Customer Reviews

The Japanese Skincare Revolution: How to Have the Most Beautiful Skin of Your Life--At Any Age

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have been following Chizu Saeki's skincare for about 3-4 months now. I can honestly tell you that her skincare routine is not a bad one even though it takes up A LOT of your time in the morning and at night.

I can't say that all the time that you are going to spend massaging your face in front of the mirror is worth it, especially for young women. If you don't have wrinkles and stuff, you will not see much of a difference except that your skin is getting quite soft and a LITTLE BIT clearer. However, if you do have wrinkles, this skincare routine might benefit you in some extent. From my experience, most of the fine lines will fade away, just not the deep wrinkles but then again those may need more than just 3-4 months of massage and stuff.

As one of the reviews mentioned before, her skincare routine is not cheap. You need to invest in more stuff than what you saw on the first few pages. The total investment can add up to hundreds of dollars if you are not that into drugstore products.

Also, please take note of the lotion Chizu Saeki used to make her lotion mask. It is not the normal lotion we would think of. This lotion is something like a toner but not quite. If you want to see how her "lotion" looks like, just go to Nars counter and ask to see their hydrating lotion(which is what Chizu Saeki mentioned in her book) or go to Shiseido counter and ask to see their softner (which might be referred to as toner sometimes).

I cannot say enough how much I love this book... easy, nurturing and women-positive suggestions. Not caddy and shallow like many "skin help" books. Advice is easy to follow and straight-forward. I will say however, that what is referred to as "lotion" is really what American's think of as "toner." However, when selecting one to use for the all-important "lotion mask," which I do twice a day you only need a HYDRATING Toner. I use Avalon Organic's Lavender Hydrating Toner for my combo/normal skin. It is AMAZING! Takes out your blackheads while hydrating and refreshing your skin... my ruddiness at the bottom of my cheeks is gone! B/c of the twice daily massages and addition of an Aveeno syrum and sunblock to my regime my 30-something skin looks FLAWLESS! Just don't feel pressure to buy expensive products any relatively natural or organic drugstore brands will do! Finally, I didn't want to buy the big sheets of cotton so I order Cotton Clouds that I wet and add toner to and then separate into thin pieces and lay allover my face like a puzzle for the 3 min lotion mask.

When I learned Saeki san had finally written a book for English language audiences, I ordered it immediately, knowing it would contain valuable wisdom and well-tested skin care secrets most Japanese women already know well. Saeki san is a beauty goddess in Japan (perhaps internationally in beauty-fashion circles). I've known of her for years, being a former Tokyo resident. She is featured on Japanese television and in fashion magazines all the time, and is highly regarded as a beauty expert by women of all ages. I'm finding her book so impressive, honest, and intelligent. She is a true advocate of taking good care of one's skin and overall health, and treating it like you would a precious, fragile gift. This book provides basic techniques and good habits to practice daily for taking care of one's skin, using one's own hands and intent to achieve positive results, no matter what products are used. She does not have a line of beauty creams to sell -- any will work well, along with her instructions. I really like this about Saeki san. For me it adds to her credibility. I am following her advice, with excellent results so far. She is so sincere about taking personal responsibility regarding skincare health and overall well being. At last, I am able to consider her my beauty coach and mentor, just as my friends and colleagues in Japan do.

I just got back from a trip to Tokyo. I was so taken aback by the skin of Japanese women. It seemed unreal for these women to have such flawless complexion. Besides Japan being an awesome place in so many ways, I was truly curious as to why they have such great skin. I returned home and started doing my research. Well the diet makes a hella of a difference ofcourse. I realized that they are committed to beauty, not the obsessive kind really but just enhancing what they already have. I am a vegetarian who tries to practice rasatafarian eating habits so it was not that hard for me to ease myself into certain little remedies they employ, u know the vegetables and fruits we tend to not have enough of and the herbal remedies we ignore. I came upon this book and did not waste a beat to order it. Although the routine may seem too much for some people, I took from this book that I really have not been taking care of myself. I have noticed SUCH a huge difference, it is amazing. I def.. recommend this book.. def!! You will be happy you did once you starting getting compliments such as "you're glowing today".

If you want more information on skin treatments, using your hands to heal your face, "skin fasting," and treatments for specific types of acne, I very highly recommend this book. It's one of THE best books I've read on skincare -- her take on the skin is refreshing and positive, and she provides a wide variety of specific solutions that are really easy and effective. I love her writing style and her outlook, and whether you have an issue with breakouts, sagging, oily skin, dry skin, you name it, she has a solution for it.

I have been using some of her techniques for 2 years without knowing it (such as skin fasting, using serums and hot towels), and once I recognized them in her book I have refined them according to her descriptions. I've also added her cotton lotion mask to my routine, and incorporated her philosophy of genuinely showing love and attention to your skin on a daily basis. You can see a picture of my skin on my profile page or on my website, EpicBeautyGuide {dot} com, which is definitely a result of healthy eating, and using natural, organic skin care products with Chizu Saeki's techniques.

~Stephanie
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P.S. I've seen a few people mention that the lotion mask uses up a lot of product, but I suggest reading the technique more carefully and even watching the sample video Amazon provides -- you really don't use much product, and you can also re-use the cotton pads on your neck, so you get 2 masks in one.

I'm 28 years old and have had reconstructive surgery on my face several years ago. My cheeks are/were still swollen and look like I have tons of restalayne/juvederm injections. Also, I was getting rosacea on my cheeks and under eye wrinkles and crepiness.

I've been following Chizu Saeki's methods for a month now and I see definite improvement. First, I ditched my glycolic cleanser for Rice Bran and immediately the rosacea (or chemical burn?) disappeared. I have blackheads on my nose and cheeks and the lotion mask is AMAZING at helping with blackheads. Not just for a few minutes after washing my face, but all day. I'm not using any harsh glycolic acid exfoliators and my skin looks like it has been exfoliated after the lotion mask.

As far as the swelling in my cheeks...after the second day of doing massages my parents were like "You DO look better!" 2nd day!!! I still have swelling but there is definite improvement. (Also if I do everything she says during a hot bath I do look 10 years younger and less puffed up!)

Now here's something that happened, after doing the undereye wrinkle massage my eyes swelled up and turned red...I did less massages and now I look fine...and the wrinkles and crepiness are gone. (Also my goal with the massages is to get rid of that crease in my cheek between like the lower cheek and upper cheek..I'm far to young to have that! So far so good.)

Furthermore, I haven't even added back into my skin routine serum or moisturizer (still going through products to make sure I don't have any rosacea redness attacks)....so you know that every single improvement is because of the massage and lotion mask.

I am impressed and I think Chizu Saeki's ideas on beauty are empowering---beauty is in your hands not in some magic bottle!

I am a bit disappointed with this book. I read it in one day (it's an easy read) and although it has some good tips, I don't think it's a "revolution" as the title suggests. She endorses companies like Clinique, Estee Lauder, and NARSskin. These products are not natural and some are crazy expensive. Her main focus in this book is face massages and lotion masks, and though they may be beneficial, they also take a lot of time. She suggests "3 minutes" for this miracle lotion mask procedure, but it takes a lot longer. Unfortunately I would not recommend this book.

This book is an easy read and pretty straightforward. I was concerned with how long the routine would take based on earlier reviews I read before I purchased this book.
Once placed into practice the exercises that applied to me it was a simple matter of knowing what to do before you actually do it and applying the motions as you go about your normal routine.
Her message is very simple and this can help you with any skin type so I like that. I don't want to give the book away but it's a very obvious necessity many women neglect or abuse/misuse.

Now, I like that she addresses that but I was left craving to know more substantial things like sunblock, treating spots/stains, effects of using hair removal products, or any other skincare/beauty related topic that might alter the results of her routine.

I'd still recommend this book to others.

Chizu Saeki's book is encouraging for women of any age, with any condition of skin. She clearly explains why her techniques work, and how to choose products that are right for your skin. I have not been doing everything in the book -I've only done the lotion mask a few times, and I haven't done the lymph or water massages yet, but I have been cleansing my face and applying products in the way she recommends. I have noticed significant improvement in my skin texture and tone. I have had a little trouble finding an appropriate lotion for the lotion mask, but I look forward to doing it more often when I find the right product. The way she writes about skin care makes me take a new approach to my skin. I actually am taking pleasure in the process, and I hope to continue to cherish my skin and myself. Gently inspiring, in a very "Japanese" way.

Why was I never told how to properly take care of my skin? I was told to wash and scrub: clean, clean, clean! I was given all kinds of facial products with scrubbing elements, with tingling sensations, with perfumes and dyes and promises given by beauty advertisments or dermotologists, all who had something to gain whether I was cured of my acne or not with the same result: working at first for only awhile and then the the ugly return of acne.
After reading this book, I have sworn off beauty products and dermotologists. This book has helped me understand the operational basics on my skin sans products.
The beauty industry doesn't really want to cure any issue you may have, they want to ensure you come back and buy again. F them. I can't tell you how much money I have spent not to mention my parent's money. I have tried everything from Acutane,anti-biotics, minor skin procedures, to Pro-active. But this book with a little patience while my skin got back to normal, and the absense of LEAVE-IN HAIR PRODUCTS has done the trick.The lesson learned here: When you skin is breaking out and irratated, stop stop stop what you are doing to it. You're doing it wrong, so stop. Give you skin a break from all the poking and proding and chemicals. AND READ THIS BOOK!
Now, I'm 44 (I read the book 1.5 year ago) with clear skin, not to mention it's tighter, smoother and brighter. And that's with no special topical or oral medication or fancy creams but 90% from mechanics and operational handling. Please understand your face will go into the typical ups and downs when healing. But the "stair step" graph of improvement goes up! I like to analogize this to losing weight slowly. It is the best way for long term and perminent results. PATIENCE and understanding along with time has healed my skin. CHIZU THANK YOU!