When we think of truly great skin, the following words come to mind: luminous, dewy, youthful, and flawless. And while perfect skin may often feel unattainable. One needs simply to look at those who follow the principles of J-beauty to realize it can be had. After all, they are the ones who sport the most luminous skin known to womankind.
What is J-beauty?
Bin Thiu | Unsplash
If you’re into skincare or makeup. You might have heard of K-beauty (Korean beauty) already. A few years ago, this was the first slew of new trends and product categories to come from Asia. Effectively flooding the international beauty market, K-beauty products like BB-cream, cushion foundation, and sheet masks quickly became popular in the West.
A newcomer from Japan, J-beauty is the latest new method of skincare. Admittedly, the two share similarities. But where K-beauty is big on complex, multi-step skincare routines that often include 12 or 15 different products. J-beauty focuses more on minimalistic, yet effective routines with a smaller number of tried and trusted products. Furthermore, Japan has a stellar reputation. It is also backed by a strong history when it comes to beauty.
As a result, J-beauty is making a big splash
Founder and CEO of J-beauty brand Tatcha, Victoria Tsai, explains that Western beauty has long been focused on makeup. But women are starting to learn that a beautiful painting begins with a beautiful canvas.
“K-beauty made Asian beauty part of the Western culture, so J-Beauty is a natural next step for beauty lovers who want to take care of their skin. Japan is known for innovation in skincare and color. [But] using time-tested rituals and ingredients at the same time. Trendy items, which are very popular in Korean beauty, don’t work for a Japanese audience,” she explains.
J-beauty is all about a skin-first philosophy
And this philosophy is resonating with women the world over. As a result, J-beauty is booming. More and more, skincare is being seen as less of a chore than a valuable self-care strategy. One that saves you time in the long run. Because skin that’s healthy, well-hydrated, and happy requires less effort with makeup. And this ties in perfectly with what J-beauty preaches. You might also have heard of famous J-beauty brands, such as SK-II, Tatcha, Bioré, Shiseido, Hada Labo, and DHC. Many of whom produce cult-favorite products on the regular.
So how do you reap the benefits of J-beauty?
By applying a few key principles that are part and parcel of Japanese skincare, you could help to:
- reverse skin damage
- clear out breakouts
- improve hydration
- eliminate irritation and redness and
- even out your skin tone
In the process, you can get closer to having the truly great skin you’ve always wanted. Just be ready for when someone tells you: “Your skin. It’s luminous!”
Principle 1: Double cleanse your skin
If you’re struggling with skin problems like blackheads or oily skin, the way you cleanse might be to blame. Double cleansing works by clearing out first oil and then water-based impurities. The concept at work here is that like mixes with like.
J-beauty discovered that when you first apply a cleansing balm or oil-based cleanser, you rid the skin of the oily surface layer of sebum, sunscreen, and makeup. The skin is then prepped for a water-based cleanser. Which takes care of dirt, pollution, and other water-based impurities. This cleanser can now also penetrate much deeper into the skin. That means it can also deliver the results you want. Because the oily layer is removed. Double cleansing also renders your skin better able to absorb the products you layer on later.
Trust me, your skin has never been this clean. Once you start double-cleansing, you’ll never be able to go back. Find out how to double cleanse properly and which products can help you do so.
Principle 2. Shop for hard-working, natural ingredients
Have you ever bought a new product in the belief that it would sort out your skin woes? Only to be disappointed when your skin kept breaking out, or you saw no change?
We’ve all been there. This is likely because the ingredients were never going to give you the results you wanted. To counter this issue, J-beauty is built on a foundation of 3000 years of trusted, traditional ingredients. Such as:
- Japanese wild rose
- Komenuka (rice bran)
- Tsubaki oil
- fermented yeast extract
- green tea or matcha
- algae
- yuzu fruit
- wakame (a sea vegetable full of vitamins common in the Japanese diet)
- hinoki wood
Instead of jumping at new trendy options, the Japanese stick to ingredients that were likely used by their grandmothers all their lives. Then they marry them to science through stellar research, innovative technologies, and development. As long as they are of high quality, natural, and sustainably sourced. Different ingredients can also achieve different results. You might pay a bit more, but you will also probably get the ones you want.
J-beauty further features fermented ingredients, where the actives are higher and more potent. This brings us to the next principle…
2. Introduce essence to your skincare routine
This is a specific product category very popular in different types of Asian skincare. The purpose of an essence is to deliver active ingredients deep into the skin. This product can take you that much closer to truly hydrated skin. It is meant to refresh, hydrate, and rejuvenate the skin over time. Essences are particularly prominent in J-beauty. Arguably one of the best-known essences in skincare is the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence. One bottle reportedly sells every second.
So what’s the secret to this powerful essence? Again, the ingredients play the most important role. In the ’70s, SK-II scientists discovered that certain sake brewers in Japan had soft and beautiful skin on their hands. Despite the fact that the skin on their faces was wrinkled and aged. They realized that there was something powerful in the fermentation process of the sake. After 5 years of extensive research on over 350 strains of yeast, the scientists finally isolated a single strain that would become known as PITERA™, and the now-famous treatment essence was born.
By adding essence to your skincare routine, you can ensure that your skin is transformed at a cellular level. Because essence is concentrated and optimizes the skin’s natural cell turnover rate, over time you can have younger-looking, more hydrated skin.
Principle 2. Dedicate quality time to your skincare
While it’s not necessary to start a lengthy 12-step skincare routine – like is the case in K-beauty – it helps to take a bit of time, relax and use your skincare routine to get in the right mindset for bed. J-beauty usually consists of the following 4 steps:
- First Step – double cleanse
- Second Step – toner and/or essence
- Third Step – treatment or serum
- Fourth Step – hydrator or moisturiser
- Fifth Step – SPF (in the morning routine)
In addition, they apply a face mask or sheet mask at least on a weekly basis. Each of these steps is done to clean, treat and hydrate the skin. In J-beauty, hydration happens in layers, which is why every product contains hydrating ingredients.
6. Pick hybrid makeup/skincare options
One of the best parts of living in 2021 is that the beauty industry is more focused on producing products that are good for your skin. This includes makeup items. Many J-beauty products are hybrids between skincare and makeup. Various cosmetics now offer the benefit of added moisture, acne-fighting ingredients, and/or SPF.
For example, Tatcha’s Silk Canvas Primer contains silk extracts, anti-pollution natural ingredients, pink and gold pearl to even skin tone, and Hadasei-3™ superfoods to restore radiance. By opting for items like hydrating foundations, SPF face powders, and moisturizing lipsticks, you are practicing skincare while wearing your regular makeup.
Bottom line
J-beauty is all about efficacy. Concepts like kanso, seijaku, and shibui – which translate into simplicity, energized calm and understated beauty, respectively – describe the foundation of J-beauty and what it means to those who follow it.
References:
Cho, C. 2021. SokoGlam. Essence vs Serum: What is Essence in Skincare Anyway? https://sokoglam.com/blogs/news/11782665-skincare-101-essence-the-essential-step-in-skincare
Cummings, F. 6 Japanese Beauty Ingredients That Are Essential for Skin and Hair. https://coveteur.com/2020/10/19/japanese-beauty-ingredients/
Chouhan, C., Vig, H., Deshmukh, R., 2021. K-beauty Products Market by Product Type (Sheet Masks, Cleansers, Moisturizers, Makeup and Others), End User (Male and Female), and Distribution Channel (Online Retail, Supermarket/Hypermarket and Specialty/Monobrand Stores): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021–2027
SK-II. The Promise of Pitera. https://www.sk-ii.com/product/essence/facial-treatment-essence
Tatcha. The Silk Canvas. https://www.tatcha.com/product/SILK-CANVAS.html#
