“Some journeys bring you back to where you began.”
SAKEGLOW - OUR STORY
A search for something real
SAKEGLOW began simply — a handmade mask of sake kasu powder, arrowroot, and clay.
The ingredient came from Japan, but I didn't know which brewery it was from.
Something felt incomplete. There was no story I could hold onto.
So I kept searching...
In 2024, I closed the chapter.
I had chosen it without knowing why
Then, in late 2025, something shifted. A sudden clarity.
The sake kasu I had been drawn to all along
came from Watarai Honten — just an hour
from my mother's hometown of Shinjo.
This wasn't just a business decision.
It was a homecoming.
Ancient Wisdom, Explored by Modern Science
Sake kasu has long been part of Japanese beauty traditions. Master brewers, known as toji, have long been said to have remarkably smooth hands — often credited to their daily contact with sake and sake kasu.
Today, modern research is taking a closer look at this tradition. Professor Kenji Ozeki of Kanazawa Institute of Technology has studied α-EG, a naturally occurring compound found in sake.
His vision is to see greater recognition of α-EG overseas, with that interest eventually inspiring renewed appreciation in Japan.
His personal encouragement has been a meaningful part of my journey to share Japanese fermentation beauty with the world.
Generations of craftsmanship and soul
SAKEGLOW’s key fermentation ingredients come from Watarai Honten, a brewery with generations of craftsmanship and soul: KOHAKUYUKI, an extract made from the brewery’s aged sake lees, and SHONAI BIJIN, an alcohol-free extract made from its sake.
THE INGREDIENT
We believe that extraordinary skincare
begins with extraordinary ingredients.
Each of our key ingredients is chosen
with intention — rooted in Japan’s
traditions of rice and fermentation.
KOHAKUYUKI Aged Sake Lees Fermented Extract
Sake lees — the precious byproduct of
sake brewing — are aged for over 1,000 hours
at low temperature through a two-stage
fermentation process.
The result is KOHAKUYUKI, an amber-colored
extract that naturally contains:
- α-EG
- Amino acids
- Glucosylceramide
- Ferulic acid
In skincare, it helps moisturize
and condition the skin.
KOHAKUYUKI — COSMOS APPROVED Ingredient
KOHAKUYUKI is a COSMOS APPROVED sake lees extract developed by KOKEN CO., LTD. This approval applies to the raw ingredient, not to the finished YuBi Glow Serum.
SHONAI BIJIN Alcohol-Free Sake Extract
From the snow-covered plains of Yamagata
Prefecture, Watarai Honten — a 400-year-old
sake brewery — crafts Shonai Bijin, a sake
renowned for its exceptional amino acid content.
SAKEGLOW uses an extract of Shonai Bijin,
bringing the character of sake into skincare,
without the alcohol.
SQUEEZED RICE OIL Pure Japanese Rice Bran Oil
Rice bran has long been part of
Japanese beauty culture.
KOKEN CO., LTD.'s Squeezed Rice Oil
is a pure rice bran oil made from
Japan-grown rice and extracted
by cold-pressing.
It helps keep skin feeling soft,
supple and moisturized.
Coming soon in SAKEGLOW's
signature Beauty Oil.
These are not just ingredients.
They are the result of centuries of
craftsmanship, science, and a deep
respect for nature.
This is what SAKEGLOW is built on.