When it comes to beauty products, I’m always looking for more than just results. I know, clear and glowing skin should be enough – but with so many products on the market, I tend to like brands that bring an extra dynamic. Chantecaille, for example, is an avid supporter of Wildlife Foundations. It’s an ultra-luxury beauty brand that doesn’t shy away from gold or hefty price tags. But, in the name of clean products and preserving nature of course! DamDam, a Japanese skincare brand, follows suit – though, in a very, very different way.
Helmed by duo Giselle Go and Phillip Terrien, DamDam is a skincare brand that fully embraces the Japanese ethos of skincare: slow beauty through ritualism, minimalism, and heritage ingredients. You’ll find ancestral ingredients such as Konnyaki and Frankincense which clean up the skin. There is also an emphasis on Mochi Hada, or “glass skin.” The products found within DamDam follow suit in this philosophy by making your skin plumped up and velvety smooth. Products forged from rice are also frequent in the brand.
But, as mentioned before, there’s another side to DamDam that piques my interest. When I received my first shipment from DamDam, I was surprised by packaging made out of beautifully woven straw. Inside, the products were safely placed within minimally-designed boxes; the kind that automatically put your mind at ease. The design and packaging, as I later found out, are more than just superficial beauty. They are rooted in supporting regenerative farming in Japan – a new frontier for the country.
J-Beauty Remains Undefeated
Courtesy of DamDam
You hear this all the time: J-Beauty and K-beauty are among the best in the beauty industry, somehow successful in using the powers of the mythical fountain of youth. As Japan’s leading clean skincare beauty brand, DamDam leans into natural products native to the country. Its Mochi Mochi Luminous Face Cream ($36 USD) utilizes the moisturizing properties in shiso leaves. The Japanese mint is packed with antioxidants and the results reflect its namesake: skin that looks soft, and plump with a matte satin finish.
On evenings when my skin feels (but most importantly, looks!) stressed or tired, I head to the face mask cabinet for help. And, when I find that a softer, less-intense mask is the most appropriate, I pick up my Skin Mud Pure Mask ($36 USD). I leave mine on for 15 to 20 minutes, though a quick 5 is all that’s needed to see and feel the effects of the mask. Its secret weapon is kaolin clay – a heritage ingredient that removes all the dead skin cells lingering around and rids of other impurities such as excess oil. Kiss your clogged pores goodbye! For full vanity, vitamin C is also involved in making your skin clean and bright.
Regenerative Farming: Japan’s New Frontier
Courtesy of DamDam
While DamDam boasts natural ingredients at its forefront, its dedication to them reaches a much deeper level. In Japan, 10% of farmlands are abandoned causing folks to leave rural areas and head to cities. Farmlands are protected in Japan, and many cannot be reused for another purpose without a steward. The results are stale and depleted lands.
DamDam has dedicated itself to replenishing both skin and these abandoned farms. In fact, the heritage ingredients mentioned earlier, Japanese Rice and Miso, are sourced from a young generation of farmers who utilize regenerative practices. The young farmers rehabilitate the soil and encourage biodiversity within crop species through a pesticide-free practice. “As a brand, it is important for us to support farmers who stay on and maintain stewardship of their ancestral land,” the duo tells The Quality Edit. “It is a circular relationship: we source our hero ingredients from them, allowing them to continue regenerative farming practices.”
Supporting Local Artisans
Courtesy of DamDam
When Japan’s borders were closed due to COVID precautions, Go and Terrien spent their time road-tripping throughout the countryside of Japan. Little did they know that they’d find a new shared love: the local artisans and craftsmen they met along the way. Similar to their deep passion for local farmers who are preserving ancestral traditions, artisans and craftsmen of all sorts struck the duo with inspiration and delight. Thus, DamDam Atelier was born.
DamDam Atelier is a curation of home goods and products made by local artisans in Japan. The platform features everything from collage art pieces to ceramics, incense, and more. One may find DamDam’s collaboration with Gyokusyodou – where artisans have been crafting incense for more than two hundred years – which are made of dried and powdered bark of the Lauraceae tree and perfume the air in floral and balsamic notes. Or even custom skincare pouches made in partnership with Teras. “The curation of DamDam Atelier collaborations is an expression of our love and passion for Japanese craftsmanship which speaks to the heart,” Terrien tells The Quality Edit. “We are naturally attracted by the handmade touch, the great sense and use of colors as well as the freedom in shapes.”
In Summary: Interconnected J-Beauty Products Prevail
It was a rainy day in Manhattan when I first tried DamDam’s skincare products. I opened the beautifully woven box that they were nestled in with delicacy and decided that the mud mask would be the first. To my delight, the soft textures of the mud mask rested on my tired (from travel) face and soon proved to boast immediate results when removed. Most importantly, the ingredients spoke for themselves, but perhaps I was even more elated knowing that DamDam stands for more than just beautiful, healthy skin. The brand champions tradition and the local artisans that come with it. Need I say more?
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When it comes to beauty products, I’m always looking for more than just results. I know, clear and glowing skin should be enough – but with so many products on the market, I tend to like brands that bring an extra dynamic. Chantecaille, for example, is an avid supporter of Wildlife Foundations. It’s an ultra-luxury beauty brand that doesn’t shy away from gold or hefty price tags. But, in the name of clean products and preserving nature of course! DamDam, a Japanese skincare brand, follows suit – though, in a very, very different way.
Helmed by duo Giselle Go and Phillip Terrien, DamDam is a skincare brand that fully embraces the Japanese ethos of skincare: slow beauty through ritualism, minimalism, and heritage ingredients. You’ll find ancestral ingredients such as Konnyaki and Frankincense which clean up the skin. There is also an emphasis on Mochi Hada, or “glass skin.” The products found within DamDam follow suit in this philosophy by making your skin plumped up and velvety smooth. Products forged from rice are also frequent in the brand.
But, as mentioned before, there’s another side to DamDam that piques my interest. When I received my first shipment from DamDam, I was surprised by packaging made out of beautifully woven straw. Inside, the products were safely placed within minimally-designed boxes; the kind that automatically put your mind at ease. The design and packaging, as I later found out, are more than just superficial beauty. They are rooted in supporting regenerative farming in Japan – a new frontier for the country.
J-Beauty Remains Undefeated
Courtesy of DamDam
You hear this all the time: J-Beauty and K-beauty are among the best in the beauty industry, somehow successful in using the powers of the mythical fountain of youth. As Japan’s leading clean skincare beauty brand, DamDam leans into natural products native to the country. Its Mochi Mochi Luminous Face Cream ($36 USD) utilizes the moisturizing properties in shiso leaves. The Japanese mint is packed with antioxidants and the results reflect its namesake: skin that looks soft, and plump with a matte satin finish.
On evenings when my skin feels (but most importantly, looks!) stressed or tired, I head to the face mask cabinet for help. And, when I find that a softer, less-intense mask is the most appropriate, I pick up my Skin Mud Pure Mask ($36 USD). I leave mine on for 15 to 20 minutes, though a quick 5 is all that’s needed to see and feel the effects of the mask. Its secret weapon is kaolin clay – a heritage ingredient that removes all the dead skin cells lingering around and rids of other impurities such as excess oil. Kiss your clogged pores goodbye! For full vanity, vitamin C is also involved in making your skin clean and bright.
Regenerative Farming: Japan’s New Frontier
Courtesy of DamDam
While DamDam boasts natural ingredients at its forefront, its dedication to them reaches a much deeper level. In Japan, 10% of farmlands are abandoned causing folks to leave rural areas and head to cities. Farmlands are protected in Japan, and many cannot be reused for another purpose without a steward. The results are stale and depleted lands.
DamDam has dedicated itself to replenishing both skin and these abandoned farms. In fact, the heritage ingredients mentioned earlier, Japanese Rice and Miso, are sourced from a young generation of farmers who utilize regenerative practices. The young farmers rehabilitate the soil and encourage biodiversity within crop species through a pesticide-free practice. “As a brand, it is important for us to support farmers who stay on and maintain stewardship of their ancestral land,” the duo tells The Quality Edit. “It is a circular relationship: we source our hero ingredients from them, allowing them to continue regenerative farming practices.”
Supporting Local Artisans
Courtesy of DamDam
When Japan’s borders were closed due to COVID precautions, Go and Terrien spent their time road-tripping throughout the countryside of Japan. Little did they know that they’d find a new shared love: the local artisans and craftsmen they met along the way. Similar to their deep passion for local farmers who are preserving ancestral traditions, artisans and craftsmen of all sorts struck the duo with inspiration and delight. Thus, DamDam Atelier was born.
DamDam Atelier is a curation of home goods and products made by local artisans in Japan. The platform features everything from collage art pieces to ceramics, incense, and more. One may find DamDam’s collaboration with Gyokusyodou – where artisans have been crafting incense for more than two hundred years – which are made of dried and powdered bark of the Lauraceae tree and perfume the air in floral and balsamic notes. Or even custom skincare pouches made in partnership with Teras. “The curation of DamDam Atelier collaborations is an expression of our love and passion for Japanese craftsmanship which speaks to the heart,” Terrien tells The Quality Edit. “We are naturally attracted by the handmade touch, the great sense and use of colors as well as the freedom in shapes.”
In Summary: Interconnected J-Beauty Products Prevail
It was a rainy day in Manhattan when I first tried DamDam’s skincare products. I opened the beautifully woven box that they were nestled in with delicacy and decided that the mud mask would be the first. To my delight, the soft textures of the mud mask rested on my tired (from travel) face and soon proved to boast immediate results when removed. Most importantly, the ingredients spoke for themselves, but perhaps I was even more elated knowing that DamDam stands for more than just beautiful, healthy skin. The brand champions tradition and the local artisans that come with it. Need I say more?
