Since ancient times, sake has been said to give a glow to the skin and to have a whitening effect, although the mechanism has never been clarified. Now, thanks to recent advances in technology, that common belief is being unravelled!

In this article, we introduce the skin-brightening effects of sake. By incorporating sake into your daily life, you will surely be able to achieve beautiful skin.

Surprise! Sake's skin benefits

Sake, made by fermenting rice and rice malt, is rich in nutrients, some say as many as 700.

Many of these ingredients have positive effects on the skin.

For example, kojic acid, an ingredient produced during the fermentation process of koji, suppresses melanin production.

Sake also contains many ingredients that are good for the skin, such as ferulic acid, a type of polyphenol with antioxidant properties, and alpha-EG (alpha-ethyl glucoside), a collagen-building ingredient.

These ingredients suggest that sake has

• Improvement of freckles due to whitening effect
• Improved skin hydration due to moisturising effect
• Anti-ageing effect on wrinkles and sagging skin.

It has the effect of! That is why sake has long been used as a beauty essence.

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How to get skin benefits from sake? How to consume it effectively

Sake is highly effective for beauty, but how can it be consumed effectively? Here are some tips on what to look out for.

(i) Drink!

If you drink sake, you can of course expect the beauty benefits of sake. 'What? Some people may think that sake is bad for beauty...". This image is actually caused by "snacks". Oily or salty food that you tend to eat with alcohol can have a negative effect on your skin.

Of course you shouldn't drink too much, but in moderation, sake can do wonders for your skin!

The right amount is said to be between 180 ml and 360 ml per day. but it's best to try small amounts at first! The important thing is not to drink too much at once. It is also said to be easier to get the best results if you drink regularly, such as every 2~3 days.

Sake on an empty stomach makes it easier to get drunk, so drink it while containing soothing water.

(ii) Take a liquor bath.

Sake baths are a bathing method proposed in the late Showa period.

Just pour a couple of cups of sake into the bathtub, then bathe!

In one experiment, the body surface temperature was maintained at an average of 0.5-1°C higher after soaking in a sake bath, and the moisturising effect was also more significant than that of commercial bath salts, indicating a higher moisturising effect.

It has also been shown that kojic acid, a component of sake and its ingredient koji, reduces the production of melanin pigment, which is responsible for pigmentation in humans.

The very hot water for beautiful skin may refer to the sake baths...!

By the way, did you know that there is a special sake for sake baths!

This product is produced by the Tamagawa Sake Brewery in Uonuma City, Niigata Prefecture.

'Bathing sake exclusively for sake baths', Tamagawa Brewery.

This bath salt for sake baths contains five times more concentrated amino acids than regular sake. It is rich in amino acids, which are the building blocks of the horny layer of the skin, and can be expected to provide moist, smooth and beautiful skin, promote metabolism, relieve fatigue, retain heat and have a relaxation effect due to the subtle aroma of sake. Capacity 300 ml, approx. 1 time (1 bottle in 200 litres of hot water in a bathtub).

On the internet, it could be found on the Rakuten market. However, there was no mention of it on the official website, so it may be quite a rare item.

These were sold at the Ponshu-kan in JR Echigo-Yuzawa Station in Yuzawa, Niigata Prefecture. Incidentally, the Ponshu-kan in Yuzawa also has a sake bath facility, so if you have the chance, please go there.

Echigo Yuzawa Station | Ponshukan

(iii) Making sake lotion.

And what's more, you can easily make your own lotion with the sake you have at home!

What to prepare.

• 純米酒
• Purified water or mineral water
• glycerin

Place sake and purified water in a clean glass container or similar, add a few drops of glycerin or essential oil and you are ready to go.

It's so easy!

Aim for a 1:1 ratio of sake to purified water. Adjust the amount of sake to your taste and find your own best formula.

4) Use of sake skincare products.

Did you know that recently there has been an increase in the number of skincare products derived from sake? Since it became widely known that the ingredients in sake contain many beauty benefits, more and more companies have started to develop cosmetic products.

One way to do this might be to use these cosmetics.

まとめ

How was it?

Unlike distilled sake, sake is a fermented food, so to speak, produced by fermentation. The substances produced by fermentation have a positive effect on the body.

However, it is important to drink in moderation. Please be careful not to drink too much, no matter how much it is good for you, as it can be bad for you.