The Top Japanese skincare secrets

A comprehensive guide to the world of Japanese skincare and the secret to achieving the so-called Mochi Hada Skin which is Japan’s version for the real perfect skin.

Japanese skincare standards are the highest valued all across Asia and the world. Who wouldn’t want to achieve an impeccable looking complexion? This is why Japanese skincare trends, regimens, and products are really sought for and are also enthusiastically copied from China to Indonesia.

What’s the secret of Japanese flawless skin and why Japanese skincare products are still considered the best? It’s also important to note that Japan has the longest life expectancy due to the healthy lifestyle and more importantly of all a special diet extra rich in vitamins and minerals thanks to all the seafood, the special Japanese green tea and vegetables consumed on a daily basis.

 

Japanese skincare focuses on a handful of top quality tried-and-tested ingredients and simplicity. Japanese skincare, therefore, is based on known, perfected processes that proved to work overtime. Purity and simplicity are the two keywords in Japanese skincare.

So, how do the Japanese achieve their flawless, white skin that’s also called Mochi Hada as peach skin? Let me share some of the key secrets which took a long time for me to collect in one post.

The main problem with the finding of Japanese skincare secrets is, that unlike Koreans, Japanese don’t really like to share these or talk about these. They prefer to keep these for themselves and for the Japanese community. The majority of Japanese beauty channels are in the Japanese language. In fact I didn’t get to find one that would be in English. So, this is why, the majority of things that we learn about Japanese beauty and skincare come from those Asian and non-Asian people who live or lived in Japan. Japanese, they prefer exclusiveness. Maybe that’s why all non-Japanese want to follow their beauty standards ultimately.

The Japanese were among the first to discover a large variety of important skincare treatments and are famous for their high-quality products – which is why Japan is one of the biggest skincare markets in the world today.

Omotenashi

The word Omotenashi means hospitality, but it goes deeper than hospitality in the Western sense. This way, looking well-groomed is also part of Japanese hospitality a way of showing respect towards others.

The Mochi Hada Skin

The „Mochi Hada” skin is the top Japanese skincare target the epitome of the perfect skin. As „mochi” skin is a very old and very high standard this is what was also acquired by Koreans as their top standard, only they call it „honey” skin. Mochi-hada, or rice-cake skin, refers to the qualities of the dessert meaning it’s ultra soft and plump.

Japanese Beauty Secrets

The key ingredients Japanese women swear by to stay young and beautiful.

I would like to present you with a comprehensive collection of the most important Japanese beauty secrets to achieve and to maintain the perfect “Mochi-hada” skin. As you will see skincare begins with your lifestyle: what you eat and what you do. You cannot separate it from your overall routine.

1. Sunscreen

As I have explained in my previous blog on Japanese beauty standards white skin is closely associated with beauty, elegance, and higher social status. Japanese use sunscreen religiously and Japanese sunscreens are some of the best in the market. This is always the key to avoid aging, breakouts, hyperpigmentation.

2. Vitamin C:

The Japanese consume a big amount of Vitamin C in their everyday life. Their daily diet consists of oranges that deoxidize and break up melanin. This is the secret behind their fair and even complexion. Quality Vitamin C products when applied topically can also help in removing pigmentation marks, promote a healthy and even skin tone. Vitamin C also helps in rejuvenating the skin, so it’s often used in anti-aging skincare products.

Mottainai – not wanting to waste something that is usable: this is why there have been several ingredients or leftovers, such as rice water, seaweed, azuki which has been used by Japanese women.

3. Azuki beans:

The Japanese use Azuki, which is a red bean, is an important part of the Japanese skincare regime. Azuki has been used for centuries as part of the Japanese beauty regimen. Japanese women use them by rubbing them gently on their faces as a sort of a natural exfoliator. Azuki helps to achieve a smooth and blemish-free skin.

4. Collagen as a drink/supplement

Most people think of collagen as an ingredient in cremes, but in Japan it’s consumed as a drink. And it’s often consumed as a DIY.  The soup made out of rich country boil beef and chicken tendon is extremely rich in collagen (that’s basically gelatin that’s boiled out of the bones where it had much of the same task as in human skin tissue). Actually, consuming collagen is worth way more than putting it on the face.

Collagen is a protein that’s responsible for the skin’s elasticity structural support and is key in maintaining firm, supple skin. Extra collagen boosts can slow the formation of fine lines and wrinkles, improves elasticity. It can even help to add back moisture to the skin. Our body naturally produces collagen but the process gradually slows with aging. Japanese women believe in the powers of consuming collagen. And if boiling collagen out of bones is not for you, there an array of collagen drinks now available to give you a beautifying boost.

5. Signature Oils

Japanese women use signature oils to clean, cleanse, and tone their faces.  While oils are more popular to be used for removing makeup as the first step of the double cleansing process than for moisturizing there are two oils traditionally used for skin/hair moisturizing. The first is the ultra-rich, fast-absorbing horse oil (sonbahyu). It is high in linoleic fatty acids and it’s ideal for oily, acne-prone skin and great in repairing the moisture barrier. The second is squalane, which is derived from either shark or olives is high r in oleic fatty acids making it better suited to dry, oil-depleted skin. Camelia flower (Tsubaki) oil is more commonly used for hair; the most iconic brand is Oshima ($17).

6. Consuming fish

The Japanese diet which is considered one of the most healthy in the whole world mainly consists of seafood especially fish, which is very high in Omega-3. This key ingredient also helps in promoting healthy and glowing skin.

7. Komenuka – Rice Bran:

Komenuka rice bran helps nourish the skin and prevent wrinkles. It is also effective in removing dark circles and helps get you a flawless complexion.  A staple in Japanese culture, rice is so much more than food. Japanese rice bran, the komenuka, has been used for centuries by the women in Japan. It is still a staple skincare ingredient thanks to its deep moisturizing abilities. Geishas were known to use leftover water from washing rice to then wash their faces in a bid to get smooth, supple, and luminous skin. Rice bran is also rich in fatty acids and squalane – an essential fat that makes up 12% of human sebum. This makes it extremely effective on very dry, aging, and even super sensitive skin. Komenuka is also rich in vitamins B and E and gently exfoliates whilst hydrating and promoting cellular turnover.

8. Mushrooms

In Japan, mushrooms have long been valued as both food and medicine because they support the body’s natural defenses by fortifying and protecting the immune system. Rich in antioxidants, mushrooms help protect skin against environmental aggressors and free radicals, which in turn helps with signs of aging and visible damage. A natural anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial on its own, it can help heal and calm stressed skin, and they also boost blood circulation to restore your gorgeous, natural glow. Japan’s most popular product which is using mushrooms as ingredients is Shiseido’s Ultimune an extra powerful anti-aging serum.

9. Hatomugi

Hatomugi, a plant that’s also known as Job’s tears, is the key ingredient, and like Centella it has soothing yet hydrating effects. Hatomugi is the base product in many Japanese skincare products.

10. Exfoliation:

Japanese women often exfoliate their skin often with the help of a clear gel. This helps remove dull and dead skin cells from their faces. You can use a herbal exfoliating scrub that is mild and will give the desired result without adding any chemicals to your skin.

11. Green Tea/macha:

Japanese people drink several cups of green tea every day. This helps to slow down the aging process and keeps the skin youthful and supple. in Japan, green tea is consumed all day long every day. Next to its many positive revitalizing properties it also helps to slow down the aging process and keeps skin youthful and supple. This is because it’s one of the healthiest brews you can buy. Abundant in antioxidants, it’s one powerful protector and is rich in a variety of phytochemicals, polyphenols, enzymes, and amino acids. It works wonders for soothing stressed and irritated skins whilst its anti-aging properties prevent wrinkles and fine lines. Japanese green tea is also great for detoxifying and keeping skin hydrated, and it’s been proven to help banish blemishes. Use green tea as a toner by letting two cups cool after brewing, then apply it to your face with a cotton ball. This natural alternative can give you glowing skin and reduce the size of pores.

12. The use of natural spices and ingredients for skincare

The Japanese treat acne as naturally as possible. They use turmeric and tea tree, either directly or by extracting its oil.

13. Seaweed, kelp, algae /Wakame and nori: both consuming and applied topically

Consuming seaweed immensely helps in toning and cleansing the skin. You get both a glowing skin and a reduced pore size from this beauty ingredient. Nowadays seaweed is also used in skin care products for a better topical effect.  Seaweed in its various forms provides a great deal of protection from bacteria, inflammation and even radioactivity! Seaweed filters the sunrays in such beneficial way, that it lets light across while it would not let the harmful radiation get through. Being extra rich in vitamins and minerals, the goodness from this green stuff is quickly absorbed by the body due to its cellular structure being so similar to that of our skin. Not only does this super sea-vegetable restore moisture levels in the skin, but it also firms it, slows aging, boosts cell generation, and helps with detoxification – all while purifying and improving skin texture and tone. Take care however, because due to the high iodine content you can only eat a limited quantity per day. Please check out this article that talks in great lengths on the nutritious properties of seaweed introducing it as the Japanese key to eternal youth.

14. Uguisu – Bird Droppings

The Japanese swear by bird dropping facials that are popularly known as Uguisu. It has a naturally occurring enzyme that leaves the skin feeling soft and supple.

15. Face massage

Japanese women are huge fans and believers in the benefits of facial massage. The Japanese shopping malls and large skincare and cosmetic stores have separate segments featuring only face massage machines of all kinds. However manual, self-applied face massage is also extremely popular. There are two key types of massages: one aims to achieve the famous V-face shape and the other aims to help the lymphatic drainage. All in all, both types aim for a smaller face. But massage is also applied as an anti-aging treatment. Check out the Tanaka face message on Youtube. Other lymphatic face massage videos are trending on other youtube channels. Japanese have special cremes used for face massage.

16. Horse Oil

This is a key ingredient which is experiencing an increasing popularity in the past months, yet it’s been widely used in Japan for centuries. While Horse Oil may sound weird I’m planning to write a separate post about this ancient ingredient the use of which comes from Hokkaido where it’s been used for centuries.  Horse oil is traditionally used in both skincare and haircare products in Japan. Now, seeing the popularity South Korean cosmetic companies decided to take its fair share and started promoting this ingredients in some of its own products too, but the real deal is Japanese.

This post will soon be followed by a post about Japanese skincare steps and routine. where I specifically will enlist some of the best Japanese products.  I am also to release posts on K beauty.

And whoever has read my poll: I am working on a large post on Anime and Manga non-verbal language but it would still take time and research!

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