Re:erth founder Shinji Yamasaki on why beauty has always been in his blood

Meet five inspiring personalities who are fearlessly pursuing their passions by opting for careers in female-dominated fields. These individuals have eschewed the idea that certain professions should be gendered and have found success in what are traditionally “feminine” careers.

“I would say that the absolute biggest challenge as a male in the beauty industry – and this is something I always tell my team as well – comes during marketing, advertising, and understanding consumer behaviour. I will never be able to fully understand the needs, wants, and desires of women,” says Shinji Yamasaki.

He explains: “As a man, my brain is not wired the same. I don’t have the same day-to-day interactions. I don’t face the same hurdles. I don’t have the same physiological traits. I always endeavour to understand more, but many of the elements are emotion-based, and that’s something that I can’t fully adapt to. You can’t ‘feel’ a certain way if that’s not how you feel in the first place.”

It may come as a surprise then that, despite the challenges, Shinji is the founder and CEO of home-grown skincare brand Re:erth, known for its effective Japanese-inspired products made with cutting-edge technology and nature-derived ingredients.

How does he navigate the beauty landscape? Well, “basically being raised in the industry” helps. His family owns several distributorships for international health and beauty brands.

“I grew up in a home where it was very normal to be in an environment where aspects of the industry, as well as the business itself, were discussed extensively,” he reveals. “When I was around the age of 16 or so, my father had me sit in on his meetings with clients and suppliers, and I was also in his offices quite often.”

After completing his studies in Tokyo, Boston and London, Shinji explored careers in industries such as finance and insurance, but he quickly realised that it wasn’t for him.

“After working in New York, I realised that sitting at a desk day in and day out wasn’t quite right for me. I struggled a bit with what I wanted to do,” he says. Joining the family business and being in the beauty industry “felt like the most natural thing”.

“Fast forward several years of being fully engrossed working in the family business, and an opportunity arose to branch out on my own. Together with fantastic local partners, we launched Re:erth in Singapore,” he shares. The overall aim was simple: to create nature-derived skincare products that would allow one to achieve healthy, “mochi-like” skin.

For Shinji, the joy of working in beauty is “the ever-changing element of the industry”. “There are always new ingredients, new technologies, and new trends that come up. While on one hand, that means you have to constantly keep your eyes peeled and ears to the ground, it also means that there’s never a dull moment, and that there’s constant innovation and change.”

Five questions with Shinji

How do you balance work and personal life in a demanding career?

Shinji Yamasaki (SY): It's really difficult, to be honest. I try to schedule myself so that I can spend time with my family whenever I can, while also working whenever I'm able to in between. This obviously turns working into a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year type of thing, but that also allows me to enjoy the things that make life special. 

What kind of goals do you have for Re:Erth in the future?

SY: I would love to be able to take RE:ERTH further. Our philosophy revolves around having healthy skin, so being able to impact and help more people achieve that, and be more confident in their own skin is not only a brand goal of ours, but a personal one as well. 

What advice do you have for others who are considering a career in your industry?

SY: It would entirely depend on what aspects of the industry they want to join, as being an operations person in a large international company is very different from being a founder of your own brand and products. However, one thing that I would like to see more of in the industry is accountability and integrity. I find that there are too many “one-hit” trends and irresponsible marketing and sales currently in our industry. 

The best piece of career advice you've ever received?

SY: Always give the best product, and don’t falter from what you’re providing. 

One thing you wish you knew when you first started your career? 

SY: You can’t get everybody.