In 1980, the company hired French designer Serge Lutens, who has worked on Christian Dior's make-up line, to create a unified image for Shiseido brands. He was posted to Thailand in 1968, then spent more than seven years in Singapore. Shiseido has also developed products especially for Asian women. It uses oil made from jasmine and other plants, for example, because Asians find the fragrance in its Western cosmetics too strong. Skin-whitening products, which account for half of total sales.
Demand is particularly strong in Southeast Asia and southern China.
It started selling beauty products there in 1981. Two years later, Shiseido signed an agreement with the Beijing city government to help develop China's cosmetics industry. Shiseido Liyuan Cosmetics was formed in 1991. The Beijing plant is being expanded and a second facility may be built in 1998. China is important to Shiseido both as a market and a production center.