Japanese Skin-Care Routine

«The Japanese beauty market is really emphasizing the 'bihaku' category, which are products that aim to brighten your skin,» Melodee Morita, a New York-based beauty expert and YouTube star, tells Allure. «The trend these days is an effortless, natural makeup look — at least in Japan — so people like to focus on having great skin with minimal eye makeup.»

Morita goes on to explain that, even if you have wonderful makeup skills, forgetting to protect your skin from harsh UV rays and not taking care of your skin with brightening products will result in a dull-looking complexion. "These bihaku items aim to not only lighten up dark spots — both visible and upcoming spots that are still hidden underneath the skin that aren't visible to the naked eye — but to also give a luminous glow to your skin from within." And it's that exact fresh-faced glow that I set out to discover.

In my research, I also learned that, unlike the multistep K-beauty routines and the ultra-aggressive American techniques that rely on deep exfoliation and harsh chemical formulas, J-beauty is rather simple.

Japanese beauty is all about nourishing skin with a gentle cleanse, multiple layers of hydration, regularly masking, and, of course, sun protection. And that's not to say you have to oblige every single one of those components of care.

«Japanese products are developed based on 'omotenashi' and 'hospitality' spirits, in my opinion,» a Japanese beauty expert based in Tokyo named Nicole tells Allure. «The brands always focus on what is missing from the market and what the customers really want, hence, they are really attentive. You will be able to find innovative products to suit your every need.»