Japan is renowned for its amazing skincare products and Japanese women are famous for their youthful skin. Japanese women usually follow anywhere between 7 to 10 skincare steps daily, but gentle products from beauty giants like DHC Japan let them maintain their gorgeous skin with only 4 simple steps! After a long day, they remove the grime and makeup off their face using a cleansing oil. Following that, they use a facial wash to remove the leftover dirt. They use facial washes that foam up to get rid of the rest of the grime and keep their face soft. Cleansing removes all the natural oils from the skin along with the dirt and this can upset the pH balance of your skin, which can lead to problems like irritated skin and acne, therefore they use a toner to restore this pH balance, and to help their skin absorb moisturizer well. I try my best to follow the steps of the Japanese skincare regimen and here are some skincare products from the total Japanese beauty expert – DHC, that I have been using: Vivalahighstreet 1. DHC Deep Cleansing Oil DHC Deep Cleansing Oil is DHC’s bestselling, cult skincare product, and one bottle is sold every 10 seconds worldwide. It is the perfect oil for the first step of Japanese cleansing, as it melts away makeup and dissolves impurities, leaving your skin clean, soft, and radiant. The 100% organic olive-oil based formulation works on the scientific premise that “like attracts like.” Applied with dry hands on your dry face, this rich olive oil-based cleanser binds with dirt and effortlessly breaks down sunscreen, sebum, and stubborn makeup, like waterproof mascara and eyeliner, without clogging your pores. Ingredients: This cleansing oil is made with just a few ingredients including organic extra virgin olive oil and is formulated without added fragrance, colorants, parabens and mineral oil. It has olive fruit oil sourced from Spain which is rich in antioxidants and maintains the skin’s moisture barrier and helps fight damage caused by free radicals without clogging pores. Vitamin E antioxidant of the olive oil, a skin conditioner, helps prevent the signs of premature aging by protecting skin against environmental pollution and free radicals and helps other beneficial ingredients absorb into the skin more efficiently. This deep cleansing oil is gentle and suitable for all skin types, as it hydrates dry skin and balances oily skin. How to use: With dry hands, I massage this oil onto my dry face and only add water when I am ready to rinse. Adding water immediately transforms the oil into a milky, vitamin-rich emulsion which I then rinse off. The water-soluble formula rinses away with zero oily residues. Its silky texture, natural rosemary aroma makes washing my face feel like a luxurious spa experience. My opinion: DHC Deep Cleansing Oil completely dissolves all traces of dirt and cosmetics, even waterproof mascara and eyeliner. The consistency is quite thick and luxe but it still washes off easily and leaves my skin clean, hydrated, and well-nourished. I use it in the morning as well. It is great for removing excess oil, and impurities such as sebum that build on your face while you are sleeping. My skin feels soothed, refreshed, and balanced after using this oil. Conclusion: A huge skincare myth is that oil is bad for your skin. Using refined oil cleansers like this on your skin signals to your skin to keep an optimal pH and sebum balance. I have been using it for many years on my acne-prone skin and it’s just the best, most effective cleanser I’ve ever used. It is hands down the best product in the world for removing every bit of makeup, including heavy foundation and waterproof mascara gently, so your skin is left hydrated. One try is all you need to see why it is a cult favorite! Price: 2,724 JPY tax included 2,376 JPY tax included (12% off) until Aug 5th Buy it here: https://www.dhc.co.jp/en/goods/goodsdetail.jsp?gCode=300 Vivalahighstreet 2. DHC Mild Soap In the second step of the Japanese double cleanse regimen (after oil-based cleanser), I clean my face with DHC Mild Soap. DHC Mild Soap is made using traditional soap-making techniques by highly experienced craftspeople. And would you believe me if I told you that it takes them a month to make these soaps! This translucent soap is enriched with naturally hydrating honey and organic extra virgin olive oil and foams into a rich, creamy lather to gently and thoroughly cleanse skin while preserving its natural moisture balance. Ingredients: This facial soap is made with organic olive oil that is rich in antioxidants, maintains the skin’s moisture barrier, and helps fight free radical damage without clogging pores. It also has natural honey that nourishes and moisturizes the skin. It does not have any added fragrance, colorants, or parabens. That is why, it is ideal for all skin types, including sensitive and dry skin. My opinion: This facial soap thoroughly cleanses my skin while maintaining my skin’s essential moisture and pH. Its rich creamy lather eliminates impurities while natural ingredients keep my skin moisturized. It provides antioxidant protection and fights free radical damage that can accelerate signs of aging. My skin feels fresh and healthy after using this soap. It cleanses without stripping the skin, so it does not cause any breakouts or other issues. It is very mild and leaves my skin soft and not tight or dry, but at the same time, removes all my make up easily. Conclusion: I highly recommend this soap! It is my favorite face soap by far! It gently cleanses while hydrating and revealing fresh skin when I use it with DHC Foaming Mesh. Price: 1,624 JPY tax included 1,419 JPY tax included (12% off) until Aug 5th Buy it here: https://www.dhc.co.jp/en/goods/goodsdetail.jsp?gCode=2 Vivalahighstreet Vivalahighstreet Pair with: DHC Foaming Mesh DHC Foaming Mesh is a cult-favorite skincare tool that lets you create handfuls of rich, creamy lather with a gathered structure which extends and abundantly takes in air. It creates a dense foam out of even the smallest amount of cleanser. It can be used with all DHC soaps and cleansing foams. How to use: I rinse my face with water. After that, I wet the mesh with water and wrap the DHC Mild Soap and rub to create lather. Then I hold the ring with one hand and squeeze out the lather with the other hand. And then I wash my face with the gentle and soft lather, instead of directly using soap on my face. My opinion: This mesh produces generous amounts of lather from just a small amount of product. My skin feels super soft whenever I use this, especially since the foam is much gentler on the skin. The foam this creates gets my skin cleaner and my pores smaller. Conclusion: This foaming net from DHC is perfect to use with any foaming cleanser and transforms a small amount of product into masses of bubbles. So simple yet effective! Price: 147 JPY tax included Buy it here: https://www.dhc.co.jp/en/goods/goodsdetail.jsp?gCode=22360 Vivalahighstreet 3. DHC Mild Lotion DHC Mild Lotion is step three of my Japanese cleansing-toning routine. A hydrating liquid lotion is considered an essential step in the traditional Japanese skincare routine, as it prepares your skin to get the maximum benefits from your moisturizer. DHC Mild Lotion intensively pre-moisturizes using an emollient-rich formula that hydrates, tones and refreshes the skin. Ingredients: This lotion has cucumber juice extract which helps calm the skin. It also has other plant-derived ingredients that soothe skin and mild irritation and protects the skin’s natural moisture barrier so your moisturizer goes that extra mile.This lotion’s formula is gentle and non-irritating; therefore, it is ideal for sensitive skin. It is fragrance-free, colorant-free, and paraben-free as well. It has a natural fruity smell and the glass bottle makes it feel so luxurious! How to use: After double cleansing my skin with oil and soap, and patting my face dry, I apply lotion to my skin with either my hands or cotton as its consistency is watery. My opinion: I love to use this toner/lotion after washing my face. It removes any traces of cleanser and prepares my skin for my moisturizer. This toner is very gentle, yet hydrating, as they have limited ingredients ideal for my sensitive, acne-prone skin. It feels light on my skin and absorbs very fast. The finish is not sticky, and it always leaves my skin softer. Conclusion: I would highly recommend this lotion as part of your facial maintenance routine. DHC Mild Lotion conditions your skin to help your moisturizer go that extra mile. It is a simple toner that does the job and it never fails to impress. Price: 3,667 JPY tax included 3,223 JPY tax included (12% off) until Aug 5th Buy it here: https://www.dhc.co.jp/en/goods/goodsdetail.jsp?gCode=5 Vivalahighstreet Vivalahighstreet 4. Moisturizer and Serum As the final step, I follow up on my cleansing-toning routine with moisturizing. I use DHC Olive Virgin Oil Crystal Skin Essence and follow it up with DHC Olive Virgin Oil Essential Cream. What do you think of these Japanese skincare steps? Let me know in the comments!