Ms. Shoko Shinozaki, President and CEO of S-vita, joined Lively as a Public Relations Advisor in 2025. Ms. Shinozaki was involved in handling a wide range of businesses including consulting, PR, and branding for cosmetics and health foods, and eventually she launched her own brand of cosmetics, “TEUDU,” in 2024, focusing on creating “beauty and health” with sustainability in mind. As a member of the planning studio “i CREATE,” which aims for a regenerative future, she is also actively involved in community contribution and environmental activities. For this interview, we heard about Ms. Shinozaki’s journey to entrepreneurship, the development story of the cosmetics brand “TEUDU” born from the materials and culture of her hometown in Iwate Prefecture, and her thoughts on sustainability.

The Founding Period: Facing Herself and Seeking a Convincing Skin Theory

Ms. Shoko Shinozaki, President and CEO of S-vita, and beauty and health professional. First, please tell us about the journey leading up to founding your current company.

My interest in overseas cultures began during junior high school when I participated in an exchange program to the Netherlands, which was a sister city of my hometown, Ichinoseki City in Iwate Prefecture. I majored in foreign languages in university and transferred to a Dutch university during my second year. Interested in beauty and health, I joined a foreign-affiliated cosmetics manufacturer immediately after graduation. I gained experience in sales, public relations, product planning, and CRM. Then, a major turning point in my life occurred, leading me to where I am today.

Your background is already quite eventful. What was this subsequent “major turning point”?

It occurred during my third job, where I served as Brand Manager for a Korean cosmetics brand while also holding a crucial position within the group company: “launching new brands and developing original products.” Whether from overworking or by chance… my congenital condition worsened, requiring a transplant surgery.

Fortunately, the surgery was successful. However, I worried, “Am I causing trouble for the company during this crucial period?” and “Will I be able to continue working as before?” This led me to decide to resign. After that, I took on my previous job as a freelancer and established S-Vita as a consulting firm specializing in product development and public relations.

I was surprised to hear you started your business just two months after retiring, especially during such a difficult time for your health. Had you originally planned to become independent?

Not at all. I wasn’t even thinking about it back then. I was completely absorbed in the work, and above all, I was driven by the single-minded desire to repay my former workplace, which had cared for me like family. This year (2025) marks ten years since founding the company. Looking back now, I’m still filled with the feeling, “I never imagined it would last this long.”

I understand you started as a consulting firm. How did you expand your business from there?

Building on my previous experience, I gradually expanded our sales channels. That said, it wasn’t smooth sailing from the start. The work back then was almost exclusively requests like, “Please create cosmetics that will sell X billion yen.” Some projects even lacked a fundamental understanding of what cosmetics should be. Of course, business plans and profits are important… but through all that experience, my desire to create cosmetics based on skin theory I truly believed in grew stronger.

From there, I pursued thorough research and development. After about 10 years, I was finally able to launch the “TEUDU” brand.

Ten years of research and development! That’s incredible.

I worried I might get too obsessed and never release anything… I believe we’ve created products that are good for the body and the environment, using local ingredients. That said, I haven’t achieved everything I want to yet. I plan to keep refining and improving, moving toward my ideal.

The foundation of the cosmetics is local ingredients and food culture

Ms. Shinozaki, you’re originally from Ichinoseki City, Iwate Prefecture, right? Could you tell us about your childhood?

My family consisted of my great-grandmother, grandparents, parents, me, and my younger sister—six people total. I was born into a family of part-time farmers. My great-grandmother was deeply committed to growing and making everything we ate ourselves. From a very young age, she taught me how to make pickles, miso, natto, vegetables, and rice. I was an incredibly tomboyish child. I hated wearing shoes and sometimes went to school barefoot. I loved climbing trees, playing in the fields, and immersing myself in nature. We also kept cows and chickens, so I grew up surrounded by many animals and nature.

That’s a childhood hard to imagine from the image of Ms. Shinozaki today. Meals weren’t just cooked—they involved everything from growing ingredients to making preserved foods.

Food has always been close at hand and deeply important. Meals followed a “whoever can cook, cooks” style within the family, so I often helped out from childhood. My hometown is in a region of Tohoku known for its thriving “mochi culture,” with about 100 different types of mochi. I applied the knowledge I gained locally about the effects of preserved foods and the nutritional value of ingredients to my current cosmetics production.

In the second part of the interview, she’ll discuss her dedication to product creation and actions toward a sustainable society through her business.

Stay tuned for Part 2!