IV.+Beauty+Treatments

[] [] [] [] MEGANS SECTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In Japan there is much focus on beauty. However, unlike most places such as America they believe in natural and healthy beauty. In Japan there is less surgeries and extreme unhealthy dieting and more of living healthily. Women in Japan actually live longer because they do not affect their natural balance, meaning they do not focus on unnatural beauty involving harmful chemicals and procedures. The Japanese are known for their beautiful, smooth, flawless skin which is maintained all naturally.(Munro) They eat lots of Komenuka rice bran and Wakame sea weed which protects your skin form UV sun rays, and smooth a fine red bean called Azuki, which they spread across their skin. The Japanese also strongly believe in the use of vitamin C which comes from oranges. People in Japan are known for their beauty yet they are almost completely natural. The Japanese spa culture is centuries old. One of the most popular features of their spa culture, from both the past and now is their hot springs. The springs have been around and popular in Japan since as early as 190ad. They first became immensely popular in all the classes when an empress used Hot Spring Therapy to cure injured soldiers in 400ad. Another part of the Ancient Japan spa culture is a form of massage called Shiatsu. This is used to remove pain and stress and is unusual because instead of using the whole palm only the finger tips are used for the most part. This is more relaxing and efficient than a regular massage. (Wong)Even today the methods used in a spa in Ancient Japan are still used and popular today. Most people who don’t live in Japan think of the more traditional form of make-up when they picture a Japanese lady going out. In reality most girls and women don’t go wandering around on the streets like that. Because of the focus on natural beauty most women don’t wear a lot of makeup and when they do it looks very natural, they mainly only use peachy tones. However there are those rare special occasions when the old ways of wearing makeup come back into play. They use a white full face makeup called guanine, and is nightingale droppings. They don’t use many colors for the traditional style of makeup; the only three colors used are black, white and red. The white is the base for the face, the red outlined the eyes and the red is used for the lips and to add some color around the eyes. The result is beautiful and dramatic and because all the makeup, both traditional and modern are made out of natural products it does not harm the skin. Modern Japanese beauty treatments are much like they were in the past since they were so effective. They still mainly use all natural products but they do have one major treatment that does involve some chemicals. These are very mild yet affective. The treatment takes unruly curls and makes them shiny and straight, permanently. This has become very popular all around the world as women and girls no longer have the time, or desire, to spend hours fighting their curls. (Balmaseda ) Even today though, the main focus is still on their skin. Girls are not allowed often out in the sun to protect their skin and the old natural methods for beauty are still in place with a newer exfoliation method added, a clear gel used to remove the dead skin and create a soft glow on the skin. New herbs and signature oils are also used. So no matter what in Japan beauty and naturality come first and go hand in hand.