3 Japanese Beauty tips to Try in July

Japan, land of quirky culture, delicious food, and incredible complexions. Much as blow HQ loves sushi and a rousing J-Pop singalong, nothing fills us with more envy than the smooth, lit-from-within skin that Japanese women all seem to possess. Science has proven there’s no specific “beauty gene”…meaning glowing, porcelain skin can be ours with the help of a few Japanese beauty rituals! We’ve already managed to get our hands on one of the biggest skincare lines in Japan, KOSÉ, so we decided to uncover a few more Japanese beauty secrets to go with it.

From green tea to a serious bathing habit, here are the 3 beauty secrets Japanese women have been keeping under wraps for centuries. Your skin will never be the same again…

If you can’t eat it, don’t put it on your skin.

Traditionally, in Japan beauty is simple, natural and edible! The theory is that women shouldn’t put anything on their skin what will poison them if they were to eat it, as skin is porous – so anything we apply ends up in our blood stream, typically within minutes. So, if you’re putting toxic chemicals on your face, remember, it’s going to end up in your body.

Lotion mask!

In ancient times, Geisha used to dampen a piece of kimono silk with distilled flower water and place it on the face, making an early form of sheet mask. The sheet or “lotion” mask is a trademark of Japanese skincare, and gained worldwide recognition through Japanese skincare expert, Chizu Saeki. Her easy alternative to bought sheet masks involves dampening cotton wool with toner or lotion and placing on the face for 5 – 10 minutes to deliver an instant moisture hit.

Go easy on the makeup.

When it comes to makeup, for Japanese women less is definitely more. After all, if you focus on great skincare, you shouldn’t need pore-clogging makeup! Instead, they choose their products carefully and don’t cake it on (no matter what you might have seen of Japanese “Gyarus”). Makeup should be an add-on and enhancement to already flawless skin, not the main attraction.