Beauty Tips

5 Biggest Beauty Lessons I Learned in Japan

You'll never find me skipping out on sunscreen again

by Christina Heiser | COMMENT

PHOTO 1/6

1. Sun Protection Is a Must Year-Round As a former beauty editor, I know how important wearing sunscreen is (according to the American Academy of Dermatology, skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the U.S.) but I'll admit that sometimes I can get a little lax with my application. Japan takes sun protection to a whole other level and it inspired me to commit to a year-round routine now that I'm back home in New York City.

For starters, sunscreens in Japan (like this one from Nivea that I picked up at a drugstore in Tokyo) have more advanced formulas than the ones in America. Sunscreen in the U.S. is considered an OTC drug, so it's regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). That means only a small number of UV-blocking ingredients are approved for use and the FDA takes a really long time to approve anything new. In Asia, they're able to use other ingredients that haven't been approved here yet, so their formulas are not only more effective (IMHO) but more cosmetically elegant as well (no stickiness, no breakouts).

Beyond sunscreen, people in Japan bring super stylish parasols with them for shade, shielding themselves from harmful UV rays. (Even men are getting in on the parasol game, according to The Japan Times.)

Image courtesy of Nivea

SEE NEXT PAGE: 2. Salmon Is a Skin Superfood

EDITORS' BEST OF

12 Best Acne Products for Your Clearest Skin Yet

11 Best Tinted Moisturizers for Easy, On-the-Go Coverage