Japanese Beauty: A lesson in Less is More

By Tracy O’Connor | September 16 2020

Having worked in the skincare and beauty industry for over 20 years, I’ve witnessed a lot of marketing trends come and go. But perhaps the most harmful trend I’ve seen is the recent trend of “more is more” in skincare. More steps, more active ingredients, and more aggressive formulations - equals more improvements, faster results, and better skin. But this simply isn’t true.

The American Academy of Dermatology reports that people who identify with having “sensitive skin” is on the rise in recent years. It’s not surprising. There are more skincare products on the market and access to stronger formulations than ever before. Many of us feel empowered by the choices. Armchair chemists at home mix and match products and ingredients, customizing their personal regimens, and slather on multi-step skincare programs. While ingredients like alpha hydroxy acids, retinoids, and vitamin c derivatives have their place in skincare, there is a dark side. We can do too much. We can overload our skin, over treat, over exfoliate, and in turn – damage our skin’s barrier. So what’s the big deal? Well, your barrier is kind of a big deal. It’s the frontline when it comes to your skin health – and it’s the first thing you see. It helps maintain moisture, suppleness, plasticity, and pH balance. It keeps bad stuff out, good stuff in, and skin looking and acting healthy. Unfortunately, this “more is more” approach can wreak barrier havoc by upsetting pH levels, killing good bacteria (that protect skin from pathogens), and stripping the surface of necessary dead skin cells, ceramides, and skin-loving lipids that lock in moisture.

When the damage is done – it shows. Research demonstrates that a weakened barrier is lower in ceramides, water, and other moisturizing factors, all of which protect skin. This can lead to inflammatory issues, including dryness and dullness, acne, irritation, premature aging, dermatitis, and even eczema. Sound familiar? We’ve all been there. Who hasn’t over-slathered on skincare or tried to vacuum out each and every pore only to awaken with patchy, irritated skin? After years in the industry and attempting to control my acne with aggressive approaches – my skin had had enough. And then I discovered the Japanese approach to skin wellness, and I was hooked. I witnessed firsthand the results of a “nurturing, less is more,” approach. It was the perfect match for my sensitive, over-worked skin.

I began working with a Japanese chemist who had me sample a barrier repair complex he’d been working on, featuring ceramides derived from Japanese koji that were identical to human ceramides. Ceramides occur naturally in our skin barrier, along with cholesterol, free fatty acids, and other stuff, like dead skin cells and necessary microbes. Believe it or not, ceramides themselves make up over 50% of our skin’s barrier and are hugely responsible for it’s elasticity, healthy glow, smooth finish – and for their water holding capacity. As we age, ceramide levels nose-dive! I’d tried so many products on my red, irritable skin – honestly – I wasn’t expecting much. But then, I was completely blown away. Within days, my skin was transformed.

Smoother, clearer, softer, hydrated, and balanced. What was this stuff? After a week of using it, my skin was different skin. It felt – resilient for the first time in my adult life. See, all ceramides are not created equal. Most on the market are synthetic, have a shorter-chain length and don’t migrate into the intercellular lipid network as thoroughly as these do. But these mimicked the molecular structure of the ceramides in our own stratum coreneum and therefore have high-skin affinity. I could feel it. I nearly had a stage 5 meltdown when I ran out. I knew we were onto something.

At that moment the seed was planted. We began formulating Seiso JBeauty and set out to create a modern collection that would repair and strengthen the skin’s barrier, by harnessing the power of our patented ceramide complex. Natural ceramides are nearly impossible to find in products on the market. They are expensive and not generally available to cosmetic manufacturers. But natural ceramides have been shown to be hugely effective in helping to repair and restore damaged barriers, reduce dryness, inflammation, and help increase water levels in skin. They also protect against physical and environmental factors that damage skin. Interestingly, you know that white, waxy film on the skin of newborn babies, aka the vernix caseosa? Yep, it’s 12% ceramides! It’s designed to both hydrate baby skin and provide “waterproofing” benefits while in the womb. Additionally, it protects against bacterial invasion during birth and increases skin metabolism and healing. The vernix and ceramides are truly amazing.

Natural ceramides have been shown to be hugely effective in helping to repair and restore damaged barriers, reduce dryness, inflammation, and help increase water levels in skin.

Our four product collection features the Fuwafuwa Foaming Cleanser, a perfectly pH balanced gentle cleanser designed to protect the skin’s delicate barrier, while effectively cleansing and moisturizing skin. It has single handedly cleared my skin of congested pores. The Pure Ceramide Concentrate, our “cult favorite” barrier repair complex; formulated to replenish and restore ceramides, cholesterol, and free fatty acids. The Ceramide Moisture Milk, created to further layer hydration, and plump, soften, and condition. And finally, our Water Velvet Cream, the dreamiest, dewy-est barrier cream, that protects, smoothes, and seals in moisture like a second skin. For me, after two months of dedicated use with these four simple steps, my skin looked better at 42 than 32. I was using fewer products and less actives, but proven ingredients and formulations that worked. Devotees of active skincare can bene#t from Seiso JBeauty products, by incorporating them into existing regimens with success, as our ceramides bu"er skin and enhance the e!cacy and outcomes of actives. Most dermatologists agree that natural ceramides are a beneficial skincare ingredient for all, since they are generally “well-tolerated” and super compatible with our own skin and other ingredients.

As the current pandemic has forced society to rest, reset, simplify, and focus on what’s important – it seems an appropriate time to cull distractions in skincare too and return to the basics principles of skin health. A lot of things rely on a delicate balance, and so does our skin. Skin wellness shouldn’t be complicated. Glowing, rested skin can be achieved through simple means, daily dedication, and continuous improvement. Identify the essential and eliminate the rest. Your skin will thank you.