K-beauty, or Korean beauty products continue to dominate the beauty and skincare world with an estimated total sales of over $13 billion in 2018. But as people worldwide are looking to the East for beauty cues, another Asian country is predicted to be one of the frontrunners in the beauty industry as some insiders are saying that it’s Japan’s time to be in the spotlight. Though J-beauty has been around for years, it looks like we’ll be seeing more Japanese products in the market as more consumers are feeling the need to shake up their beauty routines. Here’s what you need to know about J-beauty and why it’s better for you.
It’s all About Prevention and Protection
If you take a look at most K-beauty product lines, you’ll see that there are very little wrinkle repair products as they focus mostly on skin protection. The same is true of J-beauty products. Tokyo-based fashion and beauty influencer Rin Rin Doll asserts that J-beauty mostly emphasize prevention and maintenance products for the skin. “You’ll find a lot of sunscreen and cosmetics containing SPF,” she told Today. Such is the growing demand for Japanese skin care products that subscription boxes offering carefully selected collection of cosmetics from the country have become available in the US, so it’s possible to try various makeup, serums, cleansers, toners, and serums, among others, on a monthly basis.
Less Steps, Same Beautiful Results
Modern Western skincare routine has taken lots of cues from K-beauty, with men and women applying 6 to 10 products daily to nourish and protect their skin. J-beauty is the opposite as it emphasizes simplicity with the typical Japanese skincare routine requiring only 4 steps– cleansing, toning, treatment, and protection. For a typical nighttime routine, you’ll need to use a cleansing oil to get rid of makeup and impurities, then follow with a skin-brightening and balancing toner. After that, smooth on a serum to treat any skin issues, then seal everything in with a moisturizer. In the morning, do the same thing, but replace the moisturizer with SPF lotion before applying makeup.
It’s About Enhancing Your Natural Beauty
Japanese beauty is all about minimalism, so you’ll hardly see any J-beauty tutorials that involve contouring, baking, or false eyelashes. J-beauty means using a light base, some powder to take away shine, and a bit of pink, peach, or orangey blusher for a natural flush. You can modify it with some brow powder, a coat of mascara, and some lip color but remember to apply cosmetics with a light hand. If you want to try Japanese makeup, you can start by getting a few items from affordable drugstore brands such as Canmake, Kate, or Majolica Majorca, then as you get more comfortable you may want to graduate to premiere brands like Shiseido, Shu Uemura, and Tatcha.
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