Having grown up all over the world, and now, traversing the globe in the name of business, RE:ERTH’s Shinji Yamasaki understands perhaps more than most, the importance of finding his anchor in life.
The founder and CEO of the nature-derived skincare brand was born and raised in Tokyo, later went to university in Boston, before completing his Masters in London. Early years in the corporate world saw him bounce around New York, London, and Tokyo, dabbling in the fields of finance, insurance, and medical devices, before the call of his family business – which owns several distributorships for international health and beauty brands – brought him back to his roots. In 2017, Yamasaki co-founded RE:TERRA Pte Ltd in Singapore and launched RE:ERTH together with Singaporean co-founders Toh Ziling and Winnie Lim, before taking it globally.
It’s a path that Yamasaki describes as without work-life balance – “only ‘work and life’ balance’”. But life on the road has also guided him towards the realisation that “satisfaction and joy stems from family and friends”.
“So as much as I work, and as difficult as it is for me to not think about work, I always try to make the effort to spend time with those that I love and cherish the most,” he says. For him, it means simple things like taking his son to school in the mornings, or carving out family time in the evenings, are non-negotiables.
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In many ways, the birth of RE:ERTH mirrors the same full circle path back to familial ties. Growing up in a family where the business of beauty was so deeply entrenched in its DNA, means for as long as Yamasaki could remember, topics on “skincare, beauty products, supplements, new ingredients, and technologies” were all part of regular dinner table conversations.
“In fact, I can still vividly recall a first grade project that asked what my father did for work, and my reply was ‘he sells a supplement that makes people look 10 years younger!’ So, it felt very natural when I finally joined the family business.”
RE:ERTH’s own skincare philosophy is one shaped by Yamasaki’s globe-trotting ways and rooted in his heritage. RE:ERTH’s two proprietary ingredients – Japanese white turmeric and Japanese spring turmeric – have been the subject of close to two decades of research by scientists and researchers at Kindai University. Exclusively cultivated and harvested in the Kyushu region, these ingredients have been found to preserve skin’s hyaluronic acid, stimulate skin cells, and boost collagen production – a salve for multiple skin conditions. The research partnership to investigate the unique healing properties of the ingredients was started by Yamasaki’s father, Paul Arata Yamasaki, and now continued by RE:ERTH.
“Traveling around the world, as well as having friends and family all over the globe is actually one of the seeds that grew into a core RE:ERTH skincare philosophy: That products should be effective for anybody, anywhere, by addressing the underlying issues and not the symptoms, in order to deliver healthy, glowing skin for all.”
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STAYING ON THE PATH
“We haven't launched anything new in quite a while because we believe in only bringing products to market that are of the highest quality, and that are truly effective. Our brand and products are designed to be used for the long term, consistently, and with minimal effort, to deliver real results.”
Eight years since its launch, RE:ERTH is now available worldwide, and counts customers from 45 countries as loyal fans. The company has also since strengthened its corporate social responsibility efforts in Japan, in a bid to give back to the land and local communities that have helped power the company’s growth.
In the Tottori prefecture, for example, RE:ERTH supports a small independent rice farmer with a stable source of income, so that it is less vulnerable to the fluctuations in agriculture demand and pricing. Here in Singapore, the company continues to look out for opportunities to further its sustainability efforts, following a now-ceased recycling programme.
Much like the sustainability ethos it champions, RE:ERTH also maintains a strict stance on not putting out more products than it needs to – or as Yamasaki puts it: “To not be swayed by what’s going viral on social media, or what’s considered the hottest trend”. RE:ERTH’s full range currently consists of just 11 products.
“We haven't launched anything new in quite a while because we believe in only bringing products to market that are of the highest quality, and that are truly effective. Our brand and products are designed to be used for the long term, consistently, and with minimal effort, to deliver real results.” RE:ERTH’s two newest products, PhytoBright+, a brightening and skin health supplement, as well as a Radiance Defense sunscreen, come four years after the brand’s last launch. It’s a company philosophy that Shinji counts as one of RE:ERTH’s greatest achievements.
Says Yamasaki: “There are many things that I am very proud of from the past eight years, but one that I would say that is closest to my heart is that we’ve always stuck to who we are, and what we stand for. Real, good products take time to develop, and my hope is that we will be able to continue to provide the best products that we can, not compromising on what we believe in, and continue to help our customers achieve healthy, ‘mochi’ skin.”
And no matter where the successes of RE:ERTH take the company, Yamasaki still credits his father as his greatest source of influence – whether it’s committing to an uncompromising work ethic, a dedication to family, or simply carrying kindness and care for others. “I know that I still have a lot of work to do to be at his level,” he adds.
“Most of what I’ve learned from him has never really been through words, ‘sayings’, or mottos – but simply by being around him and watching him leading by example. There have been many people who have influenced me, but none have come close to what my father has, even by a fraction.”
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