Shiseido is a Japanese company which history has started in Ginza, Tokyo in 1872. It was established by Arinobu Fukuhara - a Japanese pharmacist and cosmetician. In 1897 Shiseido introduced Eudermine - Shiseido's Red Water, a lotion that is still in stores. The brand expanded in 1923 and right now you can find Shiseido all over the world. Shiseido's history is rich, but if we skip to the 21st century then in 2017 Shiseido released its new line - Shiseido Waso. A line targetted for Millennials, based on innovative and exclusive formulas.
Eudermine is a product with a long history. The first version of this lotion was developed by Dr. Nagayoshi Nagai in 1897. Eudermine essence was also called Shiseido's Red Water because of its colour. The formula and packaging went through lots of changes - even if Shiseido's Red Water is no longer red, the packaging is still red and it has refills. It is said that it was Geishas' favourite product to use under heavy makeup since this formula not only brightens but nourishes and moisturizes the skin. In 1997 Shiseido celebrated the 100th birthday of Eudermine.
PACKAGING
The packaging of Shiseido Eudermine Activating Essence has changed a lot, and I would say it's the most minimalistic packaging ever. I wouldn't probably try it if it wasn't the new design since I thought "Okay Shiseido has this new product I'm curious about". Anyway, let's go back to the packaging. The latest Shiseido Eudermine Activating Essence has a refill option. It comes in a paper box.
TEXTURE
Shiseido Eudermine is no longer a red water. I'm not joking, the texture colour was a bit problematic for me since when I poured it on my hand, the texture had a transparent colour. I see in ads that this texture has a delicate hint of red or pink shade. When you look at the ingredients, you can clearly see that Shiseido Eudermine contains pigments so this product must have some colour. I've decided to waste a few ml of the essence and I can confirm - this texture has a delicate red/pink hint.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
I've been testing this essence for over 6 months. I had my ups and downs with this product. This product has over 100 years of traditions. The packaging and advertisement of Shiseido's Eudermine have changed a lot. Somehow, the best graphics are available only on Japanese Shiseido's website. At first, I was pretty sure it was a new Shiseido product because Shiseido Eudermine is not a product I can see being promoted in Europe or Poland.
I was pretty sure Shiseido Eudermine was a new product, but the beauty expert at the store told me it was an old product, but the design was different. Obviously, there are some changes in the formula like Vitamin C and two different types of Hyaluronic Acid added to the product (if you wonder where are these two versions of HA, they are hidden as Sodium Hyaluronate and Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate). Want to hear an even better story? When you check Shiseido's website, you can see that 1897 Shiseido Eudermine is described as lotion, while the 2023 version is sold in Europe and the US as essence. Some words depending on the country can be used differently, like when I buy lotion in Japan, I expect a different product than in Korea. Japanese lotion is more liquid, and Korean is more creamy.
If it comes to the product itself, I got a few mixed feelings, because at first time I wasn't sure if it worked. The scent is a bit overwhelming and I needed some time to get used to it, but once winter came I started to appreciate this formula. Shiseido Eudermine is based on ActiveRED technology, this technology is supposed to help with absorption of ingredients that are helpful for the skin. Don't ask me how that works, because that's something I can't even prove if it works or not.
I have to agree that this texture is rich and if you're worried about your skin moisture and you want to get an essence that should be easy to find at stores then Shiseido Eudermine wins. Although, I'm not sure about brightening or whitening properties because I use retinol with this product. If you start your retinol journey then be careful with this product since it contains Vitamin C and Alcohol so it might be a bit irritating.
SCENT
I find a scent to be a bit problematic, once again - look at the ingredients and you can see Alcohol in second place right after water. Is it bad? Not really, since alcohol has some good properties, but I always say that no matter if it comes to dietetics or cosmetics - the amount can change everything. I do smell alcohol in this texture and at the same time, you can smell a strong, floral scent. At first, it was too harsh a scent for me, but I got used to it. According to the brand, this scent is a combination of white floral base with jasmine sambac.
LOCAL MARKETING
When I checked websites in the local language, I felt like someone who translated product descriptions didn't know a thing about beauty. So, Shiseido Eudermine in Poland is introduced to the market as a "moisturizing cream", "serum", "toner", "water treatment", "skin-rebuilding facial balm" or "elixir". There might be some confusion, but some translations have no sense like moisturizing cream or balm. So be careful when choosing this product without checking it at store.
PRICE
It costs about $65 in Japan, about $82 in Europe and $90/145ml in the US. There are options like getting it from YesStyle in Vintage bottle for $21.31/200ml but it's not the same formula as 2023 version.
