Beauty Treatment Cheers Up Elderly Women

Abstract

Shiseido's corporate message is “This moment. This life. Beautifully.” (Be beautiful at every moment of your lifetime.) Its corporate policy is to assist people to experience a healthy and beautiful lifelong time. Shiseido recognizes contribution to social activities as the important step in achieving the corporate policy. In addition to business activities, Shiseido implements society-related activities focusing on the areas of social activities via make-up and assistance for women's success. Shiseido has been organizing the Shiseido Life Quality Seminars since 1975, where employees visit nursing homes to provide make-up services. Based on these experiences, Shiseido has started a paid service, the Beauty Service for the Elderly, as a social business since 2010. The Beauty Service for the Elderly is a program developed based on scientific advancements. The effects of the Beauty Service for the Elderly on the physical performance and brain functions are evidenced. The study participants performed the skin care by themselves on a daily basis while receiving the beauty service twice a month. Three months later, their physical functions were evaluated: the improvements in independent living skills were demonstrated in 11 of 12 participants. Bilateral grip strength also improved. Two parameters, the cerebral blood flow and salivary cortisol concentrations were evaluated, to determine the brain function and mental conditions. The cerebral blood flow increased while cortisol levels decreased indicating that the providing of beauty services reduced the stress and improved brain activation. In addition, the electroencephalogram (EEG) examination revealed the alleviation of the symptoms of dementia. One may expect that the beauty services may improve brain activation, in consequence leading to quasi-normal brain activities. Shiseido would like to continue the activities of revitalizing elderly women with the power of make-up, to contribute to an improvement in elderly women's QOL in the future.