Asian skincare is taking the world by storm!  And primarily, Korean & Japanese skincare.  Any Korean beauty product these days is a source of fascination; & makes people stop & wonder, ‘what’s the secret?’  My friends & I usually share tips on makeup & skin, and something dawned on me: I could ask my Asian friends for the inside info on their great looking skin!

 

Korean Skin Hacks:

Celestial Seasonings Green Tea, 20 count, $7

 

-Take a mixture of green tea leaves (from a tea bag) & mix it with plain yogurt.  For a quick skin plumping technique, leave it on your face for 10 minutes & then wash off!

 

The Face Shop’s Rice Water Bright Deep Cleansing Oil, $8

 

-Double cleansing with a cleansing oil.  Most Korean women believe that to clean your face properly, is to wash it twice.  First with an oil based cleanser: that’s meant to remove oil/ dirt/ makeup; then with a mild or foaming cleanser.

 

-Give yourself a face massage during cleansing / moisturizing with your knuckles.  Close your fists, & use the 1st two knuckles to massage your face whilst the cleansing oil is on your face / while moisturizing.  This helps boost circulation & give skin a healthy glow.  And the important thing is to do this gently.  To watch in more detail how to massage your face, click on this link: Korean face massage!

 

Patchology Hydrate FlashMasque, $8, Tony Moly’s Red Wine Sheet Face Mask, $4

 

-Using sheet masks.  Ever tried a sheet mask before?  They are extremely popular in Asia!  The great thing about sheet masks is that they target all kinds of problems, from hydration, fine lines, skin brightening, calming, the list goes on!  The hardcore skincare girls use one every night!  Where to buy?  Check out SokoGlam, Peach and Lily, or Amazon for their sheet masks!

 

-Make a sheet mask sandwich.  Put one on, usually for about 15 min.  When the 15 min are up, put on a layer of serum over your face, & then replace the mask back on for a double treatment.

 

Japanese Beauty Hacks:

-Drink green tea.  It may sound simple, but important.  Green tea has been clinically proven to possess antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, & antioxidant properties.  Not only that, but tea in general is a natural diuretic, that helps filter toxins out from the body (but your skin as well!)

 

Botanical Beauty’s Organic Japanese Camellia Seed Oil, $10, Shiseido Tsubaki Shampoo & Conditioner, $39, The Body Shop’s Japanese Camellia Cream, 12 oz for $36

-Use camellia oil in cleansing / moisturizing.  In the oldest known written book, The Tale of Genji, women in Japanese court would use camellia oil in their hair.  Geishas are famous for using it in their everyday routine!  You can use it to remove makeup, moisturize, tame flyaways, and more!

 

3 pack Konjac Sponges, $12

Binchotan Charcoal Scrub Towel, $18

-Exfoliate!  Obviously Japanese women aren’t the only ones that exfoliate, but they have jumped on the bandwagon before we did.  And they a wide variety of tools that you can use!  Above are just 2 of them!  On the top, you can get a set of Konjac sponges, which is a gentle exfoliator for the face; on the bottom you can get the Binochotan charcoal Scrub towel: a towel infused with charcoal to scrub & eliminate impurities from the body.

 

-Give yourself a Japanese facial massage.  OK, above I mentioned the Korean version, but the Japanese have their own as well.  And with Japanese face massage, I have to mention esthetician, beauty consultant & guru Chizu Saeki, whose book on Japanese skincare has taken her country by storm.  Click here to check out her book, or even better, check out her video on Youtube!

 

Chinese Beauty Hacks:

-Drink Chinese tea.  Yes, there is a reoccurring theme of drinking tea.  But keep in mind that the greatest minds think alike!  While the Japanese staple is green tea, Chinese people tend to drink a wider variety.  Goji, Pu er, & chrysanthemum tea are popular staples, as well as help detox & boost your defense system.  Goji is known to keep skin healthy, usually comes in dried berries; you can simply just soak them in hot water & drink.

 

-Give yourself a DIY facial.  What I noticed among my Chinese friends, is that they like to give themselves all natural face masks.  Whether it be a face mask made of slices of cucumbers, tomatoes, avocado, egg whites; are all used on the skin!  All of the above are used for moisture; while egg whites are used to lift sagging skin and / or reduce oiliness.  Apply gently a layer of egg white using a clean brush, & then rinse it off after it has dried.  The appeal of these facials is that they’re all natural (vs. face creams, of which you have no idea what’s inside), and you know exactly what you put on your face.

 

-Give yourself a turmeric mask.  In Ancient China, women would use turmeric powder to keep away wrinkles & even their skin tone.  According to Wei Brian, the genius behind Wei Beauty, you can make yourself mask!  Mix one tablespoon of almond milk, 1 teaspoon of honey, & 1 teaspoon of turmeric.  If you would like the mask to be thicker you can add yogurt / a bit more honey.  Almond milk is great because it contains vitamin E & antioxidants.  Use a face brush & leave on for 10-15 min, & then wash off.

 

-Utilize mung beans.  According to Chinese history, empresses would like to make facials from ground mung beans, which are known for brightening & de-puffing skin.  Want to give it a try?  Mix some mung bean powder with plain yogurt, & brush it on your face.  Wash off after 15 min & get skin worthy of an empress!

 

The bottom line?  Eat well & sleep well.  One universal thing across all these cultures is that good skincare comes from the inside out.  All of them reinforce eating well, (i.e. eating lots of fruits / vegetables) or drinking tea, (for detoxifying) & to get enough sleep.  No skincare routine can work properly if you are sleep deprived, or eating junk food.  Real beauty radiates from the inside out.  Like I mentioned before, treat your skin well, & it will treat you well back.  

 

Did you enjoy this article?  Would you like to add another skincare tip?  Feel free to comment below!

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