Sake
eye creams, sea kelp face 'sheets' and beauty mists made with fermented porridge
oats are the latest bizarre cosmetic trends to come from the Far
East
Sake, oats and fermented herbs are among new 'miracle'
ingredients
Powder cleansers that turn into creamy foam are huge
beauty trend
Masks made of coconut jelly or sea kelp are also big
trend in Asia
By Naomi Greenaway for MailOnline
Published: 11:20 GMT, 19 November 2014
| Updated: 11:20 GMT, 19 November 2014
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First came rice powder and snail slime. Now, a
new wave of Far Eastern beauty ingredients,
including fermented porridge oats and coconut
jelly, are set to appear on shelves.
Among them is PiteraTM, a compound created
during the sake (Japanese rice wine) fermentation process,
which was discovered after scientists noticed
that elderly brewery workers had extraordinarily soft, youthful
hands.
But the yeast compound, which has since been
snapped up by skincare brand SK-II, is far from the only
new 'wonder ingredient' to appear.
Sake, oats and fermented herbs are among new
'miracle' ingredients appearing in beauty products from the Far East
Other Far Eastern cosmetics crazes include powdered cleansers from Korea
that turn into a creamy foam
as
soon as they come into contact with water, serum sheet masks made with coconut
jelly or sea kelp,
and
fermented porridge oats and rice.
The new beauty mists, which are being marketed
in the UK and US by Glow Skincare, are also available with
other fermented herbs and flowers including chrysanthemum and dandelion
- said to help nourish and
moisturise the skin.
According to the brains behind the products, the fermentation process
intensifies the nutrient content.
It
helps to break down the ingredients, remove any toxins and absorb better into
the skin.
The
fermented ingredients also act a natural preservative, so no extra chemicals are
needed.
Botanical mists made with an array fermented
rice, oats, herbs and flowers (left) and serum sheet masks
made of sea kelp are both currently in vogue
in Korea
Jun-han Park, the CEO of Whamisa, an organic
fermentation cosmetic brand, has been working with
fermentation in skincare since 1992.
He
said: 'Fermentation is a metabolic process where carbohydrates and sugars are
converted to
skin-loving enzymes and amino acids via the growth of 'good'
microorganisms like lactobacillus.
'While extensive research on fermentation in
skincare is just starting, there are already studies that show
the bio-availability of skin care products are increased when fermented,
as ingredients are 'broken down'
into smaller, more easily absorbed molecules.
'Fermentation also helps to increase the nutrient density and
concentration of ingredients, by breaking down
the
molecular structure of ingredients - for example, wine has several times the
antioxidant content of grapes.
'It
also helps to preserve the effectiveness of active ingredients and allows for
formulas to use fewer
preservatives as fermentation removes 'bad bacteria'.
Left: Skincare brand SK-II have incorporated
PiteraTM into their luxury products Right: Cate Blanchett, 45, is the
brand's ambassador
Asian cosmetics companies, which have pioneered
high tech brightening ingredients and cleansing oils
along with snail slime, are famous for creating unusual new
products.
And
their efforts haven't gone unnoticed, with A-listers joining the ranks of Far
Eastern product fans,
among them SK-II ambassador, Cate Blanchett.
The
actress, 45, swears by the brand and says it is responsible for her 'radiant and
clear' complexion.
'My
skin has a radiance and clarity it didn't have 11 years ago, which is saying
something,' she explains.
'When I first started using SK-II, I was so overwhelmed by the positive
results it had – immediately, but then
over the years, long-term results - I've become quite evangelical about
it with my friends.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2830327/Sake-eye-creams-sea-kelp-face-sheets-beauty-mists-fermented-porridge-oats-latest-bizarre-cosmetic-trends-come-Far-East.html#ixzz4AsfoNDtB
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