1.Tea Shield® Story
Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan—one of the country’s most renowned tea-producing regions—is also home to Facelabo’s headquarters. Around 2018, we began exploring ways to develop cosmetic ingredients rooted in local resources.
In recent years, the tea industry in Shizuoka has faced a growing shortage of successors among tea farmers. As a result, more tea fields are no longer properly maintained. Tea cultivation requires considerable care, including regular pruning and the removal of flowers. However, fields that were once carefully managed are now often left with tea trees flowering and bearing fruit.
Through this encounter, we came to understand the current challenges facing the tea industry in Shizuoka.
We also came to know that the tea seed pericarps have been discarded while tea fruits(seeds) are harvested and pressed into oil for food products and cosmetics.
We asked ourselves whether utilizing these pericarps could offer a way to contribute to the local community.
This question became the starting point for our research into the potential of tea seed pericarps.
Through extensive and varied testing and research, we discovered that tea seed pericarp extract holds promising potential for skincare.
Then, a new ingredient with functional benefits for skincare—Tea Shield®—was born, while incorporating environmental consideration and regional contribution.
2.How Tea Shield® Is Made
Tea Shield® is produced through the following process:
1. Abandoned tea plants with unpicked leaves
2. Seed harvesting
3. Work opportunities created at welfare facilities
4. Sorting of tea fruits (seeds) and pericarps, with seeds utilized for oil extraction
5. Upcycling previously discarded tea pericarps into a new cosmetic ingredient
6. Utilizing an unused resource to develop a functional cosmetic ingredient
We develop ingredients that incorporate environmental consideration, local collaboration, and functionality.
In the next episode, we will introduce the functional properties of Tea Shield®, including its effect on enhancing skin barrier function.
For OEM/ODM inquiries or sample requests for skincare formulations containing Tea Shield®, please contact us.