A New Habit of ‘Washing with Serum.’ Changing the Value of Morning Face Washing: The Making of fibona’s 'Cleansing Serum’

Shiseido Research Institute’s open innovation program, fibona, launched a new “wash-type beauty serum” called “Cleansing Serum” in April 2025 as a co-created beauty product that did not exist before.
The idea that “washing connects to skin moisture” gave birth to this cleansing serum, which rewrites the concept of morning face washing.
Why was the idea and technology of “washing your face with a beauty serum in the morning” born? How was the change in skin condition through morning face washing demonstrated? And what new habit beyond cleansing do the researchers aim for with this product?
We interviewed three researchers involved in the project: Ruriko Ito, who handled value development; Ai Ito, who was responsible for base material development; and Takuto Kanaya, who was in charge of efficacy verification.

Is Water Washing Enough? To Change the Value of Morning Face Washing

— Please tell us about your roles in the “Cleansing Serum” project.

Ruriko Ito:
I was in charge of value development, designing the product direction of the “Cleansing Serum.” My work involved planning how to express and communicate the product’s value and message from the user’s perspective. I also selected the components for the moisturizing veil formed by the serum, aligning them with the concept.

Ai Ito:
I usually develop products like cleansers and body creams. For the “Cleansing Serum,” I was responsible for developing the base material using Shiseido’s “droplet film emulsification technology.”

Takuto Kanaya:
Within the research institute, I specialize in product efficacy testing and effect verification. I participated in this project as the person verifying whether the “Cleansing Serum” delivers the designed effects.

— Please tell us the background behind the creation of the “Cleansing Serum.”

Ruriko Ito:
A few years ago, during activities at the pre-renewal Shiseido Beauty Park (formerly S/PARK), researchers measured customers’ skin and conducted counseling. We noticed many people said they only washed their faces with water in the morning.
Many said they avoided washing in the morning because of dry skin or not wanting to remove too much sebum, but actual skin conditions often showed imbalances—not just low sebum but also low moisture content and dirt in the stratum corneum as well as irregularities in texture. This made me feel that while they thought they were protecting their skin, it might actually be causing problems.
Also, many people worried that conventional cleansing, focused on removing dirt, might burden the skin somewhat. So, I wanted to create a product that would completely change that value.

— From the beginning, this product was not designed as a typical cleanser, right?

Ruriko Ito:
Yes, the package clearly states “wash-type beauty serum.” This product is not just for removing dirt. It aims to shift the meaning of “washing” from “removing” to “giving,” creating a new morning cleansing habit beneficial to the skin.
This challenge was possible precisely because fibona is a place to create things that don’t yet exist in the world.

Moisturizing While Washing: “Droplet Film Emulsification Technology”

— The indispensable technology for this “wash-type beauty serum” is “droplet film emulsification technology,” correct?

Ai Ito:
Yes. The idea of “giving good ingredients to the skin while washing it off” may seem contradictory. The technology that makes this possible is Shiseido’s “droplet film emulsification technology,” used for the first time in a rinse-off product here.
Its greatness lies in making the oil droplets (which are also beauty ingredients) very small by thinning their membranes. This allows a high density of oil droplets to be included, which penetrate into the gaps of the stratum corneum, letting the beauty ingredients thoroughly blend in.
Moreover, when rinsed with water after applying to the skin, the droplets re-emulsify, leaving desired moisture on the skin while gently removing unwanted substances. In other words, you get a refreshing wash and moist skin simultaneously.

— The milky texture feels smooth and pleasant on the skin.

Ai Ito:
Generally, more oil means thicker texture, so balancing a high oil content with maintaining spreadability and softness was the biggest challenge. We repeated trials many times and succeeded in achieving an exquisite balance of viscosity and penetration.
The idea of applying this “droplet film emulsification technology” to cleansing had been discussed even before this project was carried out, going through trial and error over about five years until commercialization.

Ruriko Ito:
Friction is a big burden on the skin and causes spots, wrinkles, and sagging. Since morning cleansing is done daily, the ease of spreading is one of our key focuses.
If you wash off too much, the beauty ingredients absorbed into the skin will also be lost. After applying the serum, instead of rubbing hard, just gently rinse a few times with water to leave a moisturizing veil. At first, users may want to rinse fully out of habit, but changing this habit, along with the new product value, is important. Gradually reducing rinse counts day by day to find the best number is recommended. Please enjoy the feeling of your skin after washing.

Proving “Skin Moisturization” Through Data in Morning Cleansing

— You also conducted efficacy tests with prototypes, right?

Ruriko Ito:
When applying “droplet film emulsification technology” to a rinse-off product, I wanted data showing that the more you use it, the more moisturized your skin becomes. Usually, rinse-off products aren’t expected to improve skin condition.
But I felt we should collect solid data to prove this effect and convey it to customers, so I asked Kanaya-san about it.

Kanaya:
I also wanted to verify the effect. Most existing cleansers emphasize “not stripping away skin moisture,” but the prototype using this technology has the potential to “give moisture” and bring positive changes.
For about a month, we asked female monitors, who ranged from those in their 20s to 50s, to use the prototype every morning, and we commissioned a third-party organization to measure skin changes. Clear, positive changes appeared.
First, skin moisture increased day by day, and the barrier function for retaining moisture improved. The skin became softer, smoother, and the texture became more refined. Because it’s a beauty serum rather than a cleanser, we could verify foundational improvements.

— It’s surprising that just changing morning cleansing habits can have such effects. What feedback did users give?

Kanaya:
All monitors reported feeling improvements in moisture and other aspects.

Ruriko Ito:
When Kanaya-san showed me the data, I thought, “That’s exactly right.” I personally felt my skin soften and the texture improve after one or two months of use.

Ai Ito:
Seeing clear data confirming the effect made me happy. This is truly the first product that leaves skin more moisturized even after rinsing, which gives us confidence in communicating its benefits

— Continued use seems to deepen the effect.

Ai Ito:
Using this serum, you really feel the beauty ingredients penetrating into the skin. But this isn’t a one-time permanent effect; continued use gradually nourishes the skin, making it healthier. Repeated use helps moisture settle and stabilizes skin condition.

Ruriko Ito:
I imagine that the skin’s “foundation strength” increases significantly day by day. Well-moisturized skin resists external damage better and naturally normalizes turnover. This value cannot be achieved by washing with water alone.
Also, it suits all skin types—sensitive, dry, oily, or a combination—which is another point. The more you use it, the more your skin balances itself, making it a reliable ally.

“Washing Beauty Serum” Brings a New Morning Cleansing Habit

— Finally, please share what kind of experience you want to deliver through the “Cleansing Serum” and your future outlook.

Ruriko Ito:
To put it bluntly, I want people to completely stop only washing with water (laughs). That’s because I’ve come to know the value of this product’s.
Whether someone vaguely feels their skin is “not quite right” or thinks “my skin is fine but could be better,” I want them to enjoy the sensation of their “skin improving on a daily basis.”
Also, fibona’s strength is co-creating products that incorporate customer feedback. If customers say, “This way of using it worked well,” we want to flexibly adopt that and update the product further.

Ai Ito:
When I was a university student, I washed my face with just warm water. Using cleanser seemed troublesome, and I honestly thought it wouldn’t make a difference. But after starting to use this serum, I realized morning cleansing alone greatly affects daytime skin comfort and makeup longevity.
Because I experienced this, I want many people to know this feeling. Not cleansing to “remove,” but cleansing to “keep giving.” I hope everyone experiences how morning care supports their skin the whole day.

Kanaya:
I feel there is an increasing number of “cleansing refugees”—people struggling to find suitable cleansers. Those people especially need this product.
Thanks to fibona, we created a completely new “wash-type beauty serum” that doesn’t fit into the usual cleanser category. Without being bound by old cleansing habits, please give it a try. I hope you experience how much your skin can change just by cleansing with this product.