In May this year we launched our first ever Seasonals Line Moisturiser. Developed as part of our 7 Seasons concept, Japanese Citrus has been a roaring success, but now it’s time for a new Moisturiser on the block…..
Let us introduce our NEW Hinoki & Sake Moisturiser. With the Original Moisturiser at its core, it has been developed to relieve late summer and early Autumn (August to September) skin concerns, and to give sun-parched skin a hydrating wake-up call. Damage to our skin’s moisture barrier can lead to loss of elasticity, dryness, irritation and inflammation. This feather-light, fast-absorbing moisturiser helps to calm the skin, repair free radical damage, combat dryness and nurture the skin’s ability to retain moisture.
Blended with hinoki (the Japanese cypress tree native to central Japan) and sake (the traditional Japanese drink), its surprisingly evocative and earthy, lemony pine-needle scent makes it a moisturiser that male skin will love too. As with all our Moisturisers, Hinoki & Sake can be used on the face as well as the hands and body.
Why 7 Seasons?
Your skin is alive. Reborn 365 days of the year, it battles against the changing seasons. From the harsh cold and dry air, to intense heat and humidity, your skin goes through a lot. Our Seasonals Line harnesses the power of natural ingredients to maximise the seasonal support your skin requires. We have carefully selected and blended the most suitable ingredients and essential oils for each season, ensuring they benefit your skin and soul with each seasonal change.
In the late summer season, the rhythm of the skin is disturbed by UV rays, reducing its ability to retain water and leaving it susceptible to external stimuli. Exposure to strong UV rays disturbs the skin cells’ turnover rhythm, often leading to inner dryness due to the lack of moisture. In the early Autumn, the temperature fluctuates daily. Dryness becomes more noticeable and the skin’s ability to retain moisture can easily begin to deteriorate. Autumn is when skin fatigue caused by the summer season appears. Even if the skin’s outer surface is moisturised, the skin’s damaged ability to retain water often leads to inner dryness. Enhancing the skin’s ability to retain moisture will prevent instability between the inner and outer moisture balance of the skin.
Our Key Ingredients
So what targeted ingredients have we chosen for Hinoki & Sake, and why? Made from 98.5% naturally derived materials, it harnesses the power of Shonai Bijin sake, made by Watarai Honten in Yamagata Prefecture.
Skin-conditioning Rice Ferment Filtrate contains a large amount of the amino acids that make up the skin’s NMF (Natural Moisturising Factor), providing moisture and smoothing the skin. Moisturising Rice Germ Oil contains linoleic acid and gamma-Oryzanol, known for absorbing UV rays and suppressing melanin, which helps reduce redness and skin irritation.
Sugar Squalane is moisturising yet light and non-sticky, perfect for the late summer heat. Japanese Hinoki is said to suppress skin inflammation and support your skin’s health, and moisturising Yuzu Peel Oil is said to promote skin cell turnover.
And finally, calming Japanese Hinoki and Hiba Oil are blended with Citrus Iyo Peel Oil and Wild Mint Oil, creating refreshing top notes of lemon and orange, evolving into middle notes of Japanese summer citrus, finishing with the base note of calming and evocative Hinoki. It’s a totally new scent-sation.
The Power of Sake
Shonai Bijin is sake made by Watarai Honten in Yamagata Prefecture. Sake is made by fermenting rice with rice malt and natural yeast and contains a large amount of the amino acids that make up the NMF (Natural Moisturising Factor) of the skin, providing moisture and smoothing the skin. Rice germ oil is obtained by drawing the nutrition out of the rice germ, with only 500g produced from 50kg of brown rice.
Shonai Bijin is a traditional Japanese sake made from pure Shonai rice, and its’ Rice Ferment Filtrate contains significantly more Amino Acids than other rice. Harnessing the natural power of fermentation (rather than the ‘quick brewing’ method by adding lactic acid), Steamcream uses Shonai Bijin sake precisely because their ethos, craftsmanship and manufacturing method mirrors our own values.
The power of fermentation has been around for generations, so it’s no surprise that a well-known Japanese expression praises the beauty of sake makers’ hands.
