10 Daily Routines From Japanese Women That Can Help You Look and Feel Years Younger

2019-10-31

Women from Japan beat all the records when it comes to looking decades younger than their real age. Some of them look so young that you can’t even figure out who’s who when you look at their mother-daughter photographs. If you think it’s all about genes and climate, you may be surprised to learn that there are things you can do to feel and look much younger.

Here at Bright Side we’ve picked these tips and tricks for you from “eternally young” Japanese women, and you can start using them right away!

Wash your face with rice water.

Rice is rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that protect skin from early aging, soothe it, and make it glow. Japanese women have been using rice water to wash their faces and hair for a long time, and there are several methods for making rice water at home. If you are not in a hurry, try making fermented rice water.

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.

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Many of us apply products with our hands when we wash our faces. In reality, when we rub our faces, we strain our skin, which makes it less toned. To solve this problem Japanese women use foaming nets, or foaming meshes, to apply their skincare products. This net can easily make dense foam out of a small amount of product, and then you can clean your face with this foam, without touching your face with your fingers. All you need to do is apply a bit of face wash onto the net and rub it between your palms.

Try seaweed facial masks.

Seaweed is known for its amazing health properties and it’s recommended as part of a healthy diet. It is widely used in Japan. But apart from just seasoning your food with some seaweed, you can also use it on your face to make your skin glow and feel more hydrated. To make a DIY seaweed mask, mix ¼ cup of seaweed powder with some warm water and olive oil, until you get a smooth thick substance. Apply this mix onto your face and neck, let it sit for 15 minutes, and then rinse with water. You can also apply wet seaweed strips right onto your face, as shown in the picture above.

Stick to a balanced diet.

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It’s not a secret that the way we feel and look greatly depends on what we eat. The Japanese diet is super fresh and healthy, and if you want to follow it, you need 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 of our skin and losing it makes us look older. In Japan you can buy all sorts of collagen supplements that are sold in the form of pills, jellies, candies, and drinks. Some scientists believe that there’s no use in eating collagen supplements on purpose, but there are ways to increase your skin’s collagen level naturally. Add bone broth, fish, chicken, egg whites, leafy greens, and citrus fruits to your diet to help your body produce more collagen.

Choose skincare products with camellia oil.

Camelia, or tsubaki, is one of the most popular Japanese flowering trees. Japanese women love using camellia oil that is extracted from the seeds of this plant and is known for its ability to get inside the deepest layers of skin and retain moisture. This oil is rich in fatty acids, vitamins, and antioxidants. It protects our skin from environmental exposure and makes it softer and smoother. Camelia oil can be found in many of the cosmetic products widely used by Japanese women, from facial creams to shampoos.

Soak in a hot tub.

People in Japan love soaking in a tub, whether it is a hot tub or a traditional onsen hot spring. Visiting an onsen is considered to be therapeutic bathing: minerals found in hot spring waters penetrate the body and help you calm your nerves, get rid of skin conditions, and make you look and feel younger. But if you can’t go to an onsen, you can just as well take a hot bath at home. Bathing in hot water will help you reduce inflammation, improve your sleep quality, and even help you burn extra calories.

Drink green tea and apply it as a facial mask.

In Japan, you can never have enough green tea. Apart from regularly drinking this potion of youth, that is rich in antioxidants, you can try to make a DIY green tea facial mask. It can erase small wrinkles, tighten your pores, and detoxify your skin.

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.

Right after gently washing their faces, Japanese women perform a facial self-massage with their palms. Japanese contouring massage techniques became very popular among women because of the amazing results that can be seen after a just few sessions. The best part of these massages is that you can do them on your own. This is one of the most popular facial massage techniques, and you can try it out right now while following the instructions in the video. Whatever facial massage technique you choose, remember:

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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 avoid being exposed to the sun whenever possible. Aggressive UVA and UVB sun rays damage our skin and speed up the process of aging, causing wrinkles and spots. According to experts, even on a gloomy day, 80% of ultraviolet rays can get through the clouds. Whenever you go outside, consider applying sunscreen and skincare products containing sunscreen.

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?