Shiseido stresses link between beauty and lifestyle
The company has collaborated with Nihon University on a project to promote cosmetic therapy as a stress reducer
Shiseido has developed a new compact device that uses infrared light to measure stress levels based on blood flow in the brain. It is simpler to use and more compact than the bulkier systems commonly used to take such measurements, according to Shiseido.
The company collaborated with Nihon University professor Kaoru Sakatani on the project and is interested in promoting cosmetic therapy as a stress reducer. The brand is also believed to be looking to use the findings to link the relationship between stress and skin issues, and the role that cosmetics can play in treating these. It will work with the university from June to measure stress among earthquake survivors in Koriyama City, which was just outside the evacuation zone for the March 2011 earthquake.
The system resembles a helmet and takes readings from multiple locations. Shiseido and Sakatani determined that just two readings are needed for measuring stress levels, which are associated with the relative balance of blood flow on the left and right sides of the frontal cortex. A strip of rubber stretched across the head measures blood flow volume on either side of the brain via an infrared light. The light is then converted to numerical values representing levels of stress.