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Mon Jul 24, 2006 11:46 am  |
| The men have great skin too, can't all be makeup. |
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Mon Jul 24, 2006 3:48 pm |
I think they have less wrinkles around the eyes because of the fat. Have you notice most asians (not jsut japanese) doesn't have eyelids are sunk inwards like caucasians? I'm a chinese and I find my eyelids somewhat....(now this is weird) FAT.  I think it is mostly genes |
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Mon Jul 24, 2006 4:23 pm |
I'm Japanese American and while I'm 40 and don't have wrinkles, my whole family has problems with hyperpigmentation/melasma. I guess that might be one reason why a lot of Japanese are obsessed with sun protection. Luckily I've been able to get rid of most of it with supplements and different topicals. I use many different brightening products as well as a chemical free spf 30 with the colorescience powder block on top of it thereby adding an another spf 30. I go out in the sun (I volunteer at aniimal shelters/rescues) but put an spf 60 with the colorescience on top of it and wear a big sun hat. My body is fairly tan but I do my best to make sure my face stays out of the sun.
My mom said that it is low class to have a tan. She said that poor people who had to work in the fields had tans whilst the well off did not have to go out and had lovely pale skin. |
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Tue Jul 25, 2006 2:56 am |
| japanese foods are so healthy, a lot of raw fish and soya products which all good for the skin. Also, asian women try their best to avoid sun since they prefer fair skin to tan. I visited few countries in Asia and most of them dying for whiter skin as oppose to majority of us. |
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Sun Jul 30, 2006 9:23 am |
I am Asian and I always get compliments for my skin. I can't even complain about the occasional pimple, because my friends would just get mad because it is like the ONE pimple in 6 months :P Here's why I think Asians in general (especially the Northerners) have amazing skin:
1. Genes - Asian skin is darker than Caucasion skin so the sun does not affect it as much. Therefore, less sun spots and wrinkles. Asian skin is also more oily, which usually ages more gracefully.
2. I don't know about Japan, but when I lived in China, in the cities, there's more smog and you just don't receive that much UV rays to begin with. So sun is a MAJOR factor.
3. in China, all the women hold umbrellas in the summer to avoid the sun.
4. diet - fish, more vegetables, GREEN TEA. Asians in general have a heat/chill system to balance out their skin. When your skin breaks out, Asians believe it's too much heat. So tone down on spicy food, greasy food and meat and increase 'chill' things like pear, chrysanthem (spelling?) tea, watermelon, etc.
5. if you look at the stats, Americans spend most of their money on makeup and less on skincare. Whereas Asian markets spend most on skincare and less on makeup. Also, most Asian remedies are natural products versus the dominance of chemical products in Western market.
also, I live in Canada now ( ), and when I visited California, which I LOVED, I noticed the young women there ALL looked so amazing! Tanned and fit and just so gorgeous! But the older women all had really aged skin, wrinkles, lines, and roughness. So I think the sun is realy essential! I NEVER go out without sunscreen. And one thing that no one really discusses is the the importance of SUNGLASSES! if you squint in the sun, it causes wrinkles! Also, the wraparound styles block out UV rays  And just watch your diet. Meat is delicious but really try to tone it down. I also eat 2-4 fruits a day with tons of vegetables. Instead of buying expensive chemical treatments, I love natural things like witch hazel, tea tree oil, and fruit acids :P Hope this helps! |
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Sun Jul 30, 2006 9:41 am |
| manslayerliz wrote: |
| One thing I noticed about Japanese women is that they go to major extremes to avoid the sun--- they wear huge hats, carry parasols--- I've even seen them tie handkerchiefs around their necks!! So, that might explain why there is a lack of wrinkles, age spots, etc... |
I have a few friends from Japan (women) and they carry umbrellas over here in Tucson every day! I think its smart...but I'm too lazy to do it |
_________________
32, Fair Skin, combo/break-out prone. Simple routine of REN No. 1 Purity Cleansing Balm and Argan oil as a moisturizer; Clarisonic when needed. That's it! |
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Sun Jul 30, 2006 10:12 am |
It has with genes, sun avoidance and diet to do. There is a book called the Okinawa Diet or something like that and the author writes about how Japanese people have such a long life expectancy because of diet and meditation (Tai Chi, martial arts, meditation). Omega 3 fatty acids are found in Salmon, Tuna, Swordfish, Shark, Herring, Makarel and Anchovies. Eating fish is good for your health and your skin. Swedes also eat a lot of fish (although this is changing) and we also have a pretty high life expectancy.
I have noticed one thing though that Japanese people smoke a lot and yet they have a low level of lung cancer. I think that Green tea plays a large part in that. |
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Fri Nov 03, 2006 7:55 am |
I think Korean girls have way better skin than Japanese girls. Very soft, smooth, clear skin. I'm so jelious  |
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Fri Nov 03, 2006 10:58 am |
| Alix wrote: |
| I think Korean girls have way better skin than Japanese girls. Very soft, smooth, clear skin. I'm so jelious |
Korean girl actually wear more foundation/makeup than most Asian girls. They are very careful about foundation (some actually use three different colors!) |
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20's: rare pimples and oily T-zone..annoying little blackhead buggers on nose |
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Sun Nov 05, 2006 1:47 am |
Go and read Cozycot forum and you will find out about their obsessions with:
(1) Oily skin
(2) whitening products
(3) eyelashes
Except for the second, not so different from here.
I don't think Asians have genetically great skin since most teenagers I know suffer from some form of problem skin. That said one of my friends has the most amazing skin ever. It is like baby smooth and soft. Really. I poked her skin once to see whether it was for real or now |
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Sun Nov 05, 2006 2:21 am |
| cuppre wrote: |
| That said one of my friends has the most amazing skin ever. It is like baby smooth and soft. Really. I poked her skin once to see whether it was for real or now |
that is hilarious! |
_________________
about to hit my 40s, retin-a user, differin, LRP |
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Sun Nov 05, 2006 2:44 am |
| skincareaddicted wrote: |
| cuppre wrote: |
| That said one of my friends has the most amazing skin ever. It is like baby smooth and soft. Really. I poked her skin once to see whether it was for real or now |
that is hilarious! |
 Sorry for the typo. But yes it really happened and she did indeed give me a look. |
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Sun Nov 05, 2006 5:45 am |
| skin adict2 wrote: |
| ... My mom said that it is low class to have a tan. She said that poor people who had to work in the fields had tans whilst the well off did not have to go out and had lovely pale skin. |
This is so true! I have a friend who is Chinese but was born and raised here in California. She would bake in the sun with the rest of us and we'd be envious because she would always get the better tan. It made her Mom SOOOOOO mad! She would call my friend "rice picker" because she said only field workers had tans! She was totally obsessive about staying out of the sun and just hated that her daughter had a suntan. She was born in China and really had that cultural ideal that white skin was somehow more of a status symbol.
The nail salon I used to go to was owned by a Vietnamese lady and all her employees/manicurists were also Vietnamese. When I would go in and get a pedicure, the ladies would ooh and aah over my legs because I'm so darned pale! I'm on the porcelain side - pale with pink undertones - and they just LOVED the color of my skin. I would always ask to trade with them because I preferred THEIR more golden (and normal/healthy!) looking color to my white, death-warmed-over look.
I also noticed that so many Asian skin-care lines have "whitening" products and for the life of me, could never figure out what those were all about or why on earth would anyone want whiter skin? I thought maybe something got lost in translation and it meant "cleansing" or something, but now I know differently. |
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Sun Nov 05, 2006 6:20 am |
....I want to have white skin. I think it is because alot of Asians have yellow undertones that is why they wish to go white since that looks better than going dark. Asian tan really isn't that nice looking - it is more of a dirty brown than a golden bronzy shade.
Plus there is definitely the cultural bias for white, though I couldn't care less. |
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Sun Nov 05, 2006 7:13 am |
| manslayerliz wrote: |
| One thing I noticed about Japanese women is that they go to major extremes to avoid the sun--- they wear huge hats, carry parasols--- I've even seen them tie handkerchiefs around their necks!! So, that might explain why there is a lack of wrinkles, age spots, etc... |
I would say this is #1. My mom's from Japan. When I was a teenager I was a total sunworshiper. My mother would just cringe each summer as I would come home browner and browner.
Of course, now, I'm paying the price!
Marla |
_________________
Age 41; Oily; Acne prone; Resilient; Currently loving Tazorac, Kate Somerville ExfoliKate and Deep Tissue Repair; Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye Cream |
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Sun Nov 05, 2006 10:04 am |
| cuppre wrote: |
....I want to have white skin. I think it is because alot of Asians have yellow undertones that is why they wish to go white since that looks better than going dark. Asian tan really isn't that nice looking - it is more of a dirty brown than a golden bronzy shade.
Plus there is definitely the cultural bias for white, though I couldn't care less. |
I agree about the cultural bias for fair skin, but maybe not white for the sake of whiteness--more to get a milky, glowy, luminous look. Blotchy, mottled pale skin isn't prized just b/c it's pale.
I'm Asian and look pretty good when tanned--golden bronze rather than dirty brown. (Perhaps your tanned color depends on your original complexion.) I think I actually look better tanned--more healthy and glowy. Plus a tan hides a myriad of sins. But I remain pale due to high SPF sunscreens not because I want white skin, but because I want to protect it from sun damage and prevent the ensuing wrinkles, hyperpigmentation (since Asian skin is prone to that), etc. |
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Sun Nov 05, 2006 8:19 pm |
| Asian women tend to avoid the sun... so perhaps that's why their skin is healthier. |
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Mon Nov 06, 2006 11:35 am |
I'm Japanese ... it's ALL in the genes. I'm 44 but people are always thinking at least 10+ years younger. I have a photo on MUA.
I'm 5th generation Hawaiian so I've lived in the sun all my life. Yup, I've got some sundamage freckles, but no wrinkles, not even fine lines.
My diet is horrible and very typical 'local style' which means lots of Spam, portuguese sausage, gravy, kalua pig .... mmmmm.
And we never used SPF. Even now, I forget to use it and rely on SPF in makeup. Most of the time I forget to reapply SPF when at the beach.
My mom is in her 70's with no wrinkles and dark brown hair and everyone thinks she's in her 50's.
The extra benefit I notice about being in Hawaii is the humidity and clean air. I never had acne or needed moisturizer (face and body) until I visited the mainland. |
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Mon Nov 06, 2006 12:40 pm |
| poofybabypenguin wrote: |
| I think Korean girls have way better skin than Japanese girls. Very soft, smooth, clear skin. I'm so jelious |
Thanks! That comment actually makes me feel good
| Alix wrote: |
| Korean girl actually wear more foundation/makeup than most Asian girls. They are very careful about foundation (some actually use three different colors!) |
Not sure if I can speak for the rest but I wear no foundation whatsoever. I may wear it 3-4 times a year only on certain occasion when I get all done up even then I actually go to MAC to get my makeup done since I don't even know how to apply foundation (yes it's quite pathetic!). Funny thing, my mom told me not to even start wearing makeup til I was out of college or at least until 22. I never understood why she wanted me to wait as she waited til she was about 25. I now understand and til this day I still don't wear makeup on a daily basis. I may put on some blush and mascara on the weekends IF we go out and that's the extent of my make-up.
My friend who's acne prone and doesn't have the best complexion does wear a lot of foundation though, that's only because she wants the coverage. So not sure if it's fair to say that Koreans in general cake their faces with foundation for I have seen plenty of other asians, i.e. Chinese, Japanese etc who wear plenty of foundation and makeup. |
_________________
26, combination skin with oily t-zone |
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Mon Nov 06, 2006 5:35 pm |
I'm Korean and I definitely DO NOT have perfect skin. On the other hand, I do look quite young for my age-even more without makeup. In general, paler skin is more appealing to Asians. This is especially true with the older generations because it almost signifies regality or wealth. When I was going to meet my bf's parents during the summer I was really careful about staying out of the sun until after I met them. I know it sounds kind of extreme, but he and his mom have super pale and perfect skin. Even my own mother told me to be careful about getting a tan. In fact, when I was a teenager my mom wanted to get my freckles removed (it's rare but some asians do have freckles).
I do notice that compared to most of my Caucasian friends, my Asian friends and I eat more healthy in general. So staying out of the sun + healthy eating habits + good genes = more youthful appearance. Oh yes, and of course + extremely neurotic mothers with sun phobias  |
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Mon Nov 06, 2006 5:41 pm |
| Oh and I forgot to mention that I totally agree with whoever said that Asians buy more skincare products and less makeup. My bestfriend who's Korean has so many skincare products but knows almost nothing about makeup. I also heard that nowdays in Korea, women get facials at least twice a month. I also think that culturally, Asian women are more apt to critisize someone about their skin. Well, at least Korean women are. In other cultures it would be considered rude, but one of the first things my mom's friends will point out is how you look... to your face. I gained a little weight once and I seriously never heard the end of it. And I was like, 12 years old. My aunt once put my 8 year old cousin on a soup diet. This all goes for skin too. So maybe it's also because Asians are more aware, or made to be aware, of their appearance. This is purely from my own personal experiences though. |
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Thu Dec 21, 2006 2:53 pm |
Hi
I think most people dont really realize it but in Asia, girls go get facials at least once in two weeks. We have whitening cream, and we drink tons of green tea. Asian people love giving Greentea, oolong tea, jasmine tea as gift. You go to my parents place, we have a cabinet filled with different tea.
 ..but not all asians have perfect skin though. |
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Thu Dec 21, 2006 6:09 pm |
| The reason Asians like whiter skin is because they believe "white skin can mask 3 flaws"...I guess it's the same for nicely tanned skin. |
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Thu Dec 21, 2006 7:51 pm |
I read a book called Why Japanese Women don't go Fat or Old by Moriyama, very interesting and highlighted the differences in Japanese and Western diet. The secret is healhty eating and small portion.
 Asians are obsessed with fair skin and most major skincare lines selling in Asia (Estee Lauder, Ultimma, Clinique, etc...) are carrying whitening products. I am not sure they sell those in other parts of the world. |
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Fri Dec 22, 2006 1:31 am |
I am Chinese, and have to admit I'm one of those people who people mistake for being quite a bit younger than I am because I have no lines on my face. However, living in Canada, my diet is horrible and I don't drink that much green tea (every few days?) - though I am obsessive about sunscreen.
I have to say though JAPANESE SKIN CARE PRODUCTS are amazing. I used to have normal semi-blotchy oily skin and the very beginning of fine lines back when I was 25, but then switched over to Japanese skin care (specifically Kanebo and Kose), and within 2 weeks saw major improvements in skin tone, clarity and colour. Of course over time, the fine lines also started to go away.
So my guess is one of the contributing factors to the amazing skin of Japanese and Korean women is the skin care (I've since learned that Korean skincare products are equally impressive) - even Asian drugstore brands are much better than drugstore brands we can get here.
I also have to second the makeup vs skincare. I spend hundreds of dollars on skincare and next to nothing on makeup. I actually don't like wearing any makeup and only wear a bit of eyeliner or eyeshadow if I've got some important event/function.
Re: "whitening" skincare.. correct me if I'm wrong, but I heard they are not bleaching out the skin, they're actually "clarifying" as in to even out skintone, help get rid of pigmentation from acne scars, etc? |
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