Japanese beauty routines tend to forgo toner in favor of an intensive hydrating lotion such as this one from Hada Labo, featuring soothing Job’s tears (hatomugi) and three varieties of hyaluronic acid to hydrate and prepare the complexion for other skincare products.
Oil cleansers are an iconic beauty staple in Japan, such as this product by DHC, which contains green tea extract to remove makeup and sunscreen without clogging pores effectively.
1. SK-II Facial Treatment Essence
SK-II Facial Treatment Essence is a must-have face serum on the market today. While its appearance resembles water and its scent is nearly indiscernible from any other, its ingredients contain over 90% Pitera — more than any other brand on the market! Its history is remarkable. In the 1970s, scientists at SK-II searched for natural ingredients that would “make beautiful skin a reality for every woman.” While doing their research, they saw sake brewers’ hands that had a soft appearance despite wrinkled faces, which led them down another path towards PITERA becoming their star ingredient, which can be found across all their skincare offerings today.
Pitera is an exclusive ingredient to SK-II that contains an extract of yeast galactomyces fermented ingredient. This clear liquid boasts amino acids, vitamins, and minerals for skin regeneration and is claimed to provide anti-aging benefits.
Asian skincare regimes emphasize using toner as part of their skincare regimen, which is often applied before moisturizing or sunscreen. Toners help improve skin texture, refine pores, clarify complexion, prevent hyperpigmentation and wrinkles, and promote a brighter glow for more luminous-looking skin.
SK-II claims this essence has been shown to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, make your skin firmer and elastic, improve radiance over time, and balance pH levels for the ultimate anti-aging benefit.
Japanese brides-to-be follow an ancient tradition that requires them to use an essence daily for three months before their weddings to leave their skin glowing, radiant, and smooth on the big day.
2. Skin Aqua Tone Up UV Essence
Rohto’s Skin Aqua Tone Up UV Essence is a color-correcting sunscreen with micro “strobe pearl” particles to correct skin clarity. Featuring its lavender tint and micro “strobe pearl” particles, this formula enhances complexion clarity while brightening it from within. It contains hyaluronic acid, fermented prune extract, and passion fruit extract to give your skin essential hydration and freshness. Furthermore, its lightweight formula spreads quickly without leaving any sticky residue on the skin. Mint Green Essence Sun Cream can add some subtle colors to any tone-up palette: Happiness Aura (Happiness Aura), blue and ruddy pink (Lavender), and yellow and green (Mint Green). Ideal for daily use on the face and body, this essence sun cream absorbs quickly into the skin without leaving an oily or sticky feel behind – ideal as an everyday base primer makeup, too.
3. Wa – Secrets of Japan Brightening Soap
Japanese soaps are known for their distinctive compositions and century-old soap-making processes, making them gentle enough for sensitive skin and suitable for people with dry, oily, normal, or combination complexions. Japanese soaps contain many natural ingredients with anti-aging benefits – some contain antioxidants to diminish fine lines, wrinkles, and blemishes, while aloe vera moisturizes the skin to relieve redness, itching, or irritation; and there may even be extracts to fade dark spots and diminish stubborn marks or scars; while some contain UV protection to safeguard from sun damage!
. When shopping for soap that will whiten your complexion, look for one containing either kojic acid or placenta extract – two key ingredients widely used in Japanese whitening products that help refine skin tone while making it soft, smoother, and more radiant. In addition, Rucinol – an artificial bleaching ingredient that inhibits tyrosinase enzyme activity to stop melanin pigmentation production – should also be included as it can inhibit output.
Makeup residue and impurities may also be lurking beneath your pores; to combat this issue, consider opting for a cleanser with botanical extracts such as shea butter or cocoa butter, which contain softening agents like shea and cocoa butter to ease and retain moisture levels in your skin. They also work wonders in clearing them away. With no harsh chemicals involved and made primarily to cater to all skin types. Alternatively, deep cleansing oils made from olives may provide deep cleansing capabilities, clearing away makeup residue and impurities from pores to rejuvenate and refresh all pores.
4. Sekkisei Medicated Emulsion
Sekkisei has earned itself the distinction of becoming one of Japan’s best-selling beauty products and is revered by J-beauty enthusiasts worldwide. Packed with botanical extracts and moisturizers to promote glowing and translucent skin, Sekkisei remains an irreplaceable staple.
With regular use, this emulsion has proven to help fight wrinkles, dark spots, and freckles while improving skin elasticity and resilience – leaving skin looking plump and smooth. Containing ascorbyl glucoside as a milder and more stable form of Vitamin C than ascorbic acid, ascorbyl glucoside has also been found to increase collagen production, inhibit melanin synthesis, reduce dark spots and lighten hyperpigmentation.
This serum is packed with glycerol and squalane, two effective humectants for dry skin. Plus, its ingredients are free from comedogenic (pore-clogging) ingredients like Polysorbate 80 and Cetyl Stearyl Alcohol; therefore, it is suitable for all skin types, particularly beneficial to those with oily or combination skin prone to breakouts.
Kose, a Japanese skincare brand that has been around for more than 50 years, utilizes original technology and product R&D to craft gentle cosmetics on the skin. Their signature products include their popular whitening range and one made with honey and Bulgaria rose oil that helps hydrate and soothe dry skin. Furthermore, they firmly commit to environmental preservation by working alongside local and international NGOs on conservation initiatives – planting coral reefs in Taiwan or monitoring water quality projects in Singapore, for instance.
5. DHC Deep Cleansing Oil
DHC Skincare was established in Japan during the 1970s as an innovative beauty brand that believes science and nature should work harmoniously rather than at odds. Deep Cleansing Oil from Skinceuticals is an award-winning formula that safely dissolves makeup, sunscreen, and daily grime without stripping away natural oils that protect and nurture skin. This cleansing oil is formulated with olive oil as a natural emollient, rosemary leaf oil to stimulate, and vitamin E as an anti-free radical defense system; this cleansing oil effectively removes impurities without leaving residue or drying your skin. Dispense 2-3 pumps into dry hands and massage onto the face until makeup and other impurities dissolve before rinsing off thoroughly after use. It can also be used as part of a double cleanse regimen using DHC Mild Soap or another face wash product as the first step.
