Japanese sake baths are the best new way to revive your skin

Japanese skincare treatments, from green tea facials to SK-II sheet masks, have become essential components of our weekly skincare routines, so naturally we’re very interested in the age-old Japanese skincare ritual that’s suddenly gained world-wide acclaim: The Sake Bath.

Pronounced "sah-keh" is a fermented rice wine, but as a result of fermentation, it produces some extremely effective anti-ageing agents: 20 different types of amino acids, kojic acid and loads of enzymes. These elements are well known for their ability to deeply hydrate and fade pigmentation — you’ll notice many of them feature in face serums due to their unique, youth-activating abilities.

Because pouring your own sake bath at home sounds a little sticky, and flying to Tokyo or New York for the in-spa experience may be a little exuberant, beauty and wellness brand Rue de Neiges is being credited industry-wide as the first major brand to incorporate sake into its Beauty Soap while 'Fresh' have incorporated sake into their bath products. Fresh have brought a sake bath soak to Sephora. It combines real peaches and 38% sake to increase circulation, and induce a 'purifying sweat' that eliminates toxins, in addition to reviving the skins surface with the acids and enzymes mentioned.

"For centuries, Japanese Geisha have used sake and rice to exfoliate the face, detoxify the body, and regenerate and smooth the skin," says Fresh Co-founder, Alina Roytberg. "To keep our bathing ritual authentic, we incorporated pure sake into this unbelievably detoxifying formula."

"We have long been fond of the Japanese sake master brewers- Toji who are famously known for having baby-soft, wrinkle free hands well into old age." says Rue de Neiges Co-founder Amy A. The main reason for this is because making sake involves working with koji (also known as kojic acid - cultivated mold that helps to ferment the rice), which is packed with enzymes and amino acids that help to moisturize and nourish skin" that is the reason we incorporated sake into our skin brightening  soap for its daily wellness and beauty benefits.  

Sake is rich in enzymes that gently exfoliate the top layer of the skin, without stripping the skin of moisture. The high concentration of amino acids and saccharides also help to smoothen out uneven skin texture, maintain elasticity and replenish the skin of nutrients. Most people in Japan think of the bathtub as washing away not only their sweat and dirt from the day but their fatigue too, so it is typically custom to take baths every night. Everyone can experience this part of the Japanese culture by dipping into a bath of Fresh's sake soak or by using Rue de Neiges beauty soap daily. 

If you’re willing to DIY it, Bougeoir recommends pouring two 75ml bottles of sake into a hot bath. If bathing in sake doesn’t quite sound like your thing, there’s evidence to suggest even just sipping on a glass of the potent beverage can have positive health benefits, such as lowering your risk of developing diabetes and osteoporosis.

See our product recommendations below

Fresh Rice Sake Bath Soak

RUE DE NEIGES BEAUTY SOAP

TAIWAN COOKING MICHIU