Natural Skincare for Summer

When Takeshi Nobuhara was a child, he spent time foraging edible wild plants and mushrooms, a fairly common practice in his home country of Japan where food is seen as having medicinal properties. Today, he’s the founder of Shikohin, a natural skincare line that focuses on those same natural properties to restore balance within the skin.

“The inspiration to launch Shikohin stemmed from my childhood experiences with Kampo, a traditional Japanese herbal medicine system, and foraging for natural herbs with my father in Japan,” recalls Nobuhara. “Kannpo utilizes a combination of herbs, minerals, and other natural substances to restore balance and promote health within the body. This connection to traditional Japanese herbal medicines sparked the idea of creating a wellness brand that incorporates natural botanicals into unique skincare products.”

Shikohin actually translates to indulgence, which is what the line focuses on: the small things we love and the small gestures and habits that can provide pleasure in everyday life. “Slow beauty,” if you will. With that in mind, we asked Nobuhara about summer stress relief through skincare. Here, he shares his three-step process:

Embrace Japanese Wellness With the Shikohin Body Ritual

Taking care of your body and mind is essential—especially given the increased stress of recent years. The time you spend taking care of your body— releasing its tension and nourishing your skin—allows you to connect more deeply with your thoughts while also improving your outward appearance.

Looking at Japanese wellness practices, like onsen baths and shiatsu massage, shows us the importance of rituals to balance our bodies, minds, and nature. Inspired by the Japanese wisdom passed down over centuries, Shikohin develops wellness rituals and solutions to help you soothe stress, indulge, and nourish your entire body.

The Shikohin Body Ritual consists of four effective botanical solutions solutions you can integrate into your everyday life: Hemp & Rice Body Scrub, Enchanting Dry Body Oil, Instant Relief Roll-On, and Tsubo-Oshi Massage Tool. Used together, they create a daily ritual that will give you a new glow and leave you feeling refreshed and balanced.

Step One: Apply the Hemp & Rice Body Scrub
As you begin your Shikohin Body Ritual, you’ll take two spoonfuls of the Hemp & Rice Body Scrub and gently rub it onto your damp skin, taking special care to exfoliate all of your driest areas, like your elbows and knees. The scrub is enriched with exfoliating rice powder and hydrating hemp fiber, and along with effective botanical solutions isolate, it purifies your skin, leaving behind a thin, soothing layer of nourishing oils.

Step Two: Nourish Your Skin with the Enchanting Dry Body Oil
Follow the body scrub with fast-absorbing dry body oil, which offers a pleasant aroma and leaves your skin visibly luminous and restored. It contains hemp seed oil (cannabis sativa), calming Tahitian tamanu oil, antioxidant-rich effective botanical oil, and limonene terpene for purification.

Step Three: Us the Tsubo-Oshi Massage Tool to Ease Your Aches and Pains
After nourishing your skin, you’re ready to end your day with a relaxing massage. Use a reflexology zone chart (included with the massage tool) to find areas in your body that need extra attention, put massage cream on the zone, and then begin applying pressure with the Tsubo-Oshi.

The reusable pressure-point massage tool—made with waterproof, sustainable silicone— fits perfectly into your hand, and includes soft yet sturdy points to help stimulate tsubos (meridian points) with precision. It offers an experience akin to shiatsu, releasing your tight muscles, soothing your aches, and calming your mind.

Click here to learn more about Shikohin and purchase their products. Use code Takeshi15 to receive 15% off your order.

The Related Life is written and produced by the Related Life Editorial Team. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for the latest events, news, and announcements in your area, and tag us for a chance to be featured @therelatedlife and #therelatedlife.