You may have heard the saying that true beauty comes from within. If you apply this in a very literal sense, it is certainly one of the reasons why the Japanese people age so gracefully. Diet and lifestyle are known to be so very influential in determining your appearance that we can no longer afford to ignore the truth. The secret ingredients of Japanese skincare are based on these truths. Here's a look at some of the aspects of a 100% pure skincare regimen..

Face facts: as we grow older, our bodies get less efficient at getting the most out of what we put into them, i.e. food. It follows therefore that the more suitable our diet is to our age and health situation, the better our bodies will work.

The Japanese have cracked the code of what is best for us in the long run. Their favourite foods come from the source where all life originated; the ocean. Seafood of all kinds is rich in iodine, essential oils, vitamins and minerals, all of which are so necessary for our bodies to function at their best.

The Japanese daily diet will include food from the oceans in some form - vegetable matter like wakame (Japanese kelp) or fish and shellfish. Of these, the former has been found to have miraculous age-defying properties.

Wakame contains vitamins and minerals that maintain skin tone and elasticity, heal wounds quickly, and keep the body healthy in general, maintaining that inner glow that beautiful skin should have.

Then come the effects of the environment: the sun, wind and outside temperatures exact a lasting toll on fragile skin especially as we age. The Japanese complexion has long been admired not only for its long-lived smoothness and tone, but also for its lack of redness or skin irritations.

The Japanese have long believed in shielding their skins from the sun, and using healing lotions made from fruits and vegetables to moisturise it. This has long been a part of the japanese skincare routine.

Wakame is useful in this context as well. A natural substance called sulfated polyfucose is found in this and certain other types of algae. This substance provides protection from ultra-violet radiation, which can cause sunburn, lesions, itchy rashes, and skin cancer, as well as speed up skin degeneration. Extracts of wakame have proven benefits as sunblock when used in skin creams.

Wakame has one more amazing property that was discovered after researchers noticed that Oriental skin remains looking smooth and youthful till people were well into their old age. Extracts of wakame were found to have inhibiting effects on the action of an enzyme called hyaluronidase.

This enzyme normally destroys hyaluronic acid, which is a protein in skin that helps maintain skin tone. Over time, as levels of this acid start to fall, skin starts to sag and develop wrinkles. By using this amazing collagen elastin lotion, skin texture and firmness can be maintained. In fact, researchers have proven that the enzyme's efficacy is halved, thereby protecting your skin.