BLACK PAINT Microbiome Skincare
BLACK PAINT was founded by Miyuki Maeda. Her life was turned upside-down when her baby daughter suffered from a gruelling condition. For unknown reasons, toxins were building up too quickly in her little body, faster than what her kidney could discharge. Excess toxins oozed through her skin, and her tiny body was covered in blueish rashes, crying in itch and pain.
The condition was diagnosed incurable. Effort was considered futile by every doctor. Seeing her baby suffer broke Miyuki’s heart. She spent every day in despair.
雨は、一人だけに降り注ぐわけではない。
Rain does not fall on one person alone.
空は、どんな人の上でも青いはず。
The sky is surely blue above everyone.
Miyuki’s motto taught her that misfortune happens to anyone, but everyone has a chance of redemption. Determined to grasp her own destiny, she searched for a cure from modern knowledge to ancient wisdom, across affluent countries to undeveloped tribes.
She saw light when she came across beneficial bacteria. Microbiome that lives symbiotically in our bodies are essential to our well-being. Inside our body, it breaks down nutrients and toxins and protects us against diseases. On our skin, it consumes impurities and balances our skin complexion. We should nourish it through organic ingredients and probiotics, and it brings us reciprocal benefits.
Empowered with knowledge on microbiome, Miyuki completely healed her daughter. With heartfelt gratitude, she wanted to give back to the society with her hard-won wisdom of microbiome’s benefit on health and beauty.
In the year 1998, she founded BLACK PAINT.
Early struggle
When BLACK PAINT introduced its products to the market in the 1990s, it clashed with the boom of sterilizers and additives. Medical mainstream opined bacteria as the undoubted culprit of disease. Manufacturing advancement made synthetic chemicals readily accessible. Practitioners asserted that any skin condition is healed by killing bacteria, while aestheticians think they can fix women’s exterior through chemicals. Beauty is no longer dependent on nature; mankind has seized control.
Marketing BLACK PAINT was swimming against the current. Deliberately prohibiting sterilizers was considered absurd. Using natural ingredients was seen as old-fashioned.
Underneath the mainstream, a hidden current
As usage of chemicals and additives became common, one began to realize that more and more users suffered from dry and sensitive skin. Manufacturers continuously came up with new formula to combat these skin conditions, but harsher chemicals and heavier dosage worked only temporarily. Many users felt that they became possessed, as withdrawal syndrome exacerbated their conditions.
What we thought as technology advancement, we enslaved ourselves
Chemicals are not natural; our skin treats them as aggression. Confronted, our skin succumbs to their coercion and changes temporarily. But it slowly develops drug resistance and therefore chemical skincare’s effect diminishes over time.
We were at our best since the beginning
Almost every newborn has perfect skin. The natural state we were born with is already the best. We are part of nature; we don’t develop drug resistance over natural ingredients. Through them, we ride on the power of nature to maintain and enhance our natural beauty. Unlike chemicals, the longer we use natural ingredients, the better the result.
Back to basics approach to skincare
Microorganisms living on our skin includes good (beneficial) bacteria and bad bacteria. Modern skincare emphasizes on sterilizer and synthetic preservatives, annihilating good bacteria together with the bad.
BLACK PAINT believes in nourishing instead of sterilizing.
That’s why our products are formulated to nourish the good bacteria, tipping their ratio over the bad ones.
To achieve this, Miyuki assembled from the best sources across the globe more than 100 types of premium plant essential oils, natural ingredients and minerals. Besides nourishing our microbiome, each ingredient alone brings direct beauty benefit.
Dedication to quality & perpetual improvement
Beyond ingredients, BLACK PAINT honed into its manufacturing process to improve the quality of its products. Every item is made by “shokunin” (職人), experienced craftsmen who honour their work with pride. The signature soaps are deliberately crafted using “cold process”, in which usage of heat is avoided to keep the heat-sensitive natural ingredient in their premium form. Without heating, each soap cost 3 months to “ripen/cure” but alongside the higher cost comes the quality and effectiveness.
With persistent effort to improve the products, BLACK PAINT achieved the 10th consecutive year of Grand Gold Medal of Monde Selection Award in 2019. This award is a globally renowned award run by International Institute for Quality Selections in Belgium, equivalent in difficulty to a 3-star Michelin accolade.
Winning the hearts of our customers
Because of its effectiveness, BLACK PAINT products earned a loyal following. Today, it has 30 over outlets in Japan locally and steadily expanding its influence overseas. It’s flagship store is located in the scenic Arashiyama (嵐山) in its founding city, Kyoto and it has become a “must-visit” place for tourist from all over the world.
