The LAYERING Guide - Japanese beauty ritual
Japanese layering is a facial ritual care which includes 7 to 10 steps and which is practiced daily by the Japanese to ensure natural and beautiful skin at all ages.
If the number of steps can make you smile, it is perhaps because it is the antipodes of the Western vision of care, which consists above all in looking for the miracle product and using makeup to give its face the appearance desired.
However, Layering is gradually getting its bearing in Europe where the Korean (K-Beauty) and Japanese (J-Beauty) beauty rituals have been gaining popularity for a few years. And although the brands and the ingredients used are wide, the miracle occurs every day since it is not the product that changes the situation but the understanding of your skin, the gestures and the order of application of skincare.
Thus, layering, whether Japanese or Korean, consists above all in understanding its skin, structure and needs. The Koreans redoubled ingenuity and innovation to create care with an instant result (but not always durable). The Japanese, have oriented towards care that harmoniously unites the traditional Japanese ingredients with modern discoveries of contemporary cosmetics. A praise of slowness, prevention and repetition. An active meditation that is practiced twice a day and brings lasting results in a few weeks.
1 The (double) cleasning
The first step in layering consists in cleansing the skin carefully and gently to purify it of all the impurities accumulated during the day. This promotes its regeneration during the night and makes it more receptive to assets. If perfectly cleaned skin prevents the obstruction of pores and oxidation, there is no question of attacking it. Also, cotton and micellar waters are not appreciated for cleansing because it is too aggressive. We prefer an equally fast and much more efficient method : double cleansing.
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Step 1 - Oil
To remove makeup, dust, sebum and pollution, choose a fatty substance (oil, balm or milk) and massage your skin with your fingertips. There is nothing better to get impurities without damaging your skin.
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Step 2 - Water
At the time when the Japanese used unprocessed oils to make up your removal, they needed soap (surfactant) to remove the oil. Today, brands have directly incorporated the surfactants into milks, balms and oils to facilitate their use. Also, you can just emulsify the makeup remover with lukewarm water to remove the fatty substance. Massage your skin with your fingers or a konjac sponge and rinse your face.
If you still want to use a cleansing soap or gel then (like many Japanese) choose a soft product and do not spoil your efforts by rubbing your face in a towel to dry it. Dab the towel against your skin, it works just as well!
When: every night
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Enriched with exfoliating and antioxidant active ingredients |
Also suitable for eye makeup |
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5 in 1 orange balm |
Smooth texture enriched with purifying hectorite clay |
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Solid 100% natural soap with rice ferments |
Enzymatic cleansing powder Irén Rice enzymes that turn into foam on contact with water |
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Soft and sensory cleansing |
Enriched with purifying hectorite clay |
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Deep cleansing without steam soap |
Soft cleansing without soap and daily exfoliation |
2 Exfoliation (optional)
Despite daily cleansing, a layer of dead skins naturally forms on the surface of the skin; It is called the corneal layer. This layer, in addition to obstructing pores and tarnishing the complexion, prevents care from entering the dermis. Also, the second stage of Layering consists of exfoliating it weekly with the same philosophy as before: gently!
When: in the evening, once a week
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Exfoliating Silk Cocoons - 10 pieces Softens in the water before massaging the face with |
Exfoliating essence fermented AHA Apply in serum on evenings for soft exfoliation |
3 The lotion
Lotion is an essential step! And many Japanese do not understand why Westerners do not use it, because in addition to all its benefits, it considerably increases the performance of active ingredients.
Full of water (a lotion of care is mainly composed of water or floral hydrosol) is like a sponge. Soft, plump and capable of deeply absorbing the care concentrated in active ingredients (especially essences and serums). It is the ally of all skins since it attenuates the small fine lines of drought in the same way that it rebalances combination skin which overproduce sebum to protect itself from dehydration.
You can apply it with a cotton and pass it gently on your skin to remove the deepest impurities, or directly using your hands that you will press against your skin to make it penetrate. The pope of skincare, Chizu Saeki suggests it to apply compresses daily with water and lotion on the skin for a few minutes for optimal hydration. You choose !
When: morning and evening
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Perfect cleansing with antioxidant and softening assets |
Enveloping serum lotion for regenerating hydration |
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Fluid fruit water with moisturizing and lightening benefits |
Elixir purifying, hydrating and repairing with anti-aging virtues |
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MAKANAI Pure Toner Silky Radiant 5 lightening active ingredients |
MAKANAI Pure Botanical Toner Lotion Charge 15 moisturizing active ingredients |
4 serums and essences - in the heart of the skin
If cleansing and lotion are essential for the well-being of our skins, the serum is absolutely not and yet the Japanese love it.
This targeted care, whose molecular weight is fine, penetrates deeply into the dermis (previously prepared by the lotion) to take care of the skin locally and deeply. A flawless skin can completely do without it, but if you have a problem to solve (spots, sagging, dry patches, imperfections, scars, lack of radiance, roughness...) the serum will be your ally!
The essence is finer and more watery than the serum which is often oily or unctuous. Apply the active ingredient just after the lotion to increase its performance.
When: morning and evening
| Moisturizers: |
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Japanese algae with unrivaled moisturizers |
12 moisturizing ingredients including hyaluronic acid and NMF solution |
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ANTI-AGING : |
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10% of Argireline peptide complex for a double action lifting effect |
Naturally rich in amino acids, collagen and hyaluronic acid |
| Anti pigmentation |
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Anti-stain treatment 2% alpha-lowering + 5% niacinamide
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Lightening and antioxidant essence
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| Anti -imperfections |
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Calms inflammation and prevents future eruptions |
Anti-inflammatory essence for adult skin |
5 The mask (optional)
The mask step, like the exfoliation step, is weekly but not essential. In the form of a sheet mask (cloth impregnated with lotion/serum) or a cream/gel, the mask is applied to the face for 10 to 30 minutes. All masks are moisturizing but you can target other issues by choosing specific ingredients. It's a 2-in-1 step that replaces the lotion and serum!
When: evening
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A moisturizing gel to personalize as desired |
Hyaluronic acid hydrating mask 20 minutes for hydrated and plumped skin |
6 Eye area
The eye area is a fragile and demanding zone. The skin is much thinner and therefore more prone to dehydration and the appearance of fine lines. However, heavy care products in large quantities only amplify the appearance of bags and wrinkles by weighing down the tissues. Therefore, you should choose a light, active-rich product such as an essence and apply it with your fingertips, patting it in to activate blood circulation.
When: morning and evening
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Eye contour cream 3 in 1 |
4 % caffeine to fight against pockets and dark circles |
7 Oil
Once the skin has been cleansed, moisturized and cared for, the next step is to apply an oil to 'trap' the water in the skin and prevent the watery care products that we are so keen to put on our skin from evaporating into the air.
The oil also contributes to nourish the dermis and brings comfort to the skins which miss flexibility. Choose a fine, non-comedogenic oil with ingredients that meet your needs.
When: evening
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Antioxidant oily serum |
Anti-aging oily serum |
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Fine synergy of regenerating oils and extracts |
Synergy of oils enriched with gold leaves |
8 Massage
The application of oil (or a rich cream) is ideal to practice the face massage, the well kept secret of Japanese women! The daily massage, in addition to being a real natural face-lift, brings a lot of radiance to the skin since it stimulates lymphatic drainage and thus the purification of waste that dulls the complexion!
When: morning and evening
9 The moisturizer
It comes last in the Japanese skin care ritual and is often the only step in the Western ritual. The cream, whose molecular weight is large, brings little water to the skin and does not penetrate deeply. Its role is simply to create a barrier that prevents internal moisture from evaporating, while limiting the introduction of external elements like pollution and dust.
When: in the morning
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Unctuous texture for hydrated skin until the end of the day |
Fluid texture, a light and comfortable finish |
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Rich texture, ideal as regenerating night cream |
Foam texture that melts in the skin for a matte finish |
morning:
evening:
You now have all the keys to understand your skin and the multitude of skin care products available to you. It is up to you to choose what suits you best to rebalance your skin and improve its quality.
However, don't forget that your skin is also influenced by your lifestyle and diet.