While a good skin care regimen has a large impact on achieving healthy, glowing skin, certain lifestyle habits can just as easily make a big difference in skin's appearance. With K- and J-Beauty growing in popularity through the treatments and products that have been and are trending, it is no surprise that they have wellness-based lifestyle habits that can make a big difference on the skin as well.
Feeding the Skin
One large part of Japanese wellness relies in what they feed their bodies and skin. The wellness community has largely turned to the ingestible beauty trend to feed your body all the nutrients it needs during the day. The Japanese culture has fantastic diet staples like green tea and seaweed to provide numerous antioxidant benefits to the skin as well as provide anti-aging benefits.
Seaweed contains protective vitamins that work to fight against free radicals, while also protecting the cell membrane.1 Drinking green tea also has its fair share of benefits, with its high amount of polyphenols that help it in reducing inflammation and fighting cancer. Plus, the numerous vitamins and antioxidants present in green tea help it to fight against numerous diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular disease.2
Bath Time
The onsen is an outdoor hot spring that is a popular activity in Japanese culture. Often times, baths are used as a time for meditation not necessarily for cleaning one's self. 3 This is why the onsen is considered a place for people to rehabilitate themselves both physically and mentally, and the springs actually have their water classified based on the pH level and mineral content in them.4
Beyond the mental and emotional benefits for the skin, onsens also provide numerous benefits for the skin and body. One such amazing benefit is the thermal effect that onsens have, which can improve blood circulation and metabolic function. The onsen water is also filled with minerals, sulfate ions and sodium chloride that work to moisturize and nourish the skin.5
Forest Therapy
With a large portion of Japan actually being covered in greenery, the culture tends to enjoy their time outside with nature. A group of Japanese scientists even worked to begin a wellness treatment they call "shin-rin-yoku," which translates to forest bathing.6
Forest therapy aims to promote mental and physical health while improving disease prevention and enjoying nature, and there are roughly 62 forests in Japan that have been approved for this form of therapy. This wellness treatment consists of people partaking in mindful meditation and breathing techniques, as well as putting a person's five senses to use.6
References:
1. www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-seaweed#section9
2. www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-green-tea#section7
3. www.skininc.com/treatments/body/Taking-to-the-Water-Bathing-Rituals-Around-the-World-487679331.html
4. www.wellbeing.com.au/body/health/japanese-spa-rituals.html
