Japanese Skincare—Simple and Natural

You have likely heard of J-Beauty and have wondered what the fuss is all about. New York-based beauty expert and YouTube star, Melodee Morita, notes that Japanese beauty products are the latest trend. This is due in part to the fact that women today prefer focusing on great skin that requires less makeup. In other words, fresh-faced glowing skin is the goal, regardless of age.

Rather than being forced to hide blemishes and imperfections, Japanese skincare focuses on basic products that help the skin retain its elasticity, leaving it firm and radiant. Japanese beauty products avoid the ultra-aggressive techniques seen in America—deep exfoliation and harsh chemical formulas, but instead striving for the simple and natural. Japanese beauty recognizes how busy your life is, thus committed to keeping things simple.    

Nourishing skin gently while cleansing

J-Beauty products focus on what is missing from the market and what the customer really wants. J-Beauty is all about nourishing skin with gentle cleansing, as well as targeted hydration. Cleansing is like a ritual for women in Japan. Because of this, ultra-rich oil cleansers are generally used in lieu of the gel and foam-based cleansers used by American women.

These deep-cleansing, ultralight oil cleansers are full of vitamins, nourishing omegas, and other natural ingredients, leaving skin clean, as well as noticeably less red and uneven. Unlike other oil cleansers, the typical Japanese oil cleanser is never heavy and is used morning and night. 

Hydration plumps and smooths the skin

After cleansing, a liquid hydrator that penetrates deeply into the skin is often the next step. This hydrator focuses on plumping, smoothing, toning, hydrating, and resurfacing the skin. There are J-Beauty products that accomplish all these things and more.   

The hydrator sets your skin up for success by turbocharging products put on top of it. The hydrator product is gently pressed into the skin, rather than dragged across the skin. The goal is to avoid creating wrinkles as skincare products are applied.   

Quenching the skin’s thirst

Typically, after cleansing and hydrating, a lightweight serum is applied to the skin. Packed with natural ingredients, the serum quenches your skin’s thirst, battling against redness in the process. Finally, most Japanese skincare lines offer a moisturizer (cream) that takes full advantage of natural ingredients, yet offers superior diminishment of lines and increased firmness. This layering of hydrator, serum, and moisturizer (cream) creates a perfect layering of skincare benefits.  Not only are Japanese skincare routines quick and easy, they also bring out the very best in skin of every age.   

The uniqueness of The JBeauty Collection's products

The beauty line of La Vie Précieuse takes the very best, most unique aspects of Japanese skincare. We then incorporate naturally derived ingredients, based on the A.P.G. Hydration Theory. The A.P.G. Hydration Theory uses three ingredients, originating from nature, to deal with visible signs of aging around the eyes, mouth, and cheeks.

AP Ceramides from the Aomori apples for skin hydration

A double-retention structure is created by preparing the skin to allow products to easily permeate the skin, leading to fresh, revitalized skin. A.P.G. includes an AP ceramide from the Aomori apples, Proteoglycan from the nasal cartilage of the salmon, and glycyrrhizinate from the Tsugaru licorice root.  

The AP ceramide, a high quality ceramide, encases the accumulated water within the skin by thoroughly wrapping the skin in a veil of moisture. Apple-derived ceramide was discovered after many years of research at the Hokkaido Agriculture Research Center. Specific apple groves, especially for ceramide extraction, were created in the search for ingredients of the highest quality. Your mom was right—an apple a day not only keeps your insides healthy, it helps your skin retain crucial moisture!

Proteoglycan, the magical ingredient for water retention

J-Beauty’s La Vie Précieuse line was awarded the Outstanding Performance for Japan-Made Beauty Award in 2018. One of the key ingredients, Proteoglycan, won the prestigious NEXTY Award for the Best New Ingredient at the Natural Products Expo West in 2017. Proteoglycan, the “magical” ingredient, known for its exceptional water retention capacity of 1.3 times more than Hyaluronic Acid, was discovered in the 1970s; however, the extraction process was difficult and costly.

Then, Professor Takagaki Keiichi of Hirosaki University discovered an effective extraction method after visiting a small restaurant that served pickled salmon head cartilage. The vinegar used in this dish was the key ingredient that melted out the proteoglycan from the salmon head. Finally, the “drop of beauty” became within reach due to mass refinement abilities. While you may not have heard of Proteoglycan, your skin will love them! 

Glycyrrhizinate preserves healthy skin

The synergy of the water-retaining Proteoglycan works with the AP ceramides to create soft, youthful skin. We know this is the goal for most women. Glycyrrhizinate, derived from licorice root, supports the preservation of healthy skin, which can be delicate and easily damaged by UV light and dry air. The Tsugaru licorice root has been a health-promoting plant in Japan for centuries. J-Beauty worked with Dr. Maeda, a crop science expert at Hirosaki University, to revive the Tsugaru licorice root as a domestic root to be used in the La Vie Précieuse line.

Glycyrrhizinate is slowly accumulated in the root over a period of two years, and, when incorporated into skincare products, draws out the inherent beauty of the skin. Glycyrrhizinate not only revitalizes tired skin, it leaves your skin luminous. These three incredible ingredients are born from cutting-edge bioresearch and are unique to J-Beauty products. 

How are J-Beauty’s La Vie Précieuse skincare products unique?

The La Vie Précieuse Skincare line is comprised of Moist A.P.G. Essence Toner, Moist A.P.G. Emulsion, and Moist A.P.G. Cream—a simplified, three-step routine. While simple, each step has been perfected with precision and care.

We know that while you want a simple routine, you never want to sacrifice results. After removing makeup with an oil cleanser, it is time for our Moist A.P.G. Essence Toner. Toning is the essence of beautiful skin; apply the hydrating lotion by gently patting onto your skin with a slightly upward motion, setting your skin to absorb the nutrients of the next step. Next, you will nourish your skin with our A.P.G. Hydrator, finishing up by applying Moist A.P.G. Cream to lock in all the nutrients and protect your skin. We believe that while our skincare line is simple, the natural ingredients, along with persistence, will lead you to skincare success! We believe in the efficacy of our products, as well as the superior, natural ingredients that make up La Vie Précieuse.