9 Asian Beauty Secrets
By The Global Girl
From sake baths to snail slime, discover nine beauty secrets women from Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, and India swear by, along with my handpicked selection of East-meets-West products your skin will love.
Komenuka Bijin NS-K Japanese Rice Bran Facial Mask
Japanese rice bran, also known as komenuka, is rich in omega-6 fatty acids, full of antioxidants, and prized for its skin soothing and moisturizing properties. This 10-minute “leave-on” mask balances the skin pH for an extra dose of glow.
Komenuka Bijin NS-K Japanese Rice Bran Facial Mask ($80 for four masks; komenukabijin.co)
Sjal Pearl Enzyme Exfoliating Mask
Pearl powder has been a beauty staple in China since the Qing Dynasty. This mask combines traditional crushed pearl with gemstones and mushroom enzymes for a deeply exfoliating and rejuvenating skin treatment.
Sjal Pearl Enzyme Exfoliating Mask ( $165 for 2oz; sjalskincare.com)
See more: The Global Girl’s Moroccan Beauty Secrets
Chidoriyaworld Azuki Red Bean Exfoliating Scrub
Azuki bean is a traditional ingredient in East Asian cuisine, but it’s also been used in beauty regimens in Japan since the 18th century. This scrub, made of 100 percent finely ground azuki red beans, is fabulous for buffing away dull skin and unclogging pores. Mix 1/2 teaspoon of scrub with a few drops of warm water in your palm and apply to moist face and neck in gentle circular motions.
Chidoriyaworld Azuki Red Bean Exfoliant Scrub ( $21.99 for 2oz; chidoriyaworld.com)
Wei Chinese Licorice Anti-Aging Cream
Licorice, known as the “Elixir of Life,” is the single most-used herb in traditional Chinese medicine. The star ingredient in this lightweight moisturizing cream, licorice is rich in amino acids, enzymes, and minerals that promote skin detox and a gorgeous even tone.
Wei Chinese Licorice Anti-Aging Cream ( $45 for 1oz; weibeauty.com)
Grown Alchemist Camellia & Orange Blossom Day Cream
This nourishing facial moisturizer repairs damaged skin with a combination of camellia—a Japanese beauty staple—and rosehip oil. Camellia oil is obtained traditionally by cold pressing seeds of the Camellia Japonica flower (Tsubaki in Japanese) and is one of the most famous of all Japanese beauty secrets. It’s rich in fatty acids and anti-aging antioxidants and is a fabulous head-to-toe beauty oil (face, nails, and hair).
Grown Alchemist Camellia & Orange Blossom Hydra-Repair Day Cream ($34.95 for 65ml; grownalchemist.com)
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Wei East White Lotus Moonlight Recovery Face Oil
This super hydrating night oil owes its deep moisturizing properties to white lotus, also known as Nelumbo nucifera. Lotus is a symbol of divine beauty and the national flower of India and Vietnam. It’s regarded as sacred in both Hindu and Buddhist cultures and is prized as a cosmetic ingredient for its skin-rejuvenating properties.
Wei East White Lotus Moonlight Recovery Face Oil ( $45.95 for 1oz; weieast.com)
Fresh Rice Sake Bath
Inspired by ancient Japanese geisha bathing rituals, this therapeutic foaming soak contains real Japanese sake, which is known to detoxify the body and promote skin regeneration.
Fresh Rice Sake Bath ( $80 for 400ml; Fresh.com)
Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Essential Oil
This anti-aging Korean facial herbal oil is infused with ginseng seed oil. Ginseng has been a staple of traditional Chinese and Korean medicine for thousands of years. It was popularized by the Goryeo Dynasty in Korea and is still prized as a skin beautifying medicinal herb today. It can be used as an eye makeup remover or as an overnight moisturizer.
Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Essential Oil ( $130 for .67oz; Sulwhasoo.com)
Super Aqua Cell Renew Snail Set
This skincare line by South Korean cosmetics company Missha boasts arguably the most controversial—yet increasingly popular—cosmetic ingredient: snail slime. Yes, snails are now prized for the beauty-boosting mucus they secrete—loaded with collagen, glycolic acid, antibiotics, and other compounds that regenerate the skin. If you’re not quite ready for the latest in Korean celebrity facial trends (in other words: live snails crawling all over your face), give this snail slime skincare set a try instead.
Super Aqua Cell Renew Snail Cream ($110 for set; misshaus.com)
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The 10 Best Trips for Solo Self-Reflection
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top photo: Curtesy The Global Girl
product images: Courtesy merchants.
