Japanese BEAUTY rituals
As a curious Japanese self-care aficionado who has lived in Europe and the US, I have been able to witness the difference in the beauty and wellness mindset closely in each region, and I have come to embrace each one. While I appreciate the multi-functional, sustainable approach on this side of the world, there are certain habits that I cherish as a Japanese woman and continue to embrace whenever possible. One such dearly loved routine is bathing, characterised by the rituals of Onsen in Japanese, which translates to hot spring. If you have been to Japan and stayed at an Onsen resort, you would know how seriously they take the bathing rituals over there.
Japan is a volcanic country blessed with hot springs throughout the country, and each one has its own compositions of minerals and other elements, that provide instant skin-healing, rejuvenation and relaxation. Even in the cities where there are no hot springs, bathing is a common habit at home on a regular basis. Since I have been living in Barcelona, where bathing is not a common habit, it has always been a luxury for me to have a bath tub at home. The joy of soaking in a warm bath on a chilly day with a candle light is a pleasure comparable to a dip in a crystalline Mediterranean water in the summer. It’s an ultimate time to connect with our spirit and free our minds from the obligations of the daily life.
As a beauty ritual, it has a profound effective to gently clean our skin, removing the old cells all over the body, and activating the blood circulation which boosts metabolism and enhances toxin elimination from the system. Energetically, it also purifies and instantly raises our vibrations. The effect can be improved by adding elements like body salts, and one of my favorite brands, Shigeta Paris carries a beautiful range of bath items developed from the Japanese concept of bathing. They are highly addictive, especially the Green Bloom Bath Salts with a scent of Hinoki, a Japanese cypress that always transports me back to the trips to the Onsen in the old days.