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Fountains of youth - how Japanese defy ageing

Japanese women are renowned for their youthful appearance and beautiful skin, but what’s their secret?

Japanese women are renowned for their youthful appearance and beautiful skin, but what’s their secret?

 

There’s a common joke that asian women remain youthful until menopause, then they age almost instantly overnight, whether it’s true or not, the Japanese have always been known for having amazing skin.

Recently there were a couple of Japanese women who became internet sensations for having youthful looks uncharacteristic to their age.

 

Guess her age?

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This is Masako Mizutani, a Japanese sensation, especially on TV (where photoshop can’t help her), lauded as ‘Japan’s Lady of Eternal Youth’.

Masako, mother to a 20 year old daughter, doesn’t look a day older than her daughter but believe it or not,her real age is 45.

 

Which one is the grandmother?

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This picture is three generations of the same family.

Can you guess which one is Kuzuko Inoue?

The 42 year old mother of two, and grandmother of three looks amazing. She could easily pass as being in the same generation as her daughters. If you still don’t know, she’s the one on the bottom right.

 

Is there something in the water? There might be.

 

Beautifying Baths

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The Ryujin family has been operating the Kamigoten Ryokan in Wakayama since 1658, and after 350 years they’re still going strong. How? They claim to have baths that make you beautiful. The ryokan has earned a reputation for its inddor and outdoor bathing pools, the water – pumped in from nearby onsens is high in sodium bicarbonate, which apparently helps with cuts, burns and chronic skin disease.

People have attested that the waters leave a silky, soft film on the skin post dip.

 

Geisha beauty secrets

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Geishas are known for their sublime beauty and perfect porcelain-like skin.

The geisha gets her beauty from natural Japanese oils and simple fruits. Persimmons, containing calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, iodine and high levels of vitamis were used from facemasks, skin tonics and detox diets.

They also used green tea, loaded with polyphenols that fight free radicals, reduce skin inflammation, providing protection against skin cancer, and getting rid of any nasty toxins or bacteria lingering in your pores.

Japanese plums contain pectins, vitamin C and organic acids that are all very nourishing to the skin. Here are some more facts about geishas.

 

Pitera

The contrast of the wrinkled faces of aged sake brewers and their soft youthful hands led to the discovery of Pitera. SK-II scientists surmised that the secret must lie in the yeast that the brewers’ hands were in constant contact with during the sake fermentation process.

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