Adding Yakult to Your Beauty Routine?

Lockdown has forced me to look at most things differently including my beauty routine. With limits on how often I can leave my home, I’ve found myself being a little resourceful and scouring my kitchen for inspiration. In a fun twist of events, I have teamed up with Yakult to share three frankly great beauty treats you can whip up at home in the comfort of your home.

Adding Yakult to Your Beauty Routine?

You may well be familiar with Yakult, perhaps you rely on it daily for your wellness rituals? If not, Yakult is a fermented skimmed milk drink that contains at least 20 billion of their unique strain of bacteria discovered by scientist Dr Shirota in every little bottle. It’s quick, easy and pleasant tasting, you can of course drink it as intended, mix it into various recipes (find some inspiration here) or follow the lead of the Yakult Lady System and rustle up some at home beauty treats.

Adding Yakult to Your Beauty Routine?

Speaking of the Yakult Lady System, did you know the Yakult Lady system started in 1963 and the company currently employs over 80,000 Yakult Ladies worldwide, with more than 35,000 in Japan alone? The Yakult Lady performs an important role, delivering Yakult products door-to-door every day, from rural areas to high-rise buildings in the city, rather interestingly and impressively, more than 50% of Yakult products in Japan are distributed by Yakult Ladies. The Yakult Ladies can provide a wealth of information in regards to the many different Yakult products available in Japan, including here a few different skin-care lines using acid lactic bacteria for the skin. With that in mind, I have three quick and easy beauty recipes by Abigail James that you can try at home with Yakult!

Adding Yakult to Your Beauty Routine?
Adding Yakult to Your Beauty Routine?


Face Mask Recipe; think of this as a nourishing and deeply impressive mask as the combination of ingredients allow for it to hydrate and exfoliate the skin all at once:


Adding Yakult to Your Beauty Routine?

Restorative Face Mask
Hydrating, skin-restoring, antioxidant, exfoliating face mask: honey has many skin-healing properties, it is antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, coconut oil is a really nourishing oil and oats are soothing and calming, while black tea is packed with antioxidants.

Adding Yakult to Your Beauty Routine?

Ingredients- Honey - 1 teaspoon
- Coconut oil - 1 heaped teaspoon (sunflower or almond if you have blemish prone skin)
- Black or green tea - ½ the contents of a bag or ½ teaspoon of loose tea
- Oats - 3 tablespoons
- Yakult Original / Yakult Light - ¼ of a freshly opened bottle (alternatively, can be replaced with water or milk)

Method
1. Mix all the ingredients together (the coconut oil might need softening slightly before mixing), let the mixture stand for 5 – 15 minutes to allow the oats to soak.

2. Cleanse the face with your regular cleanser, then apply the mask using your finger-tips. Leave for 5 - 15 minutes.

3. Dampen with warm water to soften (over a sink), then massage gently over the whole face to gently exfoliate.

4. Remove thoroughly with a warm damp cloth. You may need to wipe over again with a clean cloth or damp cotton pads just to ensure any residue is removed.

5. Pat skin dry and apply your favourite serum and moisturiser.

Tip: the mixture can be put in the fridge before application for a cool face mask!


Adding Yakult to Your Beauty Routine?

Hair Rinse; smoother, glossier and all together more manageable hair is just a few minutes away...
Nourishing Hair Rinse
The vinegar lowers the pH of the scalp, and can help flatten hair follicles, and the oil will naturally nourish and hydrate the hair shaft and the scalp.

Ingredients- Sunflower / sesame / olive oil - 5 teaspoons
- Rice wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar / apple cider) - 1 tablespoon
- Yakult Original / Yakult Light – 1 freshly opened bottle (alternatively, can be replaced with water or milk)

MethodPlace all ingredients into a bowl and mix together.
Wash your hair with your normal shampoo, then apply the hair rinse to your hair and scalp, and massage down the ends. Take a few moments to massage your scalp in a firm slow shampooing action.
Wrap your hair in a towel and leave to absorb for 30 minutes (it can be left overnight if desired).
Rinse your hair with a tiny bit of shampoo then dry as normal.

Adding Yakult to Your Beauty Routine?
Adding Yakult to Your Beauty Routine?

Hand Foot Scrub ; are your poor hands feeling the effects of all the additional hand washing? If so this nifty scrub can have them (and your feet) feeling brand new again.

Energising Hand and Foot Scrub
Oats are immensely calming and hydrating for the skin, while adding a mild exfoliation, the rice adds a slightly firmer exfoliation, the ginger is uplifting and the oil is nourishing.

Ingredients- Rice - 2 tablespoons
- Oats - 2 tablespoons
- Ginger powder / grated ginger - 2 teaspoons
- Sunflower oil (or similar) - 4 tablespoons
-  Yakult Original / Yakult Light - ½ of a freshly opened bottle (alternatively, can be replaced with water or milk)

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients together, allow to stand for 5-10 minutes to soften the oats and rice.

For your hands – sit at a table and place a hand towel under your hands.
2. Take a tablespoon of the mixture from the bowl and rub between your palms, backs of your hands and around the wrists. Take 3 – 5 minutes to gently but thoroughly massage both hands, working down each finger and thumb, around each knuckle, including the nail beds. Use your thumbs to thoroughly massage into the palms of the opposite hand. Add more of the mixture if necessary.

3. Leave this on your hands for up to 15 minutes then rinse off.

Tip - You can cover your hands with a small recycled plastic bag or similar and a towel to let the mixture nourish your skin, while you take a moment to sit and relax.

You can use the same method for your feet - please do have a damp towel or a bowl of warm water ready to thoroughly rinse your feet so you don't slip walking with the mask on your feet.

Adding Yakult to Your Beauty Routine?

Don’t worry if you don’t have time to jot down the above recipes, I have shared all three over on my Instagram account (link) so you can save, share and recreate at your own pace.