Although sake is best known as the national alcoholic beverage of Japan, it also has a long history in skincare and beauty. Sake aka “Nihonshu” (fermented beverage made from rice) production is estimated to have begun around 300 AD. Over the years, sake caught the attention of Japanese scientists as a potent skincare ingredient.
The sake-making process usually involves inoculating steamed rice with a fungus called koji. The koji releases enzymes that break down rice starch into sugar, and when yeast is added, the sugars are converted into alcohol. After 27 days of fermentation, the fermented rice mash is pressed and the sake is drawn off. The solid mash that remains after the sake has been drawn off is what's known as sake kasu or sake lees.
Fermented rice water contains vitamin E, antioxidants, and ferulic acid that help tone, tighten and brighten your complexion. It is rich in Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin6, Niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin E, amino acids, and fatty acids.
Ferulic acid – a powerful antioxidant that neutralizes free radical damage on your skin and ethyl α-d-glucoside which promotes skin cell regeneration and has anti-inflammatory properties.
Sake can provide many positive benefits for your skin, such as evening your complexion’s appearance, gentle cleansing, reducing the blemishes of sun and age spots, helping to minimize signs of aging by lessening free radicals, brighter and tighter skin, and helping to soothe the inflammation from eczema and acne.
Skincare products that contain sake are excellent for acne and they help to tightens your pores. Acting as a natural astringent, it can help reduce inflammation and redness of severe acne as well as reduce appearance and size of pores.
Shop our sake products in the list below.
