The key to keeping skin looking and feeling healthy is hydration. Depending on your specific skin type – whether oily, dry or somewhere in between – it’s important to choose products that address your individual skin care needs, but also provide essential hydration to help combat the ageing effects of time and environmental aggressors. With Hada Labo Tokyo™, each product is formulated with Hyaluronic Acid – nature’s “moisture magnet” – so you can lock in moisture every time. Find your skin type below and read on to determine what regimen is right for you.

MY HIGHLIGHT?  IT’S CALLED OILY SKIN

Do you have the occasional breakout or blemishes, or does your makeup easily wipe off? If so, you may have oily or acne-prone skin from excessive oil production.

Step away from the sink and cleanser. Did you know that over-washing your skin with a cleanser more than twice daily can actually over-dry skin and lead to an increase in oil production? Limit washing to just twice a day, morning and night, to remove debris and makeup. Stick with gentle cleansers and avoid harsh exfoliators, which can also lead to excessive oil production.

Fight oil with water…water-based anti-ageing products. Using lightweight and oil-free products with a super moisturising ingredient like Hyaluronic Acid, a naturally occurring, water-loving substance in your body, helps keep the skin hydrated and protected.   Hyaluronic Acid attracts and locks in moisture helping to restore and strengthen the skin’s own natural ability to stay hydrated and healthy. Plus these products are extremely gentle and ideal for acne-prone skin, which can be sensitive and have an imbalance in oil production.

RECOMMENDED ANTI-AGEING REGIMEN

Start with a gentle, hydrating cleanser followed by a lightweight, oil-free hydrator during the day. As you moisturize, your skin’s oil production will lessen and come back into balance. Then try adding the Skin Plumping Gel Cream as part of your anti-aging regimen, morning and night.

Morning:

  1. Gentle Hydrating Cleanser
  2. Replenishing Hydrator
  3. Skin Plumping Gel Cream
  4. Age Correcting Eye Cream

Evening:

  1. Gentle Hydrating Cleanser
  2. Anti-Aging Hydrator
  3. Skin Plumping Gel Cream
  4. Age Correcting Eye Cream (if desired)

SKIN SO THIRSTY

If your skin feels rough or tight, or is flakey and dull looking with premature wrinkles and fine lines, you probably have dry skin. Dry skin is often sensitive, so look for anti-aging products that are non-irritating and fragrance-free, paraben-free, and dye-free.

An anti-aging and plumping gel cream can help dry, irritated skin feel instant soothing relief. Anti-aging products with Hyaluronic Acid, a naturally occurring substance in your body, also locks in more moisture for longer-lasting hydration. A Hyaluronic Acid gel cream for dry skin can immediately restore a healthy, moisturized look and feel, and boost skin’s natural ability to stay hydrated with anti-wrinkle and skin-smoothing benefits.

RECOMMENDED ANTI-AGEING REGIMEN

A deeply hydrating skin care routine with long-lasting moisturization that lasts all day and night can be achieved by layering lightweight products and indulging in moisture amplifying, skin renewing masks.

Morning & Evening:

  1. Gentle Hydrating Cleanser
  2. Anti-ageing Hydrator
  3. Skin Plumping Gel Cream
  4. Age Correcting Eye Cream

Weekly (immediately after using an anti-aging cleanser):

  1. Anti-ageing Facial Sheet Mask (1-2x per week)
  2. Express Renewal Eye Mask (2-3x per week)
  3. Follow with the Anti-Aging Hydrator and Skin Plumping Gel Cream if more hydration is desired

THAT FLAKEY, HIGH SHINE

Do you have a glistening T-zone while other parts of your face feel tight, look flakey, dry, or show signs of aging? You probably have combination skin. Typically the forehead, nose, and chin become oilier because they have more active oil glands than the rest of your face, like the cheeks, eye area, and mouth.

Using lightweight, rehydrating anti-ageing products with Hyaluronic Acid will help you balance both skin type concerns. Hyaluronic Acid is a naturally occurring substance in your body that helps your skin stay hydrated. Proper moisturisation can help reduce excessive oil production in your T-zone while moisturising drier parts, improving the overall appearance and health of your skin.

RECOMMENDED ANTI-AGEING REGIMEN

Morning:

  1. Gentle Hydrating Cleanser
  2. Replenishing Hydrator
  3. Skin Plumping Gel Cream
  4. Age Correcting Eye Cream

Evening:

  1. Gentle Hydrating Cleanser
  2. Anti-ageing Hydrator
  3. Skin Plumping Gel Cream
  4. Age Correcting Eye Cream

Taking proper, consistent steps is an important part of your anti-aging skin care regimen, and with changing seasons and weather, your regimen should change too.

In warmer months, whether you live in an area with dry heat or humid heat, it is still important to moisturize. Your warm weather routine should focus on using lightweight products. Keep pores clean with a hydrating cleanser morning and night to remove daily impurities like makeup and dirt. After using a gentle hydrating cleanser, follow with a lightweight, anti-ageing hydrator and oil-free lotion with SPF for the day, and a lightweight, anti-aging hydrator and moisturising gel cream at night.

Cold weather can significantly affect all skin types. Forced-air heat depletes skin of essential moisture leading to excessive dryness, flaking, and even wrinkles. Your first thought may be to load on heavy creams and rich cosmetics – but healthy, hydrated skin starts with the inner layers, not just treating the surface.

The traditional Japanese practice of steaming helps open pores, making it more receptive to rehydration afterwards. Simply soak a towel with hot water, wring gently, and microwave for 30 seconds wrapped in plastic wrap to create steam. Remove the plastic wrap, spreading the towel over your face and ears for a gentle steam mask. Afterwards, apply a hydrating eye mask or facial sheet mask to drastically improve your skin’s moisture levels and appearance, in just 10 minutes. If more moisturisation is needed, follow with a lightweight, anti-ageing hydrator and plumping gel cream, to further improve your skin’s hydration, plump fine lines, and boost elasticity.

We all want a fresh face with healthy looking and glowing skin. If you are in your 20s or 30s, you may want anti-aging, preventative products that help preserve your naturally glowing skin. If you’re older or have signs of aging like wrinkles or fine lines, you may want ways to plump and smooth skin with anti-wrinkle and collagen-boosting products.

The top 3 aging concerns are dullness, loss of firmness, and wrinkles. No matter what your aging concerns may be, prevention starts today and the right steps can help delay and even reverse signs of ageing skin.

1. DULLNESS

You may notice your skin losing its “youthful glow,” looking dull over time. A simple, consistent skin care routine can reverse and prevent future dullness. Exfoliating weekly helps remove dead skin and leaves you with a fresher feeling, more radiant looking face.

Brightening Beauty Hack: DIY creamy exfoliator: mix our Gentle Hydrating Cleanser with a small amount of white sugar (for a finer) or brown sugar (for a thicker) exfoliator. Carefully apply, rinse exfoliator off skin, and follow with just the cleanser before a final rinse. So fresh, so smooth, so radiant.

2. LOSS OF FIRMNESS

Loss of elasticity and firmness and early signs of sagging skin naturally occur as your skin’s metabolism slows over time. Sagging skin also worsens as the supporting muscles weaken – this can’t be repaired by treating the surface of the skin alone. However massage and using muscular exercises can help re-tone them to delay sag.

Massaging behind your earlobes, on your neck muscles, and around cheeks and mouth while speaking the five vowels (A, E, I, O, U) can help activate your facial muscles. Think of it like a skin-firming exercise routine to help tighten your face.

Re-toning Beauty Hack: Warm our Skin Plumping Gel Cream by rubbing your hands together before applying on your face and neck for a skin and muscle-warming massage.

3. WRINKLES

Aren’t wrinkles permanent? Well, they don’t have to be! Combining deep moisturizing products with simple, traditional Japanese skin care practices may actually stretch away wrinkles and reverse their visible appearance.

You may be rolling your eyes at the thought of stretching out wrinkles, but the Japanese tradition of gentle pinching and lifting is thought to help correct existing muscular habits to help reverse lines and sagging.

Our bodies naturally produce less Hyaluronic Acid as we age, but this is what helps keep skin youthful with bounce-back elasticity. Following an anti-aging regimen and massaging products with Hyaluronic Acid onto your skin can help boost and restore what’s naturally lost for plumper, smoother skin.

Anti-Wrinkle Beauty Hack:

While applying our Anti-ageing Hydrator and Skin Plumping Gel Cream, pinch and lift in the opposite direction of visible lines and wrinkles. Use the pads of your fingers, concentrating on vertical laugh lines, forehead wrinkles, and brow creases. Say goodbye visible signs of ageing skin.

A hydrator, also known as an essence, has a water-like consistency and is lighter weight than creams and lotions. Hydrators are beneficial for all skin types and are designed to soften and prep your face to receive deeper moisturisation from creams and lotions.

For oily and combination skin or during warmer months, hydrators can be used alone during the day and combined with a plumping gel cream at night. For dry skin or during winter months, use a hydrator as a base layer, layering on a Hyaluronic Acid gel cream immediately afterwards.

With regular use, layering an essence or hydrator before your moisturiser can help delay visible signs of aging for all skin types.

Layering is applying the right products in the right order at the right time. Layering your anti-ageing products can dramatically improve your skin’s appearance in a short time. Several of our products are clinically shown to improve the appearance of your skin, including our Skin Plumping Gel Cream that provides 24 hours of moisture with just 1 application, instantly boosting skin’s hydration levels for cushiony soft skin. And in 4 weeks, fine lines and wrinkles are minimized, youthful bounce and elasticity are restored, and skin’s texture is refined.

The right order involves product consistency and function. Begin with products that are applied all over the face first, starting with the lightest weight product, such as the Anti-ageing Hydrator.Then build upon each layer using an all-over face cream, like the Skin Plumping Gel Cream, followed by products that target smaller, specific areas of concern (wrinkles, crow’s feet). Always end with applying a broad spectrum SPF 30 face lotion to protect the skin from premature ageing and help prevent skin cancer.

Layering Hada Labo Tokyo™ Products:

  1. Thoroughly wash your face with an oil-free cleanser: Gentle Hydrating Cleanser
  2. All over your face and neck, apply the lightest product: Anti-ageing Hydrator
  3. Followed by the thickest product: Skin Plumping Gel Cream
  4. Then apply a targeting product that addresses dark circles and eye wrinkles: Age Correcting Eye Cream
  5. Lastly, apply your favourite SPF 30 face lotion

The right time to layer your products is morning and night, and your skin care routine should be different for both. Layering in the morning can be lighter: cleanser, hydrator, and SPF, while at night a more intense skin care regimen is recommended to treat and nourish your skin while you sleep. Try a lighter routine in the morning and if you have more anti-aging concerns like face wrinkles and extreme dryness, add a gel cream moisturiser to your daytime skin regimen.

Lastly, the right products: all Hada Labo Tokyo™ products are formulated with Hyaluronic Acid, a naturally occurring ingredient in our bodies that diminishes over time as we age.  Hada Labo Tokyo™ products are different because we are the only brand with Super Hyaluronic Acid™, a unique blend of 3 types of Hyaluronic Acid that provides deeper, multi-layer hydration, increasing skin’s levels of moisture dramatically. Products with one type of macro-sized Hyaluronic Acid only address the top layer of your skin, but Hada Labo Tokyo™ gives deeper skin moisturisation, for longer-lasting hydration.

The Art of Traditional Japanese Skin Care

Traditional Japanese skin care techniques can help correct common skin concerns, helping you achieve a beautiful complexion focusing on three areas: the type of products you use, their quality, and how they’re applied.

Japanese tradition tells us to look no further than our own hands for beautiful skin. The art of touch is essential in Japanese skin care because your hands and fingers help you better understand your skin by checking for moisture, smoothness, firmness, and elasticity while improving your complexion through touch. Even the best products aren’t as effective if your skin isn’t healthy.
Art of Japanese Touch Techniques

Utilize stretching at various points in your routine like when applying a cleanser or anti-aging moisturizer. Hold your cheeks in the palms of your hands and gently pull outward, and use your fingertips to gently stretch skin upward around cheeks and eyes.

Pushing and pulling helps hydrating, anti-aging products absorb into the skin, improving lymph flow and blood circulation. Focus on three key areas: the lips and mouth, behind the ears, and around the eyebrows. Pushing involves gently pressing the skin in these target areas with the pads of your fingers. Pull skin when using a cleanser or hydrator – gently pulling as you apply the product from the center of your face to the hairline and ears can help improve skin’s elasticity and tone. Pressing your palms on your face delivers warmth to your skin, improving circulation and color.

Pinching and lifting help correct muscular habits, and reverse lines and sagging. Simply pinch and lift in the opposite direction of your fine lines with the pads of your fingers, concentrating on vertical laugh lines, forehead wrinkles, and brow creases.

All of these exercises should be used gently and in combination with quality cleansers, hydrators, and creams. Hada Labo Tokyo™ products are gentle, hydrating, and give your skin visible results.