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!

We at beautyschool.com are so excited about Earth Day today! It seems this year is one of the first years that so many individuals and businesses are really taking the state of the environment seriously. To celebrate, we’d like to give a shout-out to some of the companies in the beauty industry that are making great strides toward a better Earth.

Aveda – Aveda has been well-known for its organic and eco-friendly products for years, and they keep finding new ways to help the planet.  Buy one of their organic Bulgarian lavender candles at Aveda.com, and know that 100% of the proceeds will benefit the Global Greengrants Fund for global clean water projects. Aveda is also making strides in their beauty schools, using eco-friendly education practices and teaching green philosophies to their students.

Cargo – Check out their PlantLove lipstick. This is the whole green package – literally! The lipstick tube is made of corn. The outer package is made of flower paper with real seeds embedded – you can actually plant them and grow flowers! And the lipstick itself is made without mineral oils or petroleums, so it’s environmentally safe.

Sephora.com  – They have an entire section of their online beauty product website devoted to organic and natural beauty brands. Check it out for easy online ordering.

When choosing eco-friendly beauty products, you may want to educate yourself on some of the terminology, because not all eco-statements are created equal. Here is some of the labeling used and what it actually means:

“100% Organic” – products made with entirely certified organic ingredients and methods. May also display USDA organic seal.

“Organic” – products with at least 95% organic ingredients can use this word in labeling. May also display USDA organic seal.

“Made with Organic Ingredients” – products with at least 70% organic ingredients. Cannot display USDA organic seal.

***In 2004, the USDA no longer monitored “organic” labelling on non-agricultural products, which includes cosmetics and hygienic products.