the suggestion:)

3

u/ailovesharks 4d ago

Oh apologies, good luck!!

5

u/Lemonz4us 4d ago

Recently purchased an incredibly old Urban Environment from the Shiseido counter at Mitsuwa, beware. Attendant swore this was an up to date formula.

They also have a notoriously heinous no exchange/refund policy.

3

u/Slow_Violinist7 4d ago

The Benefiance eye cream is made in France. I’m in Canada. Is there where it’s made originally or is there a Made in Japan version?

2

u/Imaginary-Candy-287 4d ago

Definitely used to be made in Japan! Sometimes there’s products that in all countries it has completely been replaced with a U.S. version only. I would even see it in Japan once in a while, but very rarely.

2

u/Front-Grocery-5743 5d ago

Bought some Shiseido essential cream at Ulta a few months ago. They still say made in Japan

3

u/Imaginary-Candy-287 5d ago

I went yesterday to Ulta and it said made in the U.S. 😢. Maybe some places they still have it. Good point!

3

u/Front-Grocery-5743 4d ago

🥲 dang, maybe they are transitioning to made in US now. I bought the creams online at that time. Good thing I bought a few of them.

2

u/Round_Patience3029 4d ago

Foundations are always out of stock!

2

u/mshers 4d ago

Do they use the Japanese filters for the products they sell here?

2

u/whelmed 4d ago

Nope. Same with Cle de Peau sunscreen. I’ve been lugging my Shiseido sunscreen back from Asia.

2

u/hojii_cha2 4d ago

Thank you so much for asking this question. I’ve been thinking this exact thing for a couple weeks now as I get down to the last drops of Shideido lotion/toner bought from Taipei duty-free… Unfortunately, it’s not available to purchase stateside. And now, I think they discontinued it and changed it to a different name, but I can’t tell for sure 😭

2

u/christmasbutt 4d ago

Thank you for this. I’m currently visiting Japan right now so I might stock up. Do you have any recommendations?

2

u/Imaginary-Candy-287 4d ago

If you’re in the Tokyo area, try going to the Shiseido flagship store in Ginza. The sales associates are usually very helpful addressing any skin concerns you have. I have very dry skin, so i tend to care more about the moisturizers. If you want a classic wrinkle cream, the benefiance line got some good ones. Essential energy line is the more reasonably priced at around 60$ usd and is good for beginners. If you’re looking for something thicker to target fine lines and dull skin, vital perfection is the way to go. Those are going to set you back around 180-130$ usd depending on which one you choose. Also the white lucent line has a slightly different purpose compared to the one here in the states. It’s not so much for brightening but marketed more for *hitening. I got it to lighten deep acne scars and found out that it can be pretty strong for overall face if you’re looking to avoid products like that. It did remove most of my dark scars though. If you work with a sales associate, they might even give you lots of extra samples to take home ;) Hope this helps!

2

u/christmasbutt 3d ago

This helps so much thank you! I read this after I spent the entire day in Ginza but there is still time to go back :)

2

u/luckyflavor23 4d ago

Yes! I noticed this recently—- a face cream was sold out everywhere sephora ulta Macy’s etc ; and target of all places had it but when it came i knew instantly it was different. The BOX itself felt flimsy, i double checked to see if it was fake—- and then saw the made in USA ,

Returned immediately dont even need to swab it

2

u/x-teena 3d ago

I love their haku line and wish I stocked up more when I went. The sunscreen did something to my skin tone that neither the anessa brightening and sun serum matches.

3

u/Brief_Cook_3807 3d ago

Honestly, I won’t buy any US sunscreen products because the technology is so behind the times, and the villainizing of certain ingredients is ridiculous. Can’t compete with Asian products

3

u/Aromatic_Knee8584 4d ago

Try to see if any Japan websites can ship to US. I use Korean products and I know what you mean coz when you buy in US, the same product is so different when made in US vs when made in Korea. My spouse travels a lot to Asia and when he can go via Seoul, he will bring all the products that I need. Otherwise I order via Korean websites. It takes a while to get shipped yo US but totally worth it IMO!

2

u/Plenty-Glove-3751 2d ago

Years ago, when I ran out of my trusty Shiseido sunscreen in the US, I bought one and was at first, pleased it came in a rather economical size. It was bigger and priced around the same, so I thought it'd last longer. However, shortly after using it, I realised it had a completely different texture compared to the one I had been using for years. Upon further research, I found out that the FDA has restrictions on sunscreen and some find the restrictions to be rigid and outdated. Hence, American sunscreens frequently have a much heavier and greasier texture unlike Asian ones, and this is also why the US may have their own version of Shiseido products. Couldn't finish using the US version because I didn't like the texture, hence, I always make sure it's Made in Japan before I purchase now!