世論 What Japan Thinks

The cosmetics seller and make-up training school, naturaglacè, catchphrase “Dolce make-up by nature’s way”, recently conducted its own survey into one’s own make-up.

Demographics

Between the 26th of February and the 4th of March 2013 1,505 women completed a web-based questionnaire. Details on how the sample was gathered, or more detailed demographics was not presented.

Not being in the habit of wearing make-up, I cannot really comment too much on this poll, although I will note that from the women in Q5A, Haruka Ayase, Koyuki and Kaori Momoi have appeared together in an advert for SK-II skin care cosmetics.
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iShare recently took a look at stress and skin diseases.

Demographics

Between the 14th and 17th of October 2011 3,272 members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 72.8% of the sample were male, 1.3% in their teens, 8.9% in their twenties, 24.3% in their thirties, 33.2% in their forties, 25.7% in their fifties, and 6.5% in their sixties.

One reason for this survey was that November 12th was “Skin Day”; one way of reading 1112 is いいひふ, ii hifu, or good skin in English.

In the list of diseases in Q2 you might notice the absence of psoriasis, according to my local quack and his big book of diseases the most common reason for people in the west to visit the dermatologist. In white people the rate is about 2 in 100, but in oriental people it is closer to 2 in 10,000, thus it is well below the radar in Japan.

I used to get rough skin from stress, but I don’t these days. However, my ears go red some evenings for no discernable reason, so I tend to assume it might just be stress.
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The winter months are the driest months in Japan, causing many people problems with dry skin and brings a rise in the sales in humidifiers. To see what the average Japanese suffers from and how they cope, MyVoice looked at prevention of dry skin problems.

Demographics

Over the first five days of December 2008 15,073 members of the MyVoice internet community completed a private online questionnaire. 54% of the sample were female, 2% in their teens, 15% in their twenties, 36% in their thirties, 29% in their forties, and 18% aged fifty or older. Sadly, the answers were not broken down by sex.

I get really bad dry skin in Japan, although to what extent it is from the dry air, from aging, or just from taking more care now I’m married, I couldn’t say. My hands suffer the most, and the creams I use are just my wife’s left-overs!

I also have psoriasis on a couple of spots on my legs, but that doesn’t really count as dry skin. Interesting statistics about it is that it is the most common dematological complaint in most Western countries, but Japanese are 100 times less likely to suffer from it that us whities, although my excellent doctor says the reason is not known; it’s some combination of genetics, lack of sunlight, and being an island race that increases risk factors.

Although this survey does not look at the topic specifically, one of the most popular skin protection methods, from the effects of not just dryness, but also aging, in Japan is collagen drinks, collagen creams and collagen-rich foods. I always felt the effectiveness was overblown, so I was pleased to a story in the Japan Times saying it is indeed a waste of money! (Via Japan Probe).

Another rumour that seems to be doing the rounds is that young people should use cosmetics aimed at those in their fifties or so.
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