Nowadays, everything is quick in our modern life, we get quick access to information, food, leisure and even cosmetic results. We want our desire to be fulfilled right now, we want immediate access to satisfaction and happiness, and when we get it, it rarely last, does it?
The japanese concept of Slow living is about enjoying the process of doing as much as the result, preventing rather than healing, purchasing with consciousness instead of desire and practicing rituals regularly. For instance, if you want beautiful nails, you can obtain it instantly by covering them with nail polish. On long term this might weaken your nails and you will have to do it again in a few weeks. On the other hand, you can go slow and use nail oil. Using natural nail oil will embellish and strengthen your nails on long term. The results won’t be instant, but it will last and you will savour every day the sensation of the roll-on on your fingers and the aroma of the essential oil (see uka aromatherapy nail oil).
Clean beauty is basically about mixing natural ingredients with non-toxic synthetic ingredients to get performance driven cosmetics and a a holistic treatmen ritual, full of nourishing and healing properties. This concept wasn’t invented by Japanese, but it totally matches our state of mind. In Japan everything is about finding the balance between ancestral rituals and advanced technology. We use holistic recipes of cosmetics, with ingredients coming – most of the time- from our kitchen (Azuki, sake, rice bran, Kombu, egg shell) and gesture such as the layering (using several layers of cosmetic actives) and the Kobido massage (stimulation of facial muscle for anti-age purposes). But we also admire innovation and scientific discoveries. Therefore, we include clean synthetic ingredients that will increase the performance of our natural recipes. One astonishing example of our ability to take the best from our culture and scientific discoveries is the Slim Cera. Slim Cera is the most advanced beauty roller. Its mechanism brings together ancestral knowledge of facial muscle massage (inspired by Kobido lifting massages), the use of mineral magnetism to increase cosmetics penetration (for 4.000 years). It also includes more recent know-how and discoveries such as regenerative micro-current (used in cosmetic surgery since 2006), the use of germanium to generate negative ions and the diamond cut on the rollers that cleans pores and smoothers the skin texture. The results are visible after 3 minutes of use for tone and penetration of skincare. As for the results on skin texture, wrinkles and elasticity, it will take about 3 weeks of use to see the results. This is slow beauty.
The characteristics of Japanese Beauty:
1. Natural ingredients
One of the main characteristics of Japanese beauty is the well-balanced mix of traditional and innovative
ingredients in the composition. We always select treasures from the nature that surrounds us like green tea,
rice and camelia oil to which we combine innovative making process and ingredients such as fermentation,
enzymes and amino acids.
2. “Sonae areba urei nashi “– Anticipation will save you from trouble
This Japanese proverb illustrates how Japanese beauty is typically focused on preventing rather than curing.
From our youngest age, we are taught to practice anti-aging self-massage and protect our skin from UV in
order to age gracefully. This concept is always reflected in Japanese beauty rituals.
3. Being clean is beautiful
We believe that the action of purifying our body from the tip of the toes to the top of the head is beautiful. The
process of washing our hair, cleansing our skin and maintaining our nail clean and properly cut is a form of
meditation that we practice on a daily basis before taking relaxing bath.
4. Step-by-step beauty ritual
Japanese beauty is also characterized by the skin care ritual that Japanese women perform everyday:
makeup removal → face wash → face lotion → beauty essence → emulsion or moisturizing cream.
Once a week, we also do some deeper skin care by using sheets mask and massaging our face and scalp.
Scalp is a very important part of our face that we are taught not to neglect, because it’s the extension of our
facial skin.
5. Beautiful tools for beautiful souls
Using beautiful and carefully crafted tools for our everyday use is part of our traditional culture. We enjoy
taking care of our skins, nails and hair with high quality brushes, nail clippers and combs that brings us joy
and enhance our beauty.
6. Ichiju sansai – one soup, three vegetables dishes
Japanese beauty is also strongly linked to inner beauty as we believe that our skin reflects our habits. For
instance, our traditional meals are always well balanced with one bowl of rice, one soup and three vegetables
dishes and our days are rhythmed by the various types of green tea that we drink.
