When it comes to looking decades younger than their real age, Japanese women beat all the records. Some of them look so young that when you look at their mother-daughter photographs, you can’t even figure out who’s who. You may be surprised to learn that there are things you can do to feel and look much younger if you think it’s all about genes and climate.
Wash your face with rice water.
Rice is rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that protect, soothe, and shine the skin from early aging. For a long time, Japanese women used rice water to wash their faces and hair, and there are several ways to make rice water at home. Try to make fermented rice water if you’re not in a hurry.
- Put half a cup of rice into a clean bowl and rinse the rice with clear water several times.
- Add 2 cups of water and soak the rice for 15 minutes.
- Strain the rice and keep the rice water in a jar for 1-2 days at room temperature.
You can tell your fermented rice water is ready when its smell is a bit sour. Now you can use the rice solution to wash your face and rinse your hair, after diluting it with 1-2 cups of water. Store the remaining rice water in the fridge.
Don’t rub your face with your hands and try to use a foaming net when washing your face.
Many of us use our hands to clean our faces with cosmetics. In fact, we strain our skin when we rub our faces, making it less toned. Japanese women use foaming networks or foaming meshes to solve this problem to apply their skincare products. This net can easily make dense foam from a small amount of product, and then with this foam you can clean your face without touching your fingers. All you need to do is add a little face wash and rub it between your hands.
Try seaweed facial masks.
Seaweed is known for its incredible health properties and as part of a healthy diet it is recommended. Throughout Japan, it is commonly used. But apart from just seasoning your food with some seaweed, you can make your skin shine and feel more hydrated with it on your face as well. Mix 1⁄4 cup of seaweed powder with some warm water and olive oil to make a DIY seaweed mask until a smooth, thick substance is obtained. Apply this mixture to your face and neck, allow it to sit for 15 minutes, then rinse with water. As shown in the picture above, you can also apply wet seaweed strips right on your face.
Stick to a balanced diet.
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It’s not a secret that depends heavily on what we eat the way we feel and look. The Japanese diet is super fresh and healthy, and you have to:
- Eat more fresh, unprocessed food, like fish, grains, vegetables, fruit, seaweed, fermented soy products (like miso, for example), and green tea.
- Eat moderate amounts of animal products.
- Quit eating processed, refined, and sugary foods.
Try to maintain a high collagen level.
Collagen is an important structural protein that makes our skin look older when we lose it. You can purchase all sorts of collagen supplements in Japan, which are sold in the form of tablets, jellies, candies, and beverages. Some scientists believe there is no use in purposefully eating collagen supplements, but there are ways to naturally increase the level of collagen in your skin. To help your body produce more collagen, add bone broth, fish, chicken, egg whites, leafy greens, and citrus fruits to your diet.
Choose skincare products with camellia oil.
Soak in a hot tub.
Whether it’s a hot tub or a traditional onsen hot spring, people in Japan love to soak in a tub. Visiting an onsen is known to be therapeutic bathing: minerals found in hot spring waters penetrate the body and help calm your nerves, get rid of skin conditions and make you look and feel younger. Yet if you are unable to go to an onsen, you can take a hot bath at home as well. Hot water bathing will help you to reduce inflammation, improve the quality of your sleep, and even help you to burn extra calories.
Drink green tea and apply it as a facial mask.
You can never get enough green tea in Japan. Besides drinking this youthful liquid, which is abundant in antioxidants on a regular basis, you can try to make a DIY green facial tea mask. Small wrinkles can be removed, pores enlarged, and skin detoxified.
- Take ½-1 teaspoon of matcha green tea powder, add 1 tsp of water and ½ tsp of honey.
- Mix all of the ingredients together and apply it all over your face. Let it sit for 20 minutes and rinse with water.
Give your face a regular self-massage.
The Japanese women do a facial self-massage with their palms right after gently washing their faces. Thanks to the amazing results that can be seen after a few sessions, Japanese contouring massage techniques became very popular among women. The best part of this massage is you can do it yourself. This is one of the most common facial massage techniques, and while following the instructions in the video, you can try it right now. Whatever technique you choose for facial massage, remember:
- Apply massage oil or lotion to reduce the impact of your fingers.
- Your motions must be gentle and smooth.
Protect your skin from the sun.
Women in Japan, wherever possible, avoid being exposed to the sun. Aggressive sunrays of UVA and UVB damage our skin and accelerate the aging process, causing wrinkles and spots. Even on a dreary day, 80 percent of ultraviolet rays can get through the clouds, according to scientists. Consider applying sunscreen and skincare products that contain sunscreen whenever you go outside.
Which of these tips would you like to try? Can you share your own beauty tricks that can help our readers look and feel younger?
Illustrated by Alena Sofronova
