By now, you might have noticed the word “J-Beauty” in headlines of beauty magazines. Or simply your favorite beauty guru has talked about it on YouTube. It’s the biggest trend in beauty right now. So, why is everyone so obsessed about J-Beauty? Whether you’ve heard about it or not, you’ve come to the right place. Because we’ve compiled an ultimate guide on J-Beauty, covering what defines J-Beauty and how the Japanese skincare routine is different from the K-Beauty routine and more.
Here’s what you’ll find out about J-Beauty in this post.
What exactly is Japanese skincare routine?
The 3 essential factors that define J-Beauty
Minimal 3-step J-Beauty skincare routine
Undiscovered J-Beauty skincare brands with ground breaking products
1. Precisely what is J-Beauty?
To put it simply, J-Beauty is beauty from Japan. Nonetheless it isn’t nearly japan skincare and cosmetic products. It depicts from the merchandise, the routine, the ingredients, the innovative research behind it and the concepts rooted from centuries of Japanese tradition. Yes, that’s a lot to cover. But don’t worry. Through our blog, we of J-beauty lovers from Japan and the U.S. is here now to demystify the wonders of J-Beauty for you. Let’s dive right in.
2. The 3 essential factors define J-Beauty
1. Minimalist skincare routine
With regards to J-Beauty, less is more. Contrary to the 10-step K-Beauty routine, J-Beauty is mainly simplified to a 3-step skincare routine – cleanse, hydrate and seal. Why so simple? Because J-Beauty is focused on prevention, rather than cure. It’s far more important to nail down the essential steps with effective products because those basics are what create a solid foundation. The more robust foundation you have, the less curing products you’ll need.
This simplistic J-Beauty skincare approach didn’t just happen overnight. It’s a routine that is passed down for years and years, ever since the age of the Geishas. As professional entertainers, skincare was an important part of your Geisha’s everyday activities. Omotenashi is a Japanese philosophy of paying the most attention and respect towards your guest. Because skincare was considered an integral part of Omotenashi, Geishas took great care of their skin. Their ritual was fairly simple, mainly consisting of ingredients used in the traditional Japanese diet, like rice, seaweed, green tea extract and camellia oil. The idea of this simplistic skincare routine has been passed down in the generations and still exists at the core of each Japanese woman even today.
2. Unique 100 % natural ingredients
Your skin’s best friends might be born in Japan. Inside the modern times, Matcha has been the most trending Japanese ingredient in both beauty and food in the U.S. Cultivated and consumed for centuries in Japan, this antioxidant-rich ingredient has been named a super-ingredient for healthy and beautiful skin.
3. Created with meticulous research and technology
Some beauty experts estimate that R&D in japan beauty industry is about 2-3 years prior to the U.S. They’re usually the first to create breakthrough formulas. The reason for their forte in this field maybe because japan culture values precision and continuous improvement. It’s almost embedded in their DNA.
The Japanese attended up with some of the most difficult extraction options for beauty ingredients. Let’s offer you a good example. You’ve probably heard of collagen and hyaluronic acid. They’re just about the ultimate goal for moisture retention in skincare. Now, did you ever hear of Proteoglycan? It’s the miracle moisture-retaining ingredient extracted from the nasal cartilage of an salmon. And it’s the next big anti-aging skincare ingredient everyone will need on the beauty counters. Not merely is there about 1.three times more water retention power than hyaluronic acid, but it also stimulates the production of collagen and hyaluronic acid in your skin layer. Well, guess who invented the extraction method of this multi-functional ingredient? Even after the discovery of Proteoglycan, no person could think of a safe and efficient extraction way for 40 years – until Japan did.
This is another reason why the J-Beauty skincare routine can be so minimalistic. Every product is created with such high standards, with efficacy-focused product development. So, you don’t have to put on unnecessary products on your skin. J-Beauty may bring maximum effectiveness with minimum products.
3. Minimal 3-step J-Beauty skincare routine
Avoid friction to your skin layer throughout the skincare routine!
Before we start the J-Beauty skincare routine, there’s a very important factor very important to keep in mind. You need to avoid friction to your skin layer all the time! All the rubbing, scrubbing and even harsh massaging that goes into your skincare routine leads to inflammation, which can accelerate skin aging – cause fine lines, wrinkles dark spots, redness and sagging. Through the entire J-Beauty skincare routine the focus is on reducing the maximum amount of friction as is feasible. So remember this as the essential idea of the J-Beauty skincare routine and you’re on the right foot for skincare success!
Step 1: Cleanse
Out of the entire J-Beauty skincare routine, cleanse is the most crucial step you need to spotlight. If you’re cleansing the wrong manner, skipping a step or using the incorrect kind of cleanser to get started with, all the skincare products you’re applying afterwards might go to waste. So let’s get down to the nitty gritty!
Which kind of cleanser in the event you use?
The sort of cleanser you should pick boils right down to the heaviness of your makeup. If you have heavy makeup, you should use an oil cleanser to lift away every bit of foundation and waterproof makeup. But, if you’re the type that only wears light makeup, oil cleansers will remove an excessive amount of your skin’s natural oils leaving your skin layer extremely dry.
How exactly to use a cleanser the proper way
Have a generous amount and gently massage it onto a dry face. Make certain you’re not applying too much pressure with your fingers, because remember – friction is your enemy! For delicate areas like around your eyes, use your ring finger and pinky finger and gently massage like you’re touching a baby’s skin.
Then comes quite step most people forget. Take a tiny amount of lukewarm water on your hands and gently blend it together with the cleanser. You’ll start to see the cleanser become a soft milky texture. This technique is named “Nyu-ka” in Japanese and it’s super important in getting all the makeup out of your pores.
Once you’re finished with this, you’re prepared to rinse. Make sure you’re rinsing at least 30 times. Wait, come again? Yes, you read it right. You will need to rinse at least THIRTY times to thoroughly wash out the cleanser. If you skip this step, you’ll conclude leaving dirt and residue on your skin and the moisture and nutrients that follow won’t have the ability to penetrate into your skin layer.
Step 2: Hydrate
If K-Beauty strives for “Glass Skin”, J-Beauty strives for “Mochi Skin”. In Japanese, “Mochi Hada” means soft and plump skin like mochi. To be able to achieve Mochi Skin, you need to maintain a healthy balance of water and oil. Listed below are two products you need to use to keep up that balance.
The Essence Toner
Using a water-like texture, an Essence Toner is packed with essential ingredients for hydration. It also softens your skin layer to permit all the nutrients to permeate deep inside your skin. The La Vie Précieuse APG Essence Toner is our top recommendation for this step.
EDOBIO SAKETERNAL Intensive Hydration Serum
Double-layer concentrated multi-care serum
This double-layered serum combines an extract layer of sake lees with a botanical oil layer. The extract contains a high level of lactobacillus-fermented sake lees, a unique moisturizing ingredient, as well as a blend of naturally-occurring beauty ingredients including blueberry leaf and sweet potato root. The oil layer contains a botanical oil complex to support barrier function and keep the skin’s natural protective moisture in tact. This single serum provides comprehensive skincare for all skin types.
3. The Cream
Now, you’re ready for the ultimate step of the skincare routine. It’s period to lock in all the moisture and protect your skin with a cream. All of the love you gave your skin layer means nothing if you don’t seal it all in. Here, you’re taking the same method as the essence toner and the emulsion.
4. Undiscovered J-Beauty skincare brands with ground breaking products
Once you think of J-Beauty, a few of the iconic brands like Shiseido might one thinks of. But there are so much more great Japanese beauty brands which may have yet to be discovered. And that’s why we’re here. We’ve scoured throughout Japan, tested out products firsthand, studying the ingredients, talked to the researchers and owners in what makes their products so special. Here are the J-Beauty skincare brands that we recommended in this post.