Shiseido introduces AI tech for biodegradable and safe cosmetic ingredients

Shiseido has unveiled two AI-based technologies that aim to assess ingredient biodegradability and identify safety information for cosmetic ingredients, which require the collection and analysis of large datasets. 

The developments are part of Shiseido’s commitment to integrate digital transformation with research expertise. 

The biodegradability assessment method for cosmetic ingredients supports the industry-wide shift toward materials that can return to a natural state, promoting circularity. Meanwhile, the safety information identification system assesses accuracy and monitors compliance with safety and quality regulations. 

“These technologies will reduce reliance on individual expertise in R&D, streamline and enhance processes, and strengthen response to environmental issues and human safety, contributing to the advancement of the cosmetics industry as a whole and the realization of a sustainable society,” says the company. 

Biodegradable beauty

Cosmetic ingredient providers are increasingly turning to bio-based, biodegradable solutions amid consumer demand for sustainable, non-synthetic products. 

Recently, Eastman and Kolmar Korea partnered to develop natural cosmetic ingredients using tree-derived cellulose and biodegradable polymers. Similarly, Afyren and Esse Skincare introduced the “world’s first” bio-based propionic acid for the personal care industry.

Shiseido’s biodegradability AI assessment tool aims to streamline research into biodegradable cosmetic ingredients. It explains that conventional methods are time and cost-intensive, and the results can be influenced by individual experience.

In collaboration with the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation in Tokyo, Japan, Shiseido’s AI tool can predict the biodegradability of cosmetic ingredients based on their chemical structures and degradation rate. 

Regulatory compliance 

The approach builds on an AI-based quantitative structure-activity relationship (AI-QSAR) model for assessing biodegradability, which was developed for Japan’s Act on the Regulation of Manufacture and Evaluation of Chemical Substances. The regulation is part of a broader government initiative to monitor chemical safety. 

 “By comparing measured values with predictions from the AI-QSAR model and optimizing it in stages, Shiseido has achieved a high level of predictive accuracy for the biodegradability of cosmetic ingredients,” says the company.

Moreover, the AI-QSAR tool enables a quick assessment that does not rely on advanced expertise or “exhaustive” testing, explains Shiseido. Eventually, the cosmetics provider aims to use the AI model across the entire cosmetics industry. 

Ensuring cosmetic safety 

The second AI tool unveiled by Shiseido aims to rapidly identify safety information on cosmetic ingredients. It gathers all available information on assessed items, including repeated-dose toxicity and skin sensitization. 

According to Shiseido, the process reduces the risk of individual bias and oversights, allowing specialists to focus on making final safety decisions.

The company says: “This research enhances the precision and reliability of safety assurance, enabling the effective allocation of professional resources toward new research and talent development. Furthermore, it has enabled the use of ingredients previously set aside due to insufficient information, paving the way for future innovation in cosmetics.” 

The technology arrives amidst an industry move toward increased ingredient transparency standards. Last year, a coalition of beauty leaders, including Sephora, Ulta Beauty, and Credo Beauty, created the most comprehensive picture to date of what’s inside US beauty products. 

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s regulators and laboratory experts are tightening oversight of the country’s cosmetics industry, as weak national safety controls are exposing millions of consumers to health risks. 

New Zealand’s Environmental Protection Authority updated the country’s cosmetic ingredient safety rules, for the first time since 2012, to align more closely with the EU’s current cosmetic regulatory framework.