The clay soap from Hakutsuru, a 280 year old sake brewery in Kobe is a cleansing bar soap made with Daiginjo sake (sake kasu) and clay. Sake lees or sake kasu is a byproduct from the sake making process. Different from the rice wine itself, sake lees is the leftover material that is packed with protein, fiber, and vitamins but usually gets less attention than its liquid counterpart. Sake production usually begins by fermenting rice with the fungus koji. Koji releases enzymes that break down the rice starch into sugar, and with the help of yeast, the rice sugars are converted into alcohol within roughly 4 weeks. At the end, the fermentedmixture or moromi is pressed out to extract the liquid sake portion, and the remaining solid residue is known as sake lees. Although sake lees can be discarded, the Japanese mottainai culture encourages not wasting the precious gifts of nature, the end result is a range of soaps created by the brewery.The soap is aged for 60 days and the clay absorbs impurities while the sake moisturises.
Key Ingredients:
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Junami Daiginjo: Premium sake made of pure rice. This ingredient hydrates and brightens the skin, helps prevent acne, and is rich in anti-aging amino acids.
Benefits:
- Brightening - The Vitamin E, arbutin, and ferulic acid content found in sake kasu together work to combat hyperpigmentation and prevent the formation of age spots, sun spots, and skin inflammation, which makes sake lees one of the popular ingredients for Japanese brightening products.
- Softening and soothing - Sake lees is the friend of sensitive skin.
- Rejuvenating - Sake lees is well-known for its powerful anti-aging benefits. Its high Vitamin B content is said to help accelerate skin cell turnover, rejuvenating the skin and slowing down premature aging. Antioxidant ferulic acid also helps to protect the skin from the damaging effects of free radicals, minimize the formation of fine lines and enhance the skin’s firmness.
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Moisturizing -Much like hyaluronic acid, the sugar compounds found in fermented rice act as emollients that increase skin cell water retention for plump and elastic skin. Linoleic acid also helps to fortify the skin barrier so that it can hold on to moisture and defend the skin from outside irritants.
Colorant-free, fragrance-free, paraben-free.
Weight | 100g
Origin | Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan
