Shiseido unveils vertical farming beauty brand Ulé with bio-based Sulapac packaging

10 May 2022 --- With beauty companies increasingly making commitments to meet the 1.5°C climate challenge, Shiseido is introducing a supply chain-conscious beauty brand called Ulé powered by “the future of botanical beauty” – vertical farming. The brand has also partnered with Sulapac for bio-based and anti-microplastic packaging lids.

“Over 300 million tons of plastic is produced every year, and only a small percentage gets recycled. A lot of that plastic is necessary to make useful things that last, but all too often, they end up in the wrong place,” Dr. Suvi Haimi, CEO and co-founder at Sulapac tells, PersonalCareInsights.

“In France, we cultivate and extract ultra-potent whole plants worldwide at our proprietary Ulé Eco-Farm,” shares Lindsay Azpitarte, founder and new brand development VP at Ulé, who worked at Shiseido for ten years before scaling Ulé in 2019.

Notably, Ulé’s products contain a minimum of 96% ingredients of natural origin. Through its launch, the brand is touting “reasoned beauty” as a new ideal positioned to shape industry.

“Sulapac has a lower carbon footprint compared to fossil-based plastics. Most companies have ambitious goals to reduce their carbon footprint, and instead of just compensating emissions, by using renewable materials, like ours, they can keep their carbon cycle in balance naturally,” adds Haimi.

Cocooning sustainable ingredients
Ulé was created in response to the growing concerns over transparency and the need for nature-conscious ingredients. Using high-tech indoor vertical farming is deemed “an agricultural breakthrough” ensuring efficiency and eco-responsibility with full traceability. The Eco-Farm allows the brand to cultivate tropical plants like Tulsi, Centella and Coleus plants all year.   

The Eco-Farm allows the brand to cultivate tropical plants like Tulsi, Centella and Coleus plants all year round in a controlled “cocoon-like” environment, which is kept contamination-free.

“This [environment] allows us to maintain the shortest supply chain possible and lessen our environmental impact while ensuring the freshness of our plants,” notes Azpitarte. For instance, ingredients used in the new brand’s Pure Botany Blend travel a total distance of 340 km – “from seed to bottling” – for its serum, mist and cream varieties.”

When grown on the other side of the world, ingredients lose some of their properties when dried for transport and preservation, underscores Ulé.

Hydroponic nursery tech
The seedlings used in ingredient cultivation are first grown in a hydroponic nursery and then later moved to the growing room – in towers where they are supplied with “nutrient-rich water” (vertical aeroponics). 

LEDs and ventilation systems mimic the day to night transitions of the day. This process is optimized for each plant. Additionally, a computerized monitoring system can correct incorrect settings. 

There also is no requirement to use pesticides as the indoor system protects the plants from contamination and pests. Instead, it uses mineral fertilizers (produced in France) to boost plant protection. 

Eco-friendly packaging
Ulé’s packaging is also made in France, with “ultra-light bottles” and “bio-based lids.” Ulé is touting the theme “reasoned beauty” as a new ideal positioned to shape industry.  

The lids are made with the Finnish creation Sulapac – “wood chips from industrial side streams and plant-based binders.” 

Haimi notes that Ulé has also used Sulapac Barrier innovation – “the world’s first material for water-based products that biodegrade without leaving permanent microplastics behind.” 

“Our collaboration on this project began in early 2021, and it moved very fast from initial discussions to packaging development and testing, and final approval for the spring launch. It is a great example for companies considering new material alternatives,” shares Haimi.  

“In the cosmetics industry, the development of new products and their packaging is often an endeavor that can take several years, but our collaboration shows that new packaging can be achieved even within a year.” 

 The result is a two-color lid with Sulapac Arctic white and a custom-made green color.

Dr. Suvi Haimi, CEO and co-founder at Sulapac, notes that Ulé has also used Sulapac Barrier innovation – “the world’s first material for water-based products that biodegrade without leaving permanent microplastics behind.” 

“Our collaboration on this project began in early 2021, and it moved very fast from initial discussions to packaging development and testing and final approval for the spring launch. The result is a beautiful, two-color lid with Sulapac Arctic white and a custom-made green color.”

“All eight of Ulé’s products, consisting of serums, mists and creams, have lids made with Sulapac materials. The launch of Ulé marks the largest product range to date using Sulapac’s solutions,” says the brand.

“Once there are truly eco-friendly alternatives that don’t compromise on quality in the market, consumption habits are likely to become more sustainable. We need pioneers like Shiseido and Ulé to set an example for others to follow,” asserts Haimi.

Haimi shares that on average, we eat 5 g of microplastics every week, the equivalent of a credit card. “Alarmingly, we have started to get more scientific evidence about the harmful impact of microplastics on human health.” 

“By using Sulapac materials, companies can tackle the global plastic crisis and microplastics pollution.”

She previously caught up with PersonalCareInsights to discuss the challenges in environmentally sustainable packaging production and design, and cost competitiveness and recyclability hurdles. 

Recently, the eco-friendly packaging provider partnered with Lumene for water-based cosmetics. Sulapac also equipped refillable lip balm’s by Above & Beyond and cosmetics lids for Chanel. 

“Packaging is essential to the brand feel and products. In the personal care industry, until recently, there were natural cosmetics but no truly sustainable packaging solutions that meet the demanding technical requirements. Now, you can make beautiful, functional and sustainable packaging, tackling the climate change and global plastic crisis,” concludes Haimi.

Edited by Venya Patel