Rice, rouge and reverence

Lessons we can all learn from Japanese beauty

- BY LAKSHANA N PALAT

Ice water. Camellia oil. Green tea. And patience, passed down through generations.

That's the power of Japanese skincare and beauty, which is less a trend and more a philosophy. It embodies centuries-old rituals that teach us not just honour the skin, but the self.

To understand its present, we need to turn back time to a tale painted in white powder, red rouge and quiet reverence.

Portraits of the past

In woodblock prints, known as Ukiyo-e, of Edo-era women, beauty wasn't just for fleeting moments; it was art. These portraits reveal the immaculate precision of rituals: White base powder (oshiroi), red safflower pigment (beni), and tools made from bamboo and animal hair. The Edo period, from the 17th to the 19th century, was a pinnacle of Japanese art and culture.

But this wasn't vanity, it was expression. These rituals were sacred, both personal and cultural. Beauty was a quiet celebration of self-respect and social grace.

The art of white powder

The roots of this art run deeper. As early as the 6th century, cosmetics began arriving from China. The earliest records show primitive use of cosmetics in the sixth century, which were part of the imports from China.