Japanese Products to keep you cool all summer long
lanning to visit Japan during the hot season?
Although summer is one of the most exciting times to visit with traditional summer festivals, stunning firework displays and tempting shopping sales to boot, the summer heat and swelter aren’t easy for the body to cope during the day.
It is – dare I say – more painful than any Australian summer day I have ever had to
deal with as it’s the unforgiving constant hot air that continues to blow every day that makes a simple short walk feel like a trek through the Sahara desert. Luckily, Japan releases some innovative smart products during the season that definitely needs to be in your summer essentials kit to make your daily life just a little more comfortable while eating copious amounts of ice cream in front of the AC full blast.
Here are some of my favourite must-haves for surviving a Japanese summer!
1. A DEODORANT THAT WORKS
t is often stated by many online and expat sources that “Japan has no deodorant.” But like with any urban legend, some tales are not always based on whole truths. Japan does have local deodorant brands often labeled as “Deo デオ” on the packaging. However, it is the strength that many complain about rather than its scarcity.
Japan’s deodorant range is usually small, limited in different scents and less in volume than its Western counterparts. However, one will have to come to embrace the sad fact that no antiperspirant will be able to make you stay dry on a humid moist day. If you forget to bring your trusted brand, I recommend trying the “Soft Stone Double Deodorant” as it is one of the better local antiperspirants in Japan that works well.
- Leaves no white marks.
- The green colour of the “Colour Control” version stick helps control any underarm skin dullness if you suffer from discoloured underarms.
Contains Alum stone, a natural ingredient that:
- Keeps odour-causing bacteria away
- Shrinks pores to control persistent perspiration
2. TRY A COOLING BODY SHEET
n addition to deodorant, it is also best to carry body sheets when you are out and about. Body sheets are basically body wipes with menthol added for an icy cool feeling.
The Happy Deo brand is my personal choice as they work great and leaves a nice scent behind after using it. Disney fans might recognise this brand as it comes in special summer edition Disney collab packaging for the season. This one here is the “Fruits Clear” scent version and it’s my favourite as it has a pleasant smell and is not
too overly sweet. Regardless of which brand you buy, all body sheet wills have the same overall effects.
BENEFITS
- Wipes away sweat more effectively on humid days
- Easy and convenient to use on the go
- Comes in a variety of scents
3. MAKEUP TO LAST
hen the heat melts all your hard work down your face, there’s got to be a solution for keeping your makeup from slipping and sliding.
Aside from waterproof formulas, the ANESSA Perfect Smooth Mist promises to set your face and extend your makeup wear time while moisturizing your skin using Super Hyaluronic Acid Complex. As the formula is a kind of liquid powder substance, it also acts like blotting paper to absorb oil and sebum during sweating for smoother skin. Just spray, pat and you’re done!
BENEFITS
- Does decently smudge/transfer proof makeup from wear and sweat for a few hours without touch-ups.
- No odor, white cast, or white marks when blended on the skin.
- You will need to pat the formula thoroughly into your skin to prevent white powder spots.
- Due to the milky formula and the bottle’s make, the spray comes out very “wet” and not a fine “mist.”
You can see the formula turns from wet to powdery when dry.
Patted and blended into the skin.
Eyebrow shadow is still intact!
4. ICE PUNCH COOLER: LOTTE HIYARON
ight fire with ice baby!
If you’re the type who likes using ice packs to fight the heat, these quick-to-cool packs don’t use ice but have water inside that activates the cooling agent when you hit the middle with force. It’s not only fun, but it’s very smart in design because it solves the issues that traditional ice packs have like melting too fast and becoming too wet that it becomes an inconvenience to put it in your bag. It works well if you are on the beach or doing outdoor activities too as it helps you cool down in heated
environments for longer.
BENEFITS
- The product will not get wet like an ice pack so it is easy to carry and put in your bag.
- Coldness lasts longer than an ice pack.
- The cold effect lasts for 40 minutes.
Extra Cool tips
- Hydrate yourself. Just like taking breaks, drink often especially beverages with electrolytes if you can.
- Eats lots of ice cream. Or challenge yourself to eat all the many kakigori shaved ice varieties. Any excuse will do, right?
- Drink beer. Seriously, Japanese beer is delicious and is the country’s most popular summer alcohol. Also, they have many varieties to explore should you want to try them all. As a serving tip: add ice cubes to make it even more chilled.
- Get a Japanese fan. It’s the summer accessory that’s made just for the season. There’s plenty of designs but if you don’t want to work for it, you can buy an electric hand fan.
- Minimize and waterproof your makeup routine. Ask yourself: do you need to put eyeshadow when you can just use a simple eyeliner? Do I need maximum coverage when I can go light and spot conceal? Think about how you can “free” your face and you won’t feel so frustrated and stressed to keep touching up.
