8 Japanese Beauty Secrets for Youthful & Supple Skin

8 Japanese Beauty Secrets for Youthful & Supple Skin

Known for youthful and beautiful skin, the Japanese understand the importance of having a disciplined routine with good habits. Using the right products and ingredients can help you achieve better skin, but it’s often our daily practices that add up and affect our skin, either for better or for worse.

Here are 8 Japanese beauty secrets that you can start using today:

You are what you eat, and what you eat definitely plays a part in your skin's health and how it looks. A traditional Japanese meal is usually made under the Ichiju Sansai (一汁三菜) principle, which comprises of one soup with three vegetable dishes plus rice and fish to assure good balance. Rich in vitamins and high in omega-3 fatty acids, Ichiju Sansai meals can help to reduce the body's production of toxins (which not only break you out, but causes premature ageing as well). The Japanese also incorporate wakame (seaweed) and kaiso (kelp) in almost every Japanese dish, and both are rich in iodine and keratin which are highly essential for healthy skin, nails and hair.

Onsen (hot springs) and sento (public bathhouses) can be found all over Japan, and bathing is more than just a cleansing routine for the Japanese: it's a beauty routine. Natural hot springs and public bathhouses offer people the chance to soak, scrub and relax in nutrient-enriched and mineralized waters. However, if the ofuro (home bath) plays an important part in the daily life of the Japanese as well. A steaming bath before bed not only leaves you feeling soothed and relaxed, it also promotes blood circulation, relaxing the body. Steam is a great way to detox, clearing pores and promoting bright skin.

Hot water over-strips the skin's essential oils, causing dryness. Always use lukewarm water and treat cleansing as a gentle massage, not a scrub. Use gentle, upward circular motions and avoid using cleaners with harmful additives.

We recommend: EDOBIO Floradiance Soufflé moisturizing Soap
An alkaline soap suitable for both face and body, this mild soap can be used even by those with sensitive skin. Creating a "soufflé" type of foam, it contains no harmful additives and cleanses the skin without stripping it of moisture or leaving it dry. Click here to explore.

Well known for its anti-ageing benefits, Japan is synonymous with rice and sake. A by-product of the sake-making process, sake lees is rich in Vitamin B, Arbutin and Linoleic Acid, working together to regenerate the skin, fade/lighten pigmentation, strengthen the skin barrier and slow down the ageing process.

We recommend: EDOBIO’s Saketernal Series
Containing high quality sake lees from Michisakari (a brewery in the Gifu Prefecture) and BiProGE, (EDOBIO’s proprietary lactic acid bacteria), this range provides holistic care for the skin. Mixing traditional secrets passed down from generation to generation with innovative Japanese technology, this series is perfect for those who want to harness the powers of rice. Click here to explore.

More than a calming beverage, green tea is high in antioxidant and is a significant part of the Japanese lifestyle. With anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, green tea can be incorporated in products such as lotions, toners and masks. Rich in tannins, green tea can also counter damage caused by UV rays, reactivating dying skin cells and balancing the skin's overall tone.

We recommend: EDOBIO Fresh Balancing Toner

A spray lotion with a lightweight formula, this product contains both green tea leaf and green tea seed extracts. Blended with peach leaf extract (which softens the skin) and purple chrysanthemum extracts (which contains luteolin), it can also be used as a mist throughout the day for additional hydration. Click here to explore.

Known as a miracle-vitamin, Vitamin C not only benefits our health, it also helps our complexion. One of the best anti-ageing ingredients, Vitamin C is safe for most skin types and helps brighten the skin as well. Proven to fade hyperpigmentation like sun spots, age spots and melasma, we recommend using products with Yuzu extracts. Yuzu has three times more vitamin C than lemons, improving the skin's elasticity and neutralizing free radical production, effectively protecting the skin from harsh environmental factors.

Everyone knows that it’s important to exfoliate to remove dead skin cells and speed up skin turnover. However, did you know that the Japanese prefer to exfoliate daily? Geishas in particular use a wax primer under their makeup that requires them to cleanse and exfoliate daily. The key is to exfoliate gently!

We recommend: EDOBIO Radiance Booster Mask
A rinse-off clay mask, this product helps the skin combat damage from external factors. With mineral rich kucha (sea salt) from Okinawa, it gently exfoliates the skin and softens the skin’s texture, promoting a bright complexion. Click here to explore.

The sun is the number one cause of ageing, and it's important to avoid sun exposure at all costs. Asidefrom fortifying the skin with green tea and food rich in Vitamin C, Japanese women also shield themselves from the sun's harmful rays by wearing sun-protective clothing and broad spectrum sunscreens. Some ingredients can actually increase the skin’s photosensitivity, so ensure that you wear sunblock all day, everyday.