Shiseido to launch new Europe-produced brand, Ulé

Japanese cosmetics group Shiseido has announced it is set to launch a new prestige skincare brand, Ulé, which will be joining its growing portfolio based on its ‘Conscious Beauty’ philosophy.

Eight products will be introduced in the launch, including skincare and supplements, and will all be available via the brand’s e-commerce site and a boutique in Paris, France.

To be released May 2, Ulé’s development has been led by Shiseido’s EMEA-based employees and created through innovation collaborations with start-ups and experts in nutrition and plant biology.

To create Ulé products, Shiseido said it established a partnership with Tower Farm, a start-up focused on the development of an urban agriculture model through responsible local indoor production.

In a release, the group said Ulé built a vertical farm near Paris, where it will grow three key exotic plants, allowing for a short supply chain and therefore lessening its environmental impact.

A total of 84 percent of Ulé’s ingredients are sourced in France, Shiseido added.

To ensure product efficacy and safety, Ulé utilises 96 percent minimum ingredients of natural origin, has banned 1,400 ingredients based on its own standards and has dermatologically tested all of its products.

Furthermore, the brand said that all of its packaging, which is made up of bio-sourced materials, is to be conducted in the group’s Ormes, France, factory.