5 Insane Natural Ingredients That Are MAJOR In Japan

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J-beauty has been receiving some major hype over the past year, and rightly so; the products, formulas, and rituals are genuinely revolutionary. But it’s not just their formulas or their skincare routine that make them so magical, it has a lot to do with the ingredients they pack into their miracle products. In Japan, these five bizarre ingredients are super common – they’re what coconut oil and activated charcoal are to us – and they’re a staple in many Japanese beauty routines. So, to help your skincare regime catch up and be as flawless and poreless as the Japanese, we’re revealing some of their most amazing, go-to ingredients.

The Beauty Enhancer: Reishi

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Reishi is a type of herbal mushroom that has been used for decades due to its powerful medicinal properties. The mushroom is believed to have rejuvenating qualities and many Japanese herbalists drink it as a tea to lengthen their lifespan. For your beauty routine, it’s amazing for your blood circulation and improving your immune system, which allows your body to fight damaging free radicles. It’s also great for boosting the overall health of your scalp, so your hair will be shinier and become stronger, thereby reducing breakage. Basically, this little mushroom will majorly enhance your natural beauty. We like to get our Reishi fix from the Origins Mega Mushroom Range.

The Skin Elixir: Ghetto 

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The super pretty ingredient is also said to increase your lifespan, but we’re obsessed with it for its rejuvenating skincare powers. It’s called ghetto – but it’s more commonly known as shell ginger. This type of ginger is native to East Asia and can grow up to 10ft tall and bears colorful funnel-shaped flowers. It’s literally bursting with antioxidants and vitamins that help to strengthen your skin’s protective barrier against external damage, more specifically the damaging UV rays of the sun (check out why that’s SO important here). It’ll also help boost skin cell acceleration so your skin will be healthier and brighter – basically radiant AF.

The Mega Hydrator: Snow Mushroom

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This mushroom has been a staple in Japanese medicine and skincare FOREVER, as it’s crazy hydrating. It’s pretty much nature’s version of hyaluronic acid, as it draws moisture into the skin and can hold up to roughly 1,000 times its weight in water. It even has a smaller molecular structure than hyaluronic acid, so it can be absorbed deeper into your skin for even better hydration in your deep dermal layers. This is why it’s found its way into products like the Olay new Active Botanicals line. We’re obsessed!

The Skin Fixer: Tofu

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Tofu isn’t just a delicious vegan snack, it’s awesome for your skin too. This is because it’s full of healthy fats, proteins, calcium, and it’s a great source of vitamin E too. This means it’ll help your skin retain its natural level of collagen, improving the elasticity to keep signs of sagging at bay. It’s even proven to help refine the appearance of your pores – who doesn’t want that? You can easily get these benefits by eating a small amount of tofu each week or by applying topical creams that contain tofu. We love the Lush tofu face mask, Don’t look at me, $14, it literally makes your skin look so fresh!

The miracle oil: Japanese Camellia Oil

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Camellia oil is a seriously dope natural oil. It comes from the wild camellia japonica flower, which is called Tsubaki, which is then cold pressed to produce an oil. It’s full of fatty acids, like Omega 6 and Omega 9, which nourish and hydrate your hair as well as your skin. It’s also used in Japan to treat scars, cuts, and burns as it boosts skin cell renewal. This makes it ideal for mature skin and acne-prone skin, as it’s soothing and anti-inflammatory, while it also reduces redness so it improves the look of acne scars. Because Camellia oil is a dry oil, it doesn’t feel greasy and will be absorbed quickly into your skin. The Tatcha Gold Camellia Beauty Oil is one of our go-to oils.

Check out more about amazing J-beauty products here.