Women's face shaving in Japan

I was very surprised the first time I saw women's facial razors at the conbini.. Anyone tried it?

The Secret to Flawless Japanese Skin Care

By Yumi Nakata 

(Source: http://blog.gaijinpot.com/secret-to-flawless-japanese-skin/ )

Japanese women are known for their beautiful skin. We don’t just have good genes (although it is one of the contributing factors), but we often use different types of toners and lotions that contain ingredients that improve the skin texture and the complexion. Aging cannot be avoided entirely, but a healthy Japanese diet and lifestyle combined with skin products seem to keep our skin looking healthy and young.

…but there is one more secret to our flawless skin!

This may surprise you, but many women in Japan shave their face.

Not all Japanese women shave their face, but it is definitely a more common practice skin care regime in Japan than in western societies. I started to do it when my Japanese roommate in college introduced me to this unique practice. She had the most beautiful skin and she told me that shaving it got rid of her facial fuzz while enhancing skin’s exfoliation process and also toners and lotions seemed to work better when applied to the shaved skin. Of course, shaving also made cosmetic products such as foundations to blend in and create a smooth surface of our skin.

Whether shaving really helps us maintain our flawless skin or not, it certainly seems to keep our skin clean and once you start shaving your skin, it is hard to stop. What surprises many foreigners is that many Japanese hair salons offer face shaving services for women!

When I was traveling with my American girlfriend, she was actually surprised to find out I shaved my arms. She said she shaved her legs but didn’t realize that Japanese women shaved the arms. We have dark hair so it wasn’t even a question for us, but I didn’t tell her about face shaving as I did not want to creep her out.

Another interesting fact about this is that although Japanese women shave their face, arms, and legs, waxing bikini line isn’t as common. Many women prefer to go au natural down there, but this is slowly changing as more Japanese women watch American TV shows like Sex in the City.

Steps to shaving your face properly

– make sure to thoroughly clean your face, and remove all makeup.

– apply shaving cream and use a new razor (I use a five blade women’s razor). Don’t press a razor too hard on your face. Apply it lightly and shave it so you feel as if you are gently putting foundation on with a sponge.

– once it’s done, wash your face with cleansing soap and rinse your razor thoroughly and keep it in a dry place.

– use cotton pads to apply toner on your face and finish it with lotions. If you have acne prone skin, you should use oil free products and also make sure not to shave when your skin when it is breaking out as shaving, can cause irritation to sensitive skins.

I highly recommend that you try this new skin care routine. Trying it once isn’t going to hurt your skin and you could be pleasantly surprised with your new soft skin. But be sure to follow the proper protocols stated above! Please let me know your thoughts on this and I will be answering any questions you may have.