Makeup reflects the country’s beauty trend. What I observed as a noticeable difference between the West and Asia is the use of foundation. In Japan, for instance, liquid foundation isn’t as popular as it is in the West. Instead, many makeup brands sell powder or stick-type foundation. And nowadays, their beauty trend is all about embracing foundation-free looks.
Let’s delve into their beauty secret.
For a long time, Asia's beauty standards were to have pale, soft, and natural-looking skin. Wearing heavy makeup wasn’t socially likeable. Recently, they have been focusing on more natural looks that enhance the skin’s beauty.
What are the benefits of not applying a foundation?
When we apply makeup with a foundation, it can oxidise with dust and sebum (oil), which can result in the formation of breakouts. The longer you wear it, the more sebum is produced. This can contribute to clogging the pores of the skin, creating more acne.
Removing the foundation from your makeup steps can have a great impact on your skin health, for example...
- Less visible pores
- Less sebum production
- Less breakouts
A hero product, “emulsion”, and its effective benefits
The most significant difference between Japanese and Western beauty cultures is how much they care about skin moisture. If you buy a toner, serum, or moisturiser from Japanese brands, you will notice exceptional hydrating effects. And often, in Japanese skincare steps, there is a product called “emulsion”.
An emulsion is a water-based milky moisturiser with a gel-like texture. It is popular in the Japanese and Korean beauty industries. You can easily find it in any beauty retail store.
While creams protect the skin barrier and lock in moisture, they can leave your skin sticky and greasy. On the other hand, a water-based emulsion is quickly absorbed into the skin and delivers the nutrients to the deeper layers. It is an ideal product, especially for acne-prone and oily skin.
The benefits of emulsion are…
- Deeply hydrates the skin
- Non-comedogenic
- Works for all skin types
- Absorbs quickly
- Promotes the skin barrier health
The emulsion can be applied in the morning and evening, and it should be one of the final steps of your skincare to seal all the nutrients. Ideally, emulsion should be applied after the active products and before using a thicker moisturiser and SPF.