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Kyoto Beauty Secrets
Original cosmetic products for all occasions


Beauty is an everlasting interest and obsession for all women. Japan has many traditional products and methods for health and beauty. This is especially true in Kyoto. This month, KVG introduces some of Kyoto's unique and original cosmetic items.



Green Tea

©Hotal Images

Green tea leaves are a rich source of vitamin C, vitamin A, and catechin, a powerful antioxidant. Catechin is especially effective for keeping the skin soft and smooth and for the prevention of skin disorders. Recent research has shown that catechin helps to reduce the skin's absorption of ultraviolet light. For all these reasons, green tea has become a super popular beauty product ingredient in Japan.


Matcha Soap
This soap is made with matcha powdered green tea from Uji, Japan's finest green tea harvesting area (south of Kyoto City). Produced by one of the most prestigious green tea shops in Uji, this soap is a blend of top grade matcha, olive oil and coconut oil. The ingredients are fermented for 60 days at 40-45 C. Most specialty soaps are not fermented this long or at such low temperatures. This soap is 100% natural; no preservatives, fragrance or color additives are used. Matcha soap helps to keep your skin moist, soft and smooth.


Matcha Soap
840 yen (75g)
Marukyu Koyamaen

Green Tea & Pearl Barley Soap
This quality soap takes advantage of the healthy effects of green tea and pearl barley. Green tea is a rich source of vitamin C, A, and pearl barley contain lots of B vitamins. Pearl barley has been used in Japan for centuries as an effective way to prevent skin ageing. This soap, which also contains organic olive oil, natural black sugar and seaweed, removes the oils from your face, leaving your skin smooth and moist.


Green Tea & Pearl Barley Soap
1,890 yen (57g)
Chidoriya


Matcha & Camellia Lip Balm
This Kyoto-inspired lip balm is made with pure camellia oil, produced by Kyoto's Kazurasei, and matcha green tea from Ryuo-en Chaho, an old Kyoto tea shop. Pearl extract, honey and shea butter have been added to keep your lips soft and prevent chapping. The faint matcha fragrance of this balm is refreshing.


Matcha & Camellia Lip Balm
1,260 yen (3g)
Kazurasei


Camellia Oil


As the oil in our skin decreases, it becomes dry and rough. Olive oil, a rich source of oleic acid, is well known for maintaining skin health. Camellia oil, made from camellia seeds, has even more oleic acid than olive oil, and has long been used in Japan to keep the skin and hair healthy. Camellia oil can also be used as a sun screen as it blocks ultraviolet light.


Fragrant Aromatic Camellia Oil
This aromatic oil is made with 100% pure Japanese camellia oil and healthy organic herb essences such as rosemary, lavender and geranium. The soothing aroma of these organic herbs helps to reduce stress. The oil is light and not greasy. Only a few drops will keep your skin moist and smooth. It can also be used to keep your hair healthy. This beauty product is especially recommended for dry winter weather.


Fragrant Aromatic Camellia Oil
3,150 yen (60ml)
Kazurasei


Pure Camellia Oil Moisturizing Cream
This is ultimate cream was designed to keep your skin beautiful. It is made with 100% pure camellia oil. It contains three herbal essences (mulberry, day lily, common evening primrose) and five other essences (camellia, sage, jojoba...) to improve skin elasticity, and five other herbal essences (rosemary, lavender, geranium...) to control skin oil discharge. The lovely aroma of this cream is both refreshing and relaxing.


Pure Camellia Oil Moisturizing Cream
5,040 yen (30g)
Kazurasei


''Secret de Maiko'' Face Cream
Maiko and geiko use special creams to keep their facial skin healthy. This handmade cream is produced with pure camellia oil, organic shea butter and organic rosehip oil. Since no water has been added this cream remains fresh at room temperatures for up to two years. Once the cream is applied it is rapidly absorbed and adds moisture to the skin. Be beautiful like a maiko!


''Secret de Maiko'' Face Cream
4,095 yen (30ml)
Chidoriya



Rice & Sake

©Hotal Images

Before cooking, rice is washed in water. The resultant cloudy water has long been used in Japan as a way to keep the skin healthy. Washing the rice produces a rich mixture of vitamin B1 and B2 (which keeps the skin smooth), vitamin E (an antioxidant that keeps the skin young), and ceramide (excellent for moisture retention). Sake is also good for your skin. The fermentation process produces amino acids that are excellent for skin health.


''Bihada'' Sake Face Lotion
This pure sake is made with super finely polished rice and Kyoto spring water. ''Bihada (Beautiful Skin)'' sake has become a popular skin lotion in Japan. The amino acids in the sake act to revitalize the skin and keep it soft. It contains no additives.


''Bihada'' Sake Face Lotion
420 yen
Kitagawa Honke



Red Beans


Japanese red beans (azuki) are an essential ingredient for Japanese sweets. They are also used in cosmetics because of their high saponin content. Saponin is effective in removing old skin and cleaning skin pores. Saponin also stimulates blood circulation.


Azuki & Brown Sugar Soap
This soap is made with natural red bean (azuki) powder, black sugar and hand-squeezed camellia oil. The red bean powder cleans the skin and the camellia oil aids in moisture retention. Many people in Japan make homemade facial packs with black sugar, a rich source of vitamins, amino acids and proteins. This soap is very mild and ideally suited to people with sensitive skin.


Azuki & Brown Sugar Soap
1,890 yen (57g)
Chidoriya



Shell Ginger


Shell ginger, or getto, is a plant that is commonly grown in Okinawa. The oil extracted from the leaves, characterized by a faint sweet aroma, has long been used in Okinawa as a natural medicine. It contains thirty-four times as many polyphenols, a powerful class of antioxidants, as red wine. Recent research has also shown that one of the substances in shell ginger oil rejuvenates the skin. It also has strong antibacterial properties making it ideal for preventing common skin disorders such as pimples.


Peach Moon Herbal Water
This facial water is made with distilled shell ginger leaf extract and grapefruit seed essence (a powerful natural antiseptic). It is good for preventing skin disorders and reducing wrinkles.


Peach Moon Herbal Water
2,415 yen (120ml)
Chidoriya



Silk


Traditionally, Kyoto maiko used silk rags to make their skin more beautiful. Rubbing the skin softly with a silk rag removes dirt and makes it more shiny. The secret lies in silk's super fine threads (one thirtieth the thickness of a human hair). In addition, silk's main ingredient, silk sericin, is said to assist in maintaining skin moisture.


''Mayudama'' Face Puff
This unique face puff is made of 100% natural silk. After washing your face, gently wipe your face with this puff. Extremely thin silk thread (thinner than a single hair) clean your skin. The Mayudama puff is recommended for people with sensitive facial skin.


''Mayudama'' Face Puff
530 yen
Yojiya



Kyoto Chidoriya Ginkakuji Shop
The owner of Kyoto Chidoriya, an American-born Japanese, produces organic cosmetics using only natural Japanese ingredients. Their attractive packaged sets are very popular.

Open: 10:00-19:00; a 5-min. walk from the Ginkakuji-michi bus stop; turn south on Shishigatani Street (the traffic light before the canal); the shop is on the left side of the street; Tel: 075-751-6650; http://www.kyotochidoriya.com/


Kazurasei Gion Main Shop
Kazurasei was founded in 1865 as a manufacturer of women's hair care goods and gorgeous artistic hair ornaments which geiko and maiko love. Kazurasei specializes in 100% pure camellia oil and cosmetics made with it.

Open: 9:30-19:00; Closed: Wed.; On the north side of Shijo, west of Yasaka Shrine; Tel: 075-561-0672; They also have a shop on the southwest corner of Fuyacho and Rokkaku; http://www.kazurasei.co.jp/


Marukyu Koyamaen Nishinotoin Tea House
This prestigious shop, official tea purveyor to Japan's top tea ceremony schools, specializes in high quality Uji teas (matcha, gyokuro, genmaicha, houjicha, etc.) and original matcha sweets.

Open: 9:30-18:00 (cafe: 10:30-17:00); On the west side of Nishinotoin, south of Oike; Tel: 075-223-0909; main shop in Uji and a branch shop is in the basement floor of the ISETAN Department Store; http://www.marukyu-koyamaen.co.jp


Kitagawa Honke
Founded in 1657, in the Kyoto Fushimi district, one of Japan's most prestigious sake production areas, Kitagawa Honke is well known for its quality sake. They produce a number of excellent quality sake.

Located about 400 meters west of Keihan Momoyama Stn. in the Otesuji shopping arcade; Tel: 075-611-1271; http://www.tomio-sake.co.jp ; NOTE: Bihada is sold in the sake section (usually in the basement) of major Kyoto department stores including ISETAN (Kyoto Stn. building), Takashimaya (Shijo/Kawaramachi) and Daimaru (on Shijo, just east of Karasuma).


Yojiya Gion Shop
Yojiya offers a wide range of specialty Kyoto cosmetic products. For nearly a century, maiko have used Yojiya's famous facial oil blotting paper (aburatorigami) to add a porcelain-smooth finish to their makeup process.

Open: 10:00-20:00; On the northeast corner of Shijo and Hanamikoji; Tel: 075-541-0177; Many other branch shops are located in the city (Sanjo / Kyoto Station / Kinkakuji / Ginkakuji / Kiyomizu Sanneizaka / Daimaru Department Store / Saga Arashiyama); http://www.yojiya.co.jp/

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