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By Valerie Monroe
If you’re interested in feeling happier about your appearance—especially as you age—you might like reading what she has to say about it. For more of her philosophical and practical advice, subscribe for free to How Not to F*ck Up Your Face at valeriemonroe.substack.com.
Can’t get enough Valerie Monroe? There’s more at https://valeriemonroe.substack.com.
A FEW MONTHS AGO I took the Tokyo Toilet Tour. A discreet way to describe a bout of norovirus? No, so much better than that!
Have you seen the Wim Wenders movie Perfect Days? It’s about a man (an intelligent, well-read man) whose job is cleaning public toilets in Tokyo. As the story follows his chores and routines, his fastidious work, we come to share the deep joy, satisfaction, and sorrow present in his ordinary life. I was thrilled at his profound appreciation of komorebi—the dancing shadow patterns created by sunlight shining through tree leaves—as he ate his lunch outside. I’m continuously awed by the trees in Japan; many have a presence, like you can feel them standing next to you. I recently discovered that the Shinto religion holds that spirits (kodama) inhabit trees that reach 100. So!
Anyway, about the movie. Not to be wildly hyperbolic, but I thought it was no less than a magnificent articulation of the meaning of life. Naturally, when a friend mentioned a tour was available of the public toilets featured in the film, I was all over it. For a quick explanation of how the movie came about, read this. The toilets were every bit as architecturally interesting as I thought they’d be, the spaces safe, comfortable, well-lit, meticulously clean. Also, user-friendly: One even features doors that open when you say, “Hi, Toilet!”
Your devoted correspondent enjoying the komorebi Perfect Days experience at one of the movie’s filming locations. / Photo by Jacqui Andall.
I spent my last week in Japan before heading back to the US walking around Tokyo greeting toilets and trees. Something about that feels exactly right.
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Q: I’ve always loved a steam room; my current health club doesn’t have one, so I bought a mini facial steamer to incorporate into my skincare regimen. To my dismay, the instructions say you must use distilled water, because tap water has minerals. In my opinion, that’s ridiculous, so I tried the steamer last night with tap water. Why would they recommend distilled water? Also, is steaming good for the skin (other than feeling good for me in a dry climate)?
A: I also love the way my skin feels and looks when I get out of a steam room. I especially loved how it looked after spending 24 hours in and out of a Japanese onsen (hot spring).
But HNTFUYF DermDiva Heidi Waldorf, M.D. has a few cautionary words about using your device. Four, to be exact: Stop steaming your face.
Why? “Steaming increases moisture evaporation, which means everything you apply to your face after a steam penetrates more deeply while the skin is losing moisture, which is a perfect set-up for irritation,” she said. You could apply lots of moisturizer, of course, but you’re only replacing what you’ve just steamed out. So it’s maybe not the best treatment for your complexion in a dry climate.
As for the annoying instructions about using distilled water, that’s not a health issue; it’s a mechanical one, said Waldorf. Hard water leaves residue in the steamer and may disrupt its function by clogging it. NB: The steamer is different from a neti pot and a nasal rinser—for which either distilled, sterile, or saline water is medically critical. In that case, the water is going into an enclosed space (your nasal passages) prone to bacterial growth, which can spread beyond the sinuses to bone and even the brain. So save the distilled water for your neti pot and quit the steaming.
Q: I purchased my Embryolisse in Paris and now I see that Amazon carries it and I’m concerned it’s counterfeit. I was alerted a while ago that a supplement I was taking was counterfeit. Scary! How is one to know? Simply not order from them?
A: As my granddaughter, M, says, “There’s good news and there’s good news! And bad news.”
First, the good news: You can order your favorite lotion or cream directly from the Embryolisse website in the US; no need for Amazon.
The other good news: The cream isn’t crazy expensive.
The bad news, delivered compassionately by Waldorf: Unfortunately, unless a product is sold by either the manufacturer or an authorized distributor, you have no way of knowing if it’s the real deal. For topicals, that’s generally not dangerous—just a waste of money. (Waldorf does buy hair products on Amazon.) If you’ve previously bought a product from the same source, it’s easier to spot an obvious fake. Waldorf says she has returned products that arrive unsealed or unboxed. And she points out another reason to buy straight from the source: How the product is stored/handled to avoid spoilage or inactivation from extreme temperatures or ultraviolet exposure is more reliable. There are some good suggestions for shopping on Amazon here.
