At the start of the new season, after the long sunny days of summer, our skin needs specific care to regain its natural radiance. The Japanese routine, renowned for its holistic and minimalist approach, focuses on targeted actives that help restore, hydrate, and protect the skin. Here are the essential steps and must-have ingredients to achieve a glowing complexion in September.
Anti-Pigmentation: Brighten and Even Out
Sun exposure can often lead to hyperpigmentation or an uneven complexion. To correct these imperfections, two star actives stand out: Vitamin C and Niacinamide.
- Vitamin C: A powerful antioxidant that helps brighten the complexion, even out pigmentation, and protect the skin against free radicals. This essential nutrient also stimulates collagen production, thereby improving skin elasticity. Apply a vitamin C serum in the morning before your moisturizer and sunscreen.
- Niacinamide (Vitamin B3): This multifunctional ingredient helps regulate sebum production, reduce redness, and improve the appearance of pores. It also strengthens the skin barrier, which is essential after sun exposure. Integrate it into your routine morning and evening via a serum or moisturizer.
Recommended Products:
- Starlight by IREN: This brightening serum, formulated with yuzu extract, 2% alpha-arbutin and 5% niacinamide, reduces visible signs of pigmentation and suppresses melanin production, offering an even and radiant complexion.
- Silky Radiant Pure Lotion Toner by MAKANAI: Enriched with licorice root and rice bran, this lotion deeply hydrates and evens out the complexion, leaving the skin soft and luminous.
Optional: harmonize with Liftlogy’s green LED
LED technology perfectly complements a skincare routine. YA-MAN’s Liftlogy integrates a blue-green LED at 505 nm, still rare in consumer devices, specifically designed to enhance radiance, even out skin tone, and reduce pigmentation irregularities. Used a few minutes a day, it works in synergy with your serums to boost their effectiveness and reveal a more luminous and even complexion.
Intense Hydration: Plump and Soften
Hydration is the key to plump, glowing skin. After summer, it is crucial to restore skin’s hydration levels to prevent dehydration and loss of volume.
- Hyaluronic Acid: This ingredient locks in moisture in the skin, instantly plumping it. Use a serum or mask containing hyaluronic acid after moisturizing your skin, morning and/or evening.
- Sea Grapes: the precious Japanese hydrating algae
Native to Okinawa, the Umibudō algae, nicknamed “green caviar” for its translucent pearls, is a true treasure of Japanese cosmetics. Rich in minerals, trace elements, and polysaccharides, it helps the skin retain water, strengthening its natural hydration.
Recommended Products:
- Dual HA Serum by Shigeta: Highly concentrated in two molecular weights of hyaluronic acid, this serum intensely hydrates both on the surface and deep within, plumping dehydrated skin from the very first use.
- Hyaluronic Acid Mask by MITOMO: A mask enriched with a high-quality hyaluronic acid essence for intense and long-lasting hydration.
- Serum Lotion by Waphyto: A lotion enriched with ultra-hydrating plant extracts, offering a botanical sensory experience to start the day with revitalized, radiant skin.
- Gettou Mask by RUHAKU: A sheet mask infused with a rich emulsion containing Umibūdo for deep hydration and total relaxation.
Gentle Exfoliation: Reveal Smooth Skin
Exfoliation is essential to remove dead skin cells and reveal smoother, more radiant skin. AHAs (Alpha Hydroxy Acids) are perfect for refining skin texture.
- AHA: These exfoliating acids help eliminate dead skin cells, refine pores, and reveal a brighter complexion. Use a toner or serum containing these acids 2 to 3 times a week, preferably in the evening.
Recommended Products :
- Skin Refining Gel by IPSUM ALII: A gentle exfoliating gel with a unique gommage effect, enriched with soothing adaptogenic actives to remove dead skin cells without irritating the skin.
- Glow Getter by IREN: This exfoliating serum activates the skin’s repair process, revealing a healthy and naturally radiant complexion.
- AHA Cleansing Oil by RUHAKU: A cleansing oil that removes impurities while gently exfoliating the skin.
Strengthening the Skin Barrier: Protection Against Pollution
After summer, it is crucial to strengthen the skin barrier to protect it against urban aggressors such as pollution. Ceramides and adaptogenic plant extracts are essential for this function.
- Ceramides: Help restore and strengthen the skin barrier, preventing dehydration and loss of firmness.
- Adaptogens: Plants that help the skin fight environmental stress and improve its natural radiance.
Recommended Products :
- Antioxidant Serum by IPSUM ALII: A bi-phase serum that hydrates, evens out, and strengthens the skin against external aggressors, thanks to adaptogenic plant extracts.
- Adaptogen Cream by IPSUM ALII: Ultra-hydrating, it protects and nourishes sensitive skin with adaptogenic plant extracts.
- Ultra-Hydrating Cream by RUHAKU: Protects and deeply hydrates while repairing damage caused by UV rays and pollution, enriched with ceramides to strengthen the skin barrier.
SPF Protection: Prevent Premature Aging
Sun protection remains essential, even in September. UV rays can still damage the skin and accelerate skin aging.
- SPF50: Apply an SPF 50 sunscreen every morning to protect the skin against UV rays.
Recommended Products :
- Sun Shelter SPF50 – DECORTÉ: A cult Japanese sunscreen with a lightweight, silky texture that effectively protects against UV rays while hydrating and enhancing the skin daily.
When integrated into a well-adapted skincare routine, these actives can greatly contribute to restoring and maintaining a beautiful glow after summer. Adopt these steps for radiant, protected skin, ready to face the new season with confidence.
