Recently, I stumbled across a Reuters article about Japanese beauty expert, Chizu Saeki, and it was about her philosophies on how to keep skin beautiful. She expounds not spending too much on cosmetics and suggests thinking of attractive men to keep skin glowing. Oh my. I certainly had a chuckle at that one.

I mentioned this to a Japanese friend and she told me that Saeki is very famous in Japan and is quite a personality on TV. She is 66 years old and has snow white, smooth skin — a walking advertisement for what she preaches. Recently, she released a book out in English, The Japanese Skincare Revolution, which shares easy, natural skincare techniques.

My friend said Saeki’s most famous advice is to use lotion masks to maintain great skin. The toner or lotion you use is not as important as how often you use it. In fact, she encourages women to put on lotion masks twice a day. I don’t know if most women can find so much time but it certainly would keep your skin moist and hydrated.

I was intrigued and so I googled her. The search threw up a slew of interviews and articles. It seems her methods are natural and not product-laden which is also evident in her much-revered Ginza beauty salon that doesn’t carry a cosmetic line.

I absolutely agree with Saeki that no amount of make up can make you look better if you have terrible skin. She says she can tell what a person’s life and character are like just by looking at their skin. She also thinks spending more effort and time on personal beauty should be part of your lifestyle and not seen as a burden.

YES to that! Some people sometimes ask me why I can be bothered to spend my time making healthy drinks and dishes from scratch. My reason is simply, you are what you eat.

If you nosh on burgers and greasy take-out, it will show on your face. If you sleep very little or don’t drink enough water, your skin will suffer and look sallow. I just don’t want to look like I munch on instant, pre-packaged crap. Eating well may take time but I see it as a good, long-term investment for the health of my body.

She also touches on how having a positive outlook on life helps you look more radiant. I love it that Saeki’s philosophies are not just straight science and chemicals. I think if you live a very stressed, unhappy existence, you truly won’t find what you are looking for in a jar.

Ladies, take the time to care for yourself and not rely on “instant” solutions. I think Saeki may at first seem a bit batty in her advice — some of it probably got lost in translation (it sounds more quaint in Japanese!) but I think she has good, down-to-earth tips to read about. Do check her out and it could keep you from splurging on yet another expensive branded potion.

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