A Guide to Navigating the World of J-Beauty

Over the past few years, Asian beauty trends have taken the West by storm with an endless array of formulas, products, and rituals to choose from. Whether that be the classic sheet masks from Korea to the clean beauty statements from Japan, it's clear that Asian beauty is all about a fresh, skin-focused approach.

While Japanese beauty has had less of a cultural imprint compared with the glorious 10-step K-Beauty skincare routine, it's important to recognize that Japan actually spends the most per capita on beauty products compared to any other country. This is because there is a higher emphasis on scientific research and traditional products that illustrate the country's cultural past. Here, L'OFFICIEL breaks down the key elements of J-beauty, providing a guide to the minimalist routine, cultural background, and best products to add to your vanity. 

To put it plainly, Japan is defined by simplicity. 

A classic J-beauty routine centers around two things: a minimalist approach and natural, time-trusted ingredients. Thanks to years of meticulous research and technology, Japan's beauty industry is often the first to come up with breakthrough formulas. There are much fewer items needed in a J-beauty routine due to the reliability of the products, making it less overwhelming for individuals who could potentially be short on time. 

Japanese beauty has a strong emphasis on softness as well, often referring to nice skin as mochi-hada, which translates to "rice-cake skin." Whereas Western skincare formulas are more aggressive in their approach, J-beauty's nourishing philosophy works to soothe and hydrate the skin. Moreover, this gentle yet results-driven method has the goal of preventative care, rather than quick fixes, and long-term benefits. 

Both J-beauty and K-beauty share the same goal in maintaining skin health, with a heavy focus on hydration and protective barriers from sun exposure, as well as a great emphasis on cleansing. Even so, the two countries have massively different approaches to the world of beauty and skincare.

Japanese beauty is often reflective of the country's cultural heritage, as it is much more reserved and reliant on history. While it is highly innovative in its research, much of it is to ensure long-term benefits and results. There is a deep commitment to using indigenous ingredients and proven formulas, which is illustrative of Japan's respect towards maintaining tradition. 

While Korean beauty is also strongly driven by scientific research and innovation, its goals are more centered on skincare advancements and discovering the newest ingredients and formulas that leave more room for experimentation. K-beauty is best known for its elaborate 10-step ritual that is often highlighted by the individual ingredients. From utilizing seaweed as hydration in toners to red ginseng to stimulate collagen production, Korean skincare has found a way to mix beloved ingredients from its cuisine to its beauty regimens. 

1. Double cleanse. This technique was popularized by Japanese geishas who needed to double cleanse in order to take off their heavy makeup. Double cleansing is a critical step in the J-beauty routine as it starts with an oil-based cleanser that can gently dissolve makeup, grease, and impurities while still keeping the skin hydrated. Oil cleansers are much more effective than makeup wipes, as they only move the dirt around on your face and end up clogging the pores. After the oil-based cleanser, you can move on to a water-based cleanser (such as foam, gel, powder, etc.) to get rid of dirt and sweat, deeply cleansing the remaining impurities. 

2. Exfoliate twice a week. Japanese exfoliation is a lot gentler than the Western approaches of harsh scrubs. J-beauty uses products with gel-like formulas to gently massage into the skin to clear clogged pores and dead skin cells. This should only be done 1-2 times a week as to not damage the skin.

3. Hydrate. Japanese lotion, or kesho-sui, is a watery formula that is used similarly to toners to soften and hydrate the skin. Not to be confused with moisturizing, these lotions are patted onto the skin and often contain ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, aloe, and ceramides. 

4. Serum. These products target specific parts of your skin, including wrinkles, acne, dark spots, and uneven tones. Serums contain ingredients such as collagen, ceramides, and Vitamin C to combat hyperpigmentation. 

5. Moisturize (with SPF). Milk-based moisturizers are particularly popular in Japan, but there are so many different forms that can be used. Whether it be in the form of a cream, lotion, or gel, moisturizing is an essential step to seal the moisture and ingredients from the previous steps. In the morning, you can either apply a religious amount of sunscreen on top of the moisturizer or find one that contains SPF.