Western beauty ideals have undeniably influenced Japanese culture, and as a result the Japanese beauty industry has turned out some strange contraptions.  Big eye contacts promise to enlarge your pupils for the appearance of wider eyes, collagen marshmallows are a tasty alternative to painful injections, and “F Cup Cookies” claim to significantly increase a woman’s bust.

Although these products may seem a little wacky, Japanese beauty trends have begun to make an appearance in Western society.  Here are a few innovations to watch for:

Fish Pedicure: If the thought of fish nibbling on your toes gives you the creeps, this spa procedure may not be for you.  In many of their beauty treatments, the Japanese look to nature to cure and treat the body.  In this case, dunking your feet in a pool of Gama Rufa (more commonly known as “doctor fish”) results in smooth skin.  But don’t worry.  Those who have braved the experience claim that the procedure is painless and the results are unparalleled.

Nightingale Dropping Face Cream: The idea of rubbing bird feces on one’s face doesn’t appeal to most, but consider the resulting “brightened skin” promised by the product “Uguisno No Fun”.  While Western society seems to prefer peels and rubs to remove skin, the Japanese aim to protect this top layer of skin through application of this product.  While you may not want to go as far as using bird poop in place of your nightly crème, this concept of protection is something to consider.

Sun Chlorella Supplements: Sun Chlorella is a superfood consisting of dried algae packed with vitamins, minerals and proteins.  It has been used for years and supposedly encourages cell renewal for healthy, beautiful skin, hair, and nails.  Considering how many Japanese women don’t seem to age, there may be something to be said about the power of algae.

The influence of Japanese beauty products will inevitably push our own Western culture to grow and innovate.  Now is the time to begin creating!

Myth 1: Rubbing lemon on your teeth makes them whiter without damaging them.
FALSE. The citric acid from lemons will make them whiter, but it also wears away the enamel. Don’t make this a habit!

Myth 2: Special shampoos can fix split ends.
FALSE. Special shampoos that rehydrate your hair will only work to prevent damage after you cut your split ends off.

Myth 3: Sunscreen is unnecessary on a cloudy day.
FALSE. Clouds are just made of water droplets. And just like you wouldn’t forget sunscreen coverage for playing in the pool, neither should you for an overcast day. UV rays are the problem-causing light frequency and can easily penetrate any amount of cloud cover. Cover up!

Myth 4: Eating chocolate causes breakouts.
FALSE. As long as you don’t overdo it, chocolate is part of a healthy diet. Diet plays a very distinct role in skin problems. The best way to promote a healthy complexion is to eat a diet rich with anti-oxidants, nutrients, Vitamin E and simple carbohydrates.

Myth 5: Wearing acrylic nails too often will destroy your real nails.
FALSE. They actually do a pretty good job of protecting your real nails. However, you can certainly do damage to your real nails if you try to get acrylic nails off improperly, like picking them off piece by piece. Treat your acrylic nails with the same respect you give your real nails, and everything will be fine.

Got any more beauty tips passed to you that turned out to be bunk? Let us know about them!

I came across a very interesting blog post the other day and have been transfixed about it since. The post was about single ingredient products and in particularly about an oil cleanser and moisturizer. The product is Jojoba Oil Cleansing & Moisturizing and I found it on Jack and Jill blog . Jojoba only contains oil and is used to clean and moisturize, well, any part of the body. You don’t just have to use for your face – plus, this product can be found in a number of health food stores and is very inexpensive. 

So, I thought since I have sensitive skin and it tends to be on the dry side that I would try this product out. I am always changing facial cleansers and moisturizers because they tend to work in the beginning then fizzle out.

This product works wonders on my face! I have to say that I love it, but only time will tell if it will be a long-term product. I can tell you how this amazing treatment works: first you apply liberal amounts to your face while slowly massaging your face. Then, apply a hot wash cloth to the face and let it cool. After that, just wipe with cloth and you have skin that doesn’t feel oily.

I will give a report about how the product is going in a couple of weeks. I want to make sure that simple oil product might replace all of the high-end, expensive beauty products that I use.