Top 5 Japanese Beauty Products To Save Your Skin From Wearing A Mask All-Day

Thanks to the pollen and coronavirus outbreak, it's a wearing masks all-day kind of season in Japan. Get your shopping list ready and take note of these top beauty products to keep your skin looking healthy and glowing under the mask!

Did you know that wearing a mask for a long period of time can be very damaging to the skin? Wearing one should definitely involve an upgrade in your skincare routine!

If you think about it, wearing a tight mask all day long doesn’t give your skin much room to breathe and wearing it with makeup on can eventually lead to acne breakouts and other types of skin problems. Not ideal. 

Skin = Saved

With the recent coronavirus outbreak, you’ll find a lot of people wearing a mask and many not even daring to leave the house without it. Masks have been worn for years by the Japanese for reasons including colds, allergies, and—especially for women—covering their faces on days when they had no time to put on makeup in the morning. 

Not to worry though! You don’t have to be forced to choose between your health or beauty. All you will have to do is simply add some of these recommended products to your regular skincare beauty routine, especially if you happen to wear a mask even more lately! 

1. Natural Aqua Gel Cure 

You may not always remember to exfoliate your skin or even see the necessity for it. However, if recently coronavirus and allergies made you wear your mask more often and you want to avoid acne breakouts, it is absolutely essential that you make exfoliation one of your habits. 

The Natural Aqua Gel by Cure (¥2,750) is said to be one of the best exfoliators in Japan with one bottle sold every 12 seconds. From brightening skin to preventing acne, you’ll want to use this product to clear out dead skin and oil—which often accumulates from wearing a mask—from your pores. This exfoliator has received a lot of positive reviews by users on Amazon due to its gentle formula which works perfectly for those with sensitive, dry skin. 

2. LuLuLun Cleansing Balm 

As already mentioned, wearing a tight mask doesn’t allow your skin to breathe and can cause irritation especially for those who wear makeup under their mask. That’s why you’ll need in your mask-skincare is a good cleansing balm! Not only will you be removing bacteria and sweat, but you’ll also be getting rid of dead skin cells from deep inside the pores.

@cosme (Japan’s biggest beauty review site) revealed the LuLunLun’s Cleansing Balm (¥2,200) as the winner of its ‘Best Cosmetics Awards 2019- Mid-Year New Products’ and it definitely deserves its spot. Gently massage this rich balm onto your skin and watch it melt your heavy makeup away (including waterproof makeup). The rich, natural ingredients won’t dry out the skin and will provide you with an extra boost of moisture. Something we can all benefit from!

3. ANESSA Perfect UV Sunscreen

The one skincare tip I have ingrained in me thanks to both my Japanese grandmother and mother is to never leave the house without putting on sunscreen. You might think that with most of your face covered up by the mask, you can skip the sunscreen. Wrong!

Although you may be sitting in an office with minimal exposure to the sun, glass windows and masks will not block out all the harmful UV rays. UV rays are everywhere, so protection is key.   

When it comes to the best Japanese sunscreen brand, ANESSA by Shiseido has continued to reign at number 1 for many years. The ANESSA Perfect UV Sunscreen (¥1,320) provides high protection, is waterproof and uses moisturizing ingredients that help combat dry skin. Light as a feather, you may find yourself actually enjoy using this product on a regular basis! 

4. DHC, Yakuyo Lip Cream

Sad news: wearing a mask means that you won’t be able to flaunt your lips with the latest shade of lipstick. However, this does not mean we can forget about our lips entirely. We tend to breathe through our mouth when wearing a mask which can cause our lips to dry and become chapped. 

The DHC Lip Cream (¥715), formulated with olive oil, aloe essence and vitamin E (to name a few) is the perfect lip cream that’ll save your lips and keep them looking naturally glossy. It comes without the stickiness meaning no need to worry about your lips sticking to your mask. Because who would want that? 

5. Keana Nadeshiko Rice Mask

To finish off your day, it’s time to swap that mask you’ve been wearing all day long for a nourishing sheet mask. Sheet masks can be great for restoring your skin balance and, depending on the active ingredients contained in the sheet mask, can also be effective for soothing, hydrating, and banishing your blemishes. Up your beauty game by aiming to use a sheet mask at least once a week. 

Ranked #1 on Cosme in 2016 for new products, the Keana Nadeshiko Rice Mask (¥715 for 10 sheets) definitely lives up to expectations. The thick mask uses 100% domestically produced rice-derived ingredients that help minimize the appearance of large, visible pores and does an excellent job with hydrating and nourishing your skin. Plus, it contains ceramide which will help protect and repair your skin barrier and work its magic on dry/dehydrated skin. Win win win.