The last couple of years were undeniably the heyday of K-beauty—think cushion compacts, 12-step routines, snail mucin and lofty complexion goals like “glass skin.” And while those ghoulish, Instagrammable sheet masks aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, a new wave from Asia is set to sweep the western world—and that’s J-beauty (a.k.a. Japanese beauty). If you’re even a smidgen interested in skin care, this should excite you! With intertwined histories and close proximity, Korea and Japan share a few solid similarities in their approach to skin care. In both cultures, women religiously avoid the sun (yes, on the top of applying sunscreen daily and liberally), which is why more often than not their skin appears untanned, firm, wrinkles free and no hyperpigmentation. Both beauty philosophies center on major hydration as the foundation to beautiful skin. After all, even before you even think about anti-aging and reducing wrinkles, your skin can’t improve in any way if it’s dehydrated. And both K-beauty and J-beauty display impressive amounts of technology and innovation that are light years ahead of other countries. The Main Differences Between K-beauty and J-beauty When you consider difference between K-beauty and J-beauty, think of them as two personas. K-beauty is your hip, savvy millennial . She’s great at spreading the news via word of mouth or Instagram. But it’s not just clever marketing—Korea invests a lot in their science and churn out an abundance of effective products. Their adorable packaging (pandas! glittery pots shaped like lips!) is backed up by serious formulations that get the work done. In fact, thanks to its remarkable virality, K-beauty was able to introduce formerly unheard-of products into our skincare rituals, namely essence and ampoules. K-beauty is all about the trends: snail mucous, Hanacure’s tightening masks that make you look like you’re 90 and cloudless skin (which describes a totally unblemished complexion, like clear blue skies). While K-beauty is about the trends, J-beauty is more about tradition. Their skin care revolves around time-tested practices helmed by time-honored ingredients from nature backed by centuries of traditions (e.g. green tea and pearls). Combine this with the country’s constant advancement in modern science. While both K- and J-beauty are all about the ritual of skin care (in other words, taking time to cherish and nourish your skin with a dedicated routine instead of approaching skin care as a chore), J-beauty places emphasis on simplicity, unlike K-beauty’s famed multi-step regimens. According to research by Euromonitor, Japan boasts the highest per-capita spending on beauty, in both skin care and cosmetics. This isn’t all too surprising considering the worldwide prevalence and success of some of their most popular brands, notably Shiseido and SK-II . Now, newer brands are coming up with thoughtful formulations and tightly curated collections such as Tatcha and Taut®Skincare. There’s one thing that ties all these Japanese brands together: Beauty is focused on genuine health and well-being rather than merely “Band-Aid” fixing or correcting. Think of J-beauty as the Audrey Hepburn of skin care—classic, simple, natural, youthful and graceful. Taut®Skincare: the Bona-Fide Embodiment of J-beauty Taut® Skincare truly captures the spirit of J-beauty: they are laser-focused on high-performance, science-based natural ingredients, maximum efficacy and both outside-in and inside-out skin beauty through daily ritualistic practices. One of the best decisions I’ve made for my skin was to try out their Miss Magnifique that will give you a radiant transformation (firmer, fuller, radiant skin), revitalize tired dull skin and fade away ugly spots. SHOP Ms Magnifique - Experience A Radiant Transformation The program contains three of Taut’s most popular (and effective) products bundled into a simple and effective system. 1. Nourish your skin from the inside with Taut® Premium Collagen Drink, the best collagen drink to firm, tone, and lift.2. Take Taut®Bright to protect your skin from free radical damage, unwanted pigmentation and give you that flawless glow.3. Apply Taut® Collagen Mask for instant hydration and rejuvenation. Let’s take a look and learn how each one works. Taut® Premium Collagen Drink While Korea and Japan are skincare connoisseurs, remember their lifestyles and habits contribute to their complexions too. Koreans and Japanese eat healthy by consuming a lot of vegetables, fruits, healthy meats and fermented foods, all of which certainly affect the health of their skin. Taut Skincare’s hero product, their Premium Collagen Drink, enables you to consume the most skin-friendly ingredients to build collagen from the inside. It’s like adding “super skin food” to your regular diet. Each small bottle contains a whopping 13,000mg Pure Marine Hydrolyzed Collagen derived from Red Snapper Wild Caught Fish, along with a cocktail mix of skin loving ingredients that will help firm, tone, smooth and hydrate your skin. This high dose of collagen triggers a process in our body that identifies damaged collagen, known as the 'wound repair response.' This in turn activates specialized cells in the dermis called fibroblasts to repair the damaged collagen by growing new collagen fibrils. The net effect is drinking Taut collagen as directed will help your skin to actually change for the better. One study involving 60 women between 40 and 60 years of age found that taking marine collagen supplements orally for 90 days improved skin elasticity, reduced wrinkles and reduced pore size. [10] Another study also found that a supplement including hydrolyzed collagen, hyaluronic acid and other vitamins and minerals significantly reduced depth of wrinkles while also improving skin hydration. [11] In case you wonder how it tastes, think tangy orange juice, refreshing and delicious. It's very easy, Taut recommends drinking one tiny bottle (1.7oz) every night before going to bed for at least 3-5 weeks, if you want to see visible results - fuller, firmer, smoother and hydrated skin. After, if you like, you can switch to maintenance mode and drink 3-4 times a week to maintain healthy level of collagen in your skin, which keeps your skin healthy and youthful. Taut® Bright - Bye Bye Dark Spots Remember how I said Asian women avoid the sun at all costs? Why? Because unlike the West (where we practically worship the sun and love soaking in the rays and our copper tanned skin), Asian ladies take pride in having almost pearl white flawless glowing skin as the sign of ultimate beauty. As you might already know, sun exposure triggers the excess production of melanin (the pigment that make up your skin color), causing the formation of noticeable dark spots, uneven skin tone and darker skin. Developed in Japan, Taut Bright's proprietary formula is designed for anyone who desires flawless and lighter luminous skin. Taut Bright's powerful active natural ingredients are proven by science: L-Glutathione, L-Cysteine, Olive Leaf Extract, Artichoke Leaf Extract, Grape Seed Extract. Together, they help protect against cellular damage, inhibit melanin production in the skin, reduce age spots, dark spots and pigmentation, and naturally lighten skin. For you ladies loving the sun and bronze-like colored skin, taking Taut Bright will not make you look pale or white, but it will help to protect your skin from the damage caused by free radicals and deliver what you want most: that natural luminous healthy glow! Taut Collagen Mask Taut® Collagen Mask Remember how both K and J beauty philosophies center on major hydration as the foundation to beautiful skin? Both offer many different type of masks to brighten and hydrate your skin, and give you that cloudless and transparent glow. I’ve always been a bit squeamish about slathering snail slime on my face (the latest K-Beauty trend), so I naturally gravitate towards a more traditional method like Taut Collagen-Infused Sheet Mask. With its proprietary blend of hydrolyzed collagen, botanical squalene, hyaluronic acid and antioxidants, Taut’s luxurious collagen masks are designed specifically to target sagging, dehydrated and dull skin. Taut’s Collagen Mask is amazing because its collagen is broken down into tiny nano-sized molecules—this means it will actually penetrate through your pores into the dermis layer of your skin (rather than simply sitting on top of it). Remember, hydrolyzed collagen is effective in reducing fine lines, wrinkles and improving hydration. And it is so easy to use. I apply the mask on my clean face for 15-20 mins, then remove it and rub the remaining collagen essence into my skin (even down to my neck). No need to wash my face after and I just let the collagen penetrate into my skin and do the magic. And you should know there is no need to apply moisturizer, cream or serum after using Taut Collagen Mask, I love it! My Takeaway When K-beauty skyrocketed in popularity here in the U.S., consumers were starry-eyed at the images of Korean actresses with poreless, seemingly photo-shopped skin, and they gravitated toward the K-beauty trend en masse. I confess I too chased after each new discovery, trying out as many as I could (except the snail mucus). However, I am also now at the age where chasing after every K modern trend will no longer work for me..With J-beauty, I like that what you put inside your body counts as much as what you put on it.Plus, forget how great you look on Instagram—J-beauty will bring us back to the classic, traditional, minimalist methods of the country’s heritage and getting serious about science-backed ingredients that have been proven for centuries.Taut's Ms Magnifique program has given my skin the needed rejuvenation and radiant transformation from the inside out and outside in. It is so simple and easy! I love it!
