Moisturising Revolution! 11 Japanese Products for Dry Skin
Moisture care becomes a huge topic in countries with cold winter weather, and especially so in Japan. But it doesn’t mean if you are safe from moisturising issues in tropical/hot weather! (I know some offices out there are blasting air-conditioning like winter is never coming.) This week we are going to briefly discuss what possible dry skin problems exist when the temperature goes down, and look at 11 different Japanese products (some of which you may not have touched before!) to help us achieve a “Moisturising Revolution”!
Why Dry Skin and Coldness come together
Various reasons cause our skin to lose moisture content. The biggest reason is the lack of proteins between our skin cells, which opens up the opportunities to moisture loss. This represents the loss of our skin barrier. That loss of skin barrier subsequently further exposes the skin to various external stimulations, which can cause further loss of moisture through our skin layer.
Whenever we face big changes in temperature and humidity, especially between an indoor vs outdoor difference, our skin turnover also becomes irregular. Our skin might even turn rough, which prevents our skin from absorbing beauty and moisture ingredients properly.
“Should have used moisturiser.” I’ll take its word for it.
Key skin troubles from dry skin
1) Skin gets so dry that facial expressions tend to stiffen
Dryness in skin comes from a lack of moisture and oil, which always leads to a lowered skin barrier. Furthermore, the deeper parts of the skin might have stiffened because muscle tend to shrink and harden when exposed to cold. Massages while applying moisturising creams highly recommended!
2) Skin is itching inside even though we have no allergies.
If we are able to rule out dirtied cosmetics, then it is likely our skin has reached a state of extreme dryness! We are entering the realms of sensitive skin… The skin barrier is extremely weak, and unable to protect our skin from various external stimulations. Again, the extreme change between indoor/outdoor also causes the skin to lose moisture. Products that are gentle and do not encourage direct rubbing are highly recommended.
3) Skin is hard and stiff.
This is similar to the first skin trouble we talked about. Another reason this could happen is the irregular turnover of our skin. On top of moisture care for dry skin, proper exfoliation (that is also moisturising) is recommended.
4) Small wrinkles or acne are starting to appear
When the skin barrier functionality decreases, problems like the lack of nutrients or increased exposure to negative skin stimulation could age our skin faster. Pinpoint products dealing with these specific issues are recommended, which can deliver the required nutrients needed to the skin.
Alright, enough of the problems, let’s take a look at what we can do about it, and what Japanese products we can use!
Cleansing Products for Moisture Care
Of course, cleansing plays a big part in moisture care. We’d want to use moisturising cleansers that are gentle on the skin, be it morning or night cleansing, and do exfoliation once or twice every week.
ROHTO Obagi Active Surge Platinized Wash
ROHTO Obagi’s Active Surge really comes as no surprise as one of our recommendations. This item returns clarity and youth to the skin because it was developed with an anti-aging focus in mind. Furthermore, just one push measures what you need for a morning cleanse. It’ll dispense carbonated foam that is going to be mild on your skin, so that your face will be cleansed without losing moisture. This should be your goal for a morning wash.
POLA BA Cleansing Cream
On the other hand, this is our recommendation for night cleansing. We’d like to use a milk or cream makeup remover that is highly moisturising, and POLA’s BA Cleansing Cream fulfils that role. Moreover, it is gentle on the skin, so there is no worry about overwashing, keeping your skin from losing more moisture. Also, this has a feeling so rich, you’d think that you are using an enriched beauty oil. One tube can last for about 100 days.
MINON Amino Moist Clear Wash Powder
Once a week, we’d want to exfoliate to ensure a foundational skin that is ready to accept our skincare products. MINON’s Amino Moist Clear Wash is so gentle that it is suitable for anyone with sensitive skin too. Furthermore, it is an enzyme cleanser that improves skin stiffness. Even though this can be used daily, the standard use is for once a week.
Products for Moisture Replenishment
SHU UEMURA Ultime8 Sublime Beauty Oil in Lotion
We want a toner with moisturising strength that is easily absorbed by our skin. This is important because we want something that penetrates well into the deep layers of our skin. While SHU UEMURA’s cleansing oil is probably the most well-known product in the series, the Oil in Lotion is definitely worth checking out. The eight different types of oil derived from plants maintains the shine and moisture in the skin.
ONE BY KOSE Moisture Serum
The ONE BY KOSE Moisture Serum contains the uniquely Japanese Rice Power Extract No. 11, which is the only ingredient that raises the skin’s ability to retain moisture. Imagine how your skin will be able to retain moisture naturally after using this serum habitually every day.
ETVOS Moist Barrier Cream
ETVOS Moist Barrier Cream doesn’t only protect the skin from dryness from the surrounding air, but also house dust and pollution such as tobacco smoke and exhaust air. These are potential stresses that can cause the skin to loss moisture, thus the importance of having a cream to protect the skin from external stimulation. Moreover, the protection might prevent skin troubles too!
Concentrated Moisture Care Products
MINON Amino Moist Skin Mask
MINON Amino Moist Skin Masks is suitable for users with dry skin or sensitive skin. It contains 9 different types of moisturising amino acids that is easily absorbed by the skin to create a well-moisturised skin.
FUJIFILM ASTALIFT Moisturizing Mask
This mask has very high skin penetration, with enriched beauty ingredients that is highly moisturising, including the nano lycopene. The mask comes in a set of two mask, a base mask and an upper mask. They are also made in a stretchable material that allows the mask to stay close to our skin for maximum effect.
Body Products for Moisture Care
Of course, moisture care doesn’t just end at our faces! We need moisturizing products for those easy to forget areas on our bodies too, for example the elbows and knees.
KAO Curel Body Wash
The foam from KAO Curel’s Body Wash is very fine, so we are able to wash without having to rub roughly with our hands. Other than avoiding stress from the wash, the body wash also protects the ceramide content in the skin, while providing moisture to the skin. Do note that the product is considered a quasi drug.
LION hadakara Body Soap
LION’s hadakara Body Soap boasts a technology that doesn’t let moisture get washed away, thus keeping the skin moist! This is different from other body soaps, where some moisture content still gets washed off.
IGNIS Extra H Body Cream
Of course, we’ll like to double our moisture care by applying oil or cream for extra moisture care after bathing. IGNIS Extra H Body Cream is one product we’d like to use for heels or knees, where skin tends to dry quickly.
Plenty of Moisture Care options for Dry Skin!
Even if the weather dries up, it is not difficult to keep our skin from various problems with the proper moisture care, thus preventing our dry skin from spiraling out of control.
Remember, these are only suggestions to what kind of moisture products you may choose to use! Whatever brand of product you trust to use, it is more important to know what kind of product has what effect, for example the preference of cream-type products over water-type during the cold seasons. If you are looking for more information about skin trouble, you might want to learn more about skin pore problems, or even supplements against skin troubles. Or perhaps you’d like to get some collagen and then some to maintain healthy looking skin!
