Shiseido is the oldest hair care and cosmetics company in the world. As one can tell from its name it is a Japanese company and was founded in 1872 as a pharmacy in Osaka, Japan by a head pharmacist of the Japanese Imperial Navy. They are credited as being the first company that introduced color correcting and flesh tone face powders in Japan. Before this all face powders were white and they also developed a skin softening lotion. This lotion is still sold over the shiseido counters today. Shiseido moved to other markets and starting from Taiwan, they then opened outlets in Hong Kong, Singapore, Italy and Hawaii. Shiseido products are sold worldwide by all leading stores that deal in cosmetics and hair care products.

Shiseido today has different product lines and each product line includes all the cosmetic and skin care requirements from make-up removers to moisturizers. Each line of Shiseido skincare products are targeted for different age group of customers and with different skin types. Knowing that teenagers tend to have more oily skin the shiseido skin care product line for teenagers is known as ‘Pureness’ and was introduced in 1995. Another shiseido skincare product line known as ‘The Skincare’ caters for women who are in their thirties and is more hydrating then the pureness line; it also has two eye creams. Another shiseido line is called ‘beneficiaries’, this caters for skin that is dry and for mature skin types, and it also has an anti-wrinkle cream. “Suncare” by shiseido is a product line that is meant for sun protection and all shiseido sun care products have got the American cancer society certification. ‘White Lucent’ is shiseido skin care product line for brightening it if it has been damaged by sun exposure this line of skin brighteners does not contain any skin bleaching agent and it uses an ancient Japanese recipe in which botanical and vitamin c are used to give the skin a brighter tone and not to bleach it . There are other lines also and shiseido cosmetics and skin care products are very popular in Asia and most stores in Asia carry Shiseido cosmetics. Shiseido also keeps busy in research work and keep introducing or changing their products and repackage them also. The shiseido skin care line also has a line of products for men that include shaving cream, after shave lotions, anti-wrinkle cream, etc. Shiseido’s makeup line is simply called ‘Maquillage’ and they cover the entire spectrum of makeup products for women.

As with most large companies shiseido has over the years made acquisitions of other companies and have either retained them or sold them. They also partner with other skin care and cosmetic makers. Shiseido has been careful acquiring all the necessary clearances in the different markets in which their products are sold and they even have a separate brand for their products which are sold in china. These skin care products cater for the Chinese women's' demands and have been launched after studying the skin types and skin requirements of these women.

Shiseido has a patent for hyaluronic acid and all other companies have to use sodium hyluronate in their cosmetics. Shiseido also keeps changing their packaging to make it more attractive for the customers and use plastic and glass containers. The shiseido skincare products that are available in any one of their lines of products may not have an equivalent product in their other lines. As some products are specific to a certain line, but one can always pick up a product from another line.

Shiseido is well known for their skincare and cosmetics throughout the world and especially by women of Asian origin. Shiseido products are sold over the counter by a large number of stores and most retailers selling skin care and cosmetics would be carrying their products.