Sakura Forest Conducts New Product Sampling and Cleansing Survey at Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks' Pink Full Day 2026

Sakura Forest Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Fukuoka City; Representative Director: Reo Takashima), which operates the mail-order brand 'Sakura no Mori,' exhibited a booth for its vitamin C brand 'My+Cee (hereinafter 'MyCee')' at the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks' 'Pink Full Day 2026' event held at Mizuho PayPay Dome Fukuoka from Friday, May 8 to Sunday, May 10, 2026. On the day, the company conducted a survey on cleansing among 274 individuals to investigate the actual state of cleansing product choices by age group. The 'Pink Full Day' hosted by the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks is a special event featuring various activities alongside the 'Pink Ribbon Movement,' which aims to promote breast cancer screening awareness. In 2026, the event was held over three days from Friday, May 8 to Sunday, May 10 at Mizuho PayPay Dome Fukuoka, and the first day, May 8, was bustling with visitors from a wide range of generations. The MyCee brand participated in the event out of sympathy for the Pink Full Day's initiative of 'paying attention to one's own body,' aiming to provide an opportunity for people to reconsider their daily beauty and health through vitamin C supplements and skincare. On the day, in addition to distributing samples of the vitamin C supplement 'MyCee White Plus,' the company also distributed sample tubes of the new 'Gel Balm Cleansing' product from its skincare line 'MyCee Skinny' to visitors. As a brand primarily focused on mail-order sales, one of the purposes of this exhibition was to directly hear the voices of customers, whom they rarely have the chance to meet in person, and to utilize this feedback for future product development and service improvement. The responses received revealed different attitudes towards cleansing depending on age, as well as a common concern: 'I want to remove makeup thoroughly, but I don't want my skin to dry out.' Findings from the Cleansing Survey. When the sample tubes (80g) of the new product 'MyCee Skinny Gel Balm Cleansing' were distributed to visitors, they were handed out at a pace exceeding expectations, with all 300 units distributed in about one hour. At the time of sample distribution, visitors were asked to cooperate in a survey about their cleansing habits, and responses were obtained from 274 people regarding what they seek in their daily cleansing and what dissatisfactions they feel. Overall, the 'Oil Camp' was the most common. However, among those in their 50s and older, the 'Gel Camp' was more prevalent. In response to the question 'What type of cleansing do you usually use?', 'Oil Cleansing' topped the overall results at 42.8%, followed by 'Gel Cleansing' at 28.9%. Similar to the overall trend in the cleansing market, the popularity of oil-type products was prominent. However, when the responses were analyzed by age group, a reversal between generations was confirmed. Among those in their 40s and younger, oil cleansing received 82 votes compared to 33 votes for gel cleansing, making oil about 2.5 times more popular than gel. However, when limited to those in their 50s and older, gel cleansing surpassed oil cleansing. Why is the 'Shift to Gel' occurring among those in their 50s and older? The background to this reversal is thought to be related to changes in skin condition and attitudes towards cleansing that come with age. Oil cleansing is supported by a wide range of generations due to its high cleansing power, but on the other hand, some people feel that it 'removes even the necessary sebum too much.' As the amount of sebum and moisture in the skin decreases with age, it is possible that more people are choosing to prioritize the 'moisturizing feel after washing' over 'cleansing power.' In fact, the proportion of respondents who said they prioritize 'moisturizing power after washing' when choosing a cleanser was 25.5% among those in their 40s and younger, but rose to 39.2% among those in their 50s and older. It is thought that this growing need for 'not over-cleansing' may be manifesting as a shift from oil to gel. The number one skin concern across all generations is 'dryness,' 'pores,' and 'spots.' In this survey, we also asked about 'the thing you are most concerned about with your skin right now.' When tabulated by generation, it was found that the number one concern changed with age. <Number 1 Concern> Late 20s: Dryness, Early 30s: Pores, Late 30s: Dryness, Early 40s: Dryness, Late 40s: Spots, Early 50s: Spots, Late 50s: Pores, Early 60s: Spots, Late 60s: Spots. It is noteworthy that 'dryness,' 'pores,' and 'spots' repeatedly appear as the top concerns across all generations. While the central concern shifts with age, it appears that people of all ages continue to struggle with these three issues. A common thread among these concerns is that they can all be influenced by the 'quality of the cleansing method.' Over-cleansing can lead to dryness, residue can clog pores, and overly strong cleansing power can cause inflammation leading to spots. The shift to gel among those in their 50s and older is thought to be the result of a more careful reconsideration of this 'balance of cleansing' as one ages. Yet the anxiety remains: 'I'm worried if gel really cleans properly' – 36% of those in their 50s and older. On the other hand, when those in their 50s and older were asked about their 'dissatisfaction with their current cleansing,' the most common answer was 'worried if it's removing everything' (36.0%). This is a higher figure compared to those in their 40s and younger (29.0%). In other words, it can be inferred that people in their 50s and older are in a state of 'I switched to gel because I'm afraid of dryness. But I still have anxiety about whether it's really cleansing properly.' Addressing this dilemma – The design philosophy of the Gel Balm Cleansing. The MyCee Skinny Gel Balm Cleansing is a product developed precisely to address this challenge of 'wanting to remove thoroughly but not wanting to dry out the skin.' This product incorporates liposome-encapsulated dual enzymes, papain and lipase. Instead of relying on friction to remove makeup and sebum, it employs a design where the enzymes approach the dirt to gently yet effectively remove it. Furthermore, instead of purified water, the base uses 100% ultra-fine reduced water at the 0.1 nano level, generated using proprietary electrolytic technology. This makes it possible to cleanse gently without relying on excessive friction or strong surfactants. Additionally, it is formulated with capsules containing six concentrated vitamins and beauty ingredients like niacinamide, resulting in a serum-like formula that moisturizes the skin while cleansing. In a post-use satisfaction survey, approximately 90% of respondents were 'satisfied.' A follow-up survey on the feeling of use was also conducted among those who received samples at this Pink Full Day event (n=65). *The response options were a 5-point scale: 'Very Satisfied,' 'Satisfied,' 'Neutral,' 'Somewhat Dissatisfied,' and 'Dissatisfied.' In the overall evaluation, approximately 92% of respondents answered 'Satisfied' or 'Very Satisfied,' and no one expressed dissatisfaction. This survey revealed that as people age, they demand not just simple cleansing power from their cleanser, but also the assurance that it thoroughly removes makeup and dirt while preserving the skin's moisture.