Story behind the development of Sylph

How we made Sylph - We had no choice but to create it

We, Kuub, opened a beauty salon in Hawaii in 1996. In the beginning, we tried many skincare products for beauty salons and couldn't decide which brand was the best. Therefore, I did not use one brand for facial cleanser and another for toner, but used different brands or blended them according to the skin type of my clients.

At that time, due to the nature of the U.S., there was a strong tendency to make products that suited Western people's skin rather than Japanese people's skin, and powerful skincare products like chemical peels that sought immediate results were the mainstream.

We have been in business in Hawaii for a long time, and we often take care of brides who are getting married in Hawaii. Most of them came to our salon on the day of their arrival, tired from the long flight, with dry skin and more stress than usual.

We had tried Japanese skincare products to treat their skin, but although they were gentle on the skin, they were not effective enough and we could not find any that satisfied them. We wanted a product that would be effective and would not cause any reactions in order for our skin to be in the best condition for our once-in-a-lifetime wedding.

So, we decided to create a product that would satisfy us. and began to conduct various researches. Then, one day, we had a fateful encounter with a famous doctor who was involved in the development of cosmetics.

Sylph was finally born!

This doctor has been working in the U.S. for about 30 years, introducing aloe and many other plant extracts to the cosmetics industry, and has conducted research that has become the basis of today's cosmetics. He was working on formulations for a world-famous leading cosmetics manufacturer.

However, since most of the income of the top-notch manufacturers is spent on advertising, no matter how effective their products are, the active ingredients that are supposed to be good for the skin are reduced to the bare minimum, and the products are only good enough to be listed on the ingredient list. So, the doctor created a skincare product in his laboratory for his friend, using a lot of active ingredients.

However, the cost of raw materials was so high that it was considered difficult to commercialize. I told the doctor that I was in love with the product, and after repeated negotiations, we managed to get the product used in our salon. That was the first Sylph product that was born about 10 years ago.

Overcoming Failures

The main ingredient was, and still is, soy isoflavone. At the time of development, the color of Sylph was a yellowish color of beta-carotene (*1), and the aroma was that of soybeans smelling like natto. Many of our customers did not like the smell, so we asked the doctor to add the scent of Hawaiian lilikoi fruit. Since then, the number of Sylph fans has gradually increased, and it has become a best-selling product among our estheticians, massage therapists, and staff.

(*1) Beta-carotene
Beta-carotene is a carotenoid found in many brightly colored green and yellow vegetables and is a nutrient with strong antioxidant properties. In the body, it is converted into vitamin A according to the amount needed to exert its effects.

Strictly controlled ingredients

All Sylph products contain Astaxanthin, a high-performance antioxidant extracted from algae that originated in Kona, Hawaii. No fragrances or synthetic colors are used in our products, and they are scented with lilikoi oil produced on Kauai. The hyaluronic acid is selected from the best of the best and is purchased from the largest cosmetics manufacturer in Japan.

As a preservative, we use a minimum of phenoxyethanol, which is approved in Japan and Europe and is considered to be safe. We do not use any parabens or surfactants (*3).

Therefore, we can say that Sylph is an organic cosmetic that uses natural and naturally derived ingredients.

(*2) Astaxanthin
This ingredient has antioxidant properties more than 1,000 times greater than vitamin E and 10 times greater than beta-carotene, making it powerful anti-aging support.
(*3) Surfactant
A substance that acts on the interface (the boundary between substances) to make it easier for substances with different properties to mix. They are used in kitchen detergents, laundry detergents, shampoos, etc.

Actually very economical!

Some people may have the image that cosmetics are mainly made from low-priced raw materials and sold at high prices. However, Silv is different. In fact, we received an offer from an exclusive buyer of a major luxury department store in the U.S. who wanted to sell our Salem for over $500. That's why we use a lot of high quality ingredients. We try to set a price that everyone can use.