What is “Mochi Skin?”
For skincare, J-beauty’s core value is to nourish the skin with gentle and nutritious products, so that one can achieve “mochi skin.” If you are unfamiliar with mochi, mochi is a glutinous rice snack that is very soft and plump. A “mochi skin” is almost like baby skin, as it is very soft, hydrated and does not have any fine lines.
What is the difference between J-beauty and K-beauty skincare?
One of the biggest misunderstandings that I bet many people have is that the J-beauty and the K-beauty skincare routine is the same or fairly similar to each other. However, I can tell you that they are very different. While K-beauty often has ten or more steps to its skincare routine, J-beauty skincare routine only has five, which is fairly minimal. Also, although K-beauty skincare is similar to J-beauty skincare as both value in giving the skin great nutrients as well as keeping the skin soft and hydrated, rather than “mochi skin,” K-beauty skincare helps to achieve “glass skin.” “Glass skin” is a type of skin that is reflective and clear—but we’ll save that for an article next time.
Steps in a Japanese Skincare Routine
1. Cleansing
Cleansing is a very important part of the Japanese beauty routine. To achieve a great clear complexion, Japanese cleanse their face twice so that they can clear any dirt, residue, and makeup that may be on their skin. Double cleansing is done by many Japanese people, especially at night, after a long day of wearing makeup. For double cleansing, there are two different kinds of products that are used—an oil cleanser that is used to remove the majority of makeup and dirt, and a face wash that is used to remove and clear any remaining residue that may be beyond the surface of the skin.
Oil Cleanser (For Double Cleansing at Night)
Although there are Japanese people who use micellar water to remove their makeup, oil cleansers are much more common to use. The reason for using oil cleansers over micellar water is that oil cleansers are known to cleanse the skin better, especially if you wear makeup on a daily basis. However, oil cleansers are also known to clear.
2. Face wash
Most Japanese facial washes are foam-type cleansers because they are known to clean beyond the surface of the skin. Again, like oil cleansers, the key is being gentle to the skin when cleansing. The foam face wash is perfect when it comes to gently removing impurries that are deep in your pores.
One thing to keep in mind when using a face wash is how you use it according to your skin type. If your skin is sensitive and dry, limit yourself from washing your face several times a day—you may only need to wash your face with a cleanser at night or once a day. If you have oily skin, you may need to wash your face twice a day. However, you can still damage your oily skin by washing your skin too much from stripping off your natural oils. So remember to wash your skin acknowledgingly.
3. Lotion (Essence)
Although it may be a little bit confusing to many people, toner is called lotion in Japan. Although they may serve similar purposes, such as regulating the secretion of the sebum, Japanese lotions and essences tend to be much more moisturizing and gentle to the skin and is lower in acidity.
In Japanese skincare, lotion/essence is very important when it comes to moisturizing the skin, which is different from Western “toners.” Without using the lotion, the skin would lack moisture as it would cause the skin barrier, which protects the skin from moisture retention and external irritation to be dysfunctional.
4. Beauty Serum
Many people may skip this step of applying beauty serum to their faces. However, it’s important to use beauty serums because the skincare routine would be more personalized to every person’s skin. The products used in this step can vary from person to person, depending on the type of skin concerns they might have. Some people may lack moisture in certain areas, while others may be concerned about their spots and scars that resulted from the acne.
If you lack moisture and plumpness in your skin, Astalift White Essence Infilt is perfect for improving your skin texture. This product contains collagen, which is important when it comes to improving the texture of the skin. The greatest thing about this product is that it improves your skin not only from the outside, but on the inside as well as it contains high-performance unique nanotechnology and brightening ingredients.
4. Emulsion and Cream
Using emulsion (milky lotion) and cream is key to achieving the “mochi-like” skin. Without a moisturizer, you wouldn’t be able to replenish the oil necessary for your skin and prevent the evaporation of the moisture of the lotion. A simple analogy for the purpose of these two products is that it acts like “a lid.”
Big thing to note: don’t skip this step just because your skin feels sticky and looks shiny. Due to the dryness of the skin, extra oil is secreted as a protective effect from the skin, which is a possibility that it has become shiny skin.
Emulsion or Cream?
Something to keep in mind is choosing between an emulsion or a cream. If there are few emollient ingredients (oil content), it will cause dryness. On the contrary, if there are too many emollient ingredients, it will cause shine.
Simply said, if you have oilier skin, it’s important to use emulsion (milky lotion) and if you have drier skin you should use a cream moisturizer. There are so many different emulsions and creams to choose from, and it’s important and best to choose milky lotion or cream according to your skin type in terms of oil content.
Summarize…
The Japanese skincare routine is all about taking care of your skin gently, without overwhelming your skin. The skincare routine is very minimal with very few steps to it, but it covers all the things your skin needs to achieve the “mochi skin” look. Not only does this routine help with achieving beauty from the outside, but it makes sure that it keeps the skin nourished and healthy from within.
Although this skincare routine would definitely work for everyone, I would highly recommend for those who have sensitive skin and skin concerns (such as acne) to try this routine out. The reason for this is that if you have sensitive skin, though it may be important to keep an eye on what kinds of products you are using, it’s important to keep your skincare to a minimum so that you do not overwhelm your skin.
