MATERIAL DIFFERENCE

THE NEW GOLD STANDARD FOR CLEAN J-BEAUTY

Our line marries refined esthetics, time-honored natural ingredients and clean beauty practices to create a unique beauty ritual for glowing skin.

MAKANAI

Skin care with a material difference – one it owes to a surprising discovery at the ancient Yoshitaka gold leaf foundry in Kanazawa, Japan. There, some 100 years ago, highly skilled craftswomen would hammer 24K gold into micro-thin, impossibly delicate sheets of gold leaf, layering them with washi paper that they also created by hand using natural materials. The extreme heat and drying conditions in the foundry were far from ideal for the skin. Yet even the oldest of the artisans had beautifully soft, youthful looking hands...

KaESS Secret Recipe

Discovered by the Yoshitaka Gold Leaf Foundry workers, KaESS Complex is our major complexion-friendly problem solver that works wonders on multiple skin types and conditions.
As MAKANAI's backbone, its 3 primary ingredients* derived from the skin smoothing paste used to make washi gold leaf paper.

*Persimmons (Ka-ki), Egg Shell Membrane (E), Soybean Sterol (SS)

MAKANAI

Skin care with a material difference – one it owes to a surprising discovery at the ancient Yoshitaka gold leaf foundry in Kanazawa, Japan. There, some 100 years ago, highly skilled craftswomen would hammer 24K gold into micro-thin, impossibly delicate sheets of gold leaf, layering them with washi paper that they also created by hand using natural materials. The extreme heat and drying conditions in the foundry were far from ideal for the skin. Yet even the oldest of the artisans had beautifully soft, youthful looking hands...

KaESS Secret Recipe

Discovered by the Yoshitaka Gold Leaf Foundry workers, KaESS Complex is our major complexion-friendly problem solver that works wonders on multiple skin types and conditions.
As MAKANAI's backbone, its 3 primary ingredients* derived from the skin smoothing paste used to make washi gold leaf paper.

*Persimmons (Ka-ki), Egg Shell Membrane (E), Soybean Sterol (SS)

GOLDEN BEGINNINGS

Makanai was born in 2004 as a tribute to the century-old tradition of goldbeaters manually making gold leaves at its predecessor company, Yoshitaka Gold-Ieaf Foundry.
The gold foundry was established in 1899 in Kanazawa, the central part of the mainland of Japan. Women who worked in Yoshitaka were exposed to harsh working conditions such as intense heat, extreme dryness and minimal ventilation while making gold leaves by laboriously pounding solid gold that are interleaved between layers of paper into microscopically-thin 1/10,000 millimeter sheets.

THE DISCOVERY

Working conditions there at the foundry were harsh for the skilled gold leaf artisans-all women-because of the extreme heat and dryness. Yet, even elderly workers had surprisingly soft and beautiful hands that looked years younger than their faces. Why?
They discovered that submerging their hands into a natural fermented paste-used for making the washi paper to place between sheets of gold leaf- was the reason. Plus their hands were constantly touching gold!

HANDMADE SKINCARE

The Yoshitaka foundry ladies began to make their own skincare products with the materials at hand. As a result, their skin became more radiant and beautiful.

This secret knowledge was passed on from mother to daughter, from generation to generation. After a hundred years of trial and error, our secret skincare recipe was born.

GOLDEN BEGINNINGS

Makanai was born in 2004 as a tribute to the century-old tradition of goldbeaters manually making gold leaves at its predecessor company, Yoshitaka Gold-Ieaf Foundry.
The gold foundry was established in 1899 in Kanazawa, the central part of the mainland of Japan. Women who worked in Yoshitaka were exposed to harsh working conditions such as intense heat, extreme dryness and minimal ventilation while making gold leaves by laboriously pounding solid gold that are interleaved between layers of paper into microscopically-thin 1/10,000 millimeter sheets.

THE DISCOVERY

Working conditions there at the foundry were harsh for the skilled gold leaf artisans-all women-because of the extreme heat and dryness. Yet, even elderly workers had surprisingly soft and beautiful hands that looked years younger than their faces. Why?
They discovered that submerging their hands into a natural fermented paste-used for making the washi paper to place between sheets of gold leaf- was the reason. Plus their hands were constantly touching gold!

HANDMADE SKINCARE

The Yoshitaka foundry ladies began to make their own skincare products with the materials at hand. As a result, their skin became more radiant and beautiful.

This secret knowledge was passed on from mother to daughter, from generation to generation. After a hundred years of trial and error, our secret skincare recipe was born.

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24 products

CLEAN CLEANSING <br>Morning ZenCLEAN CLEANSING <br>Morning Zen
CLEAN CLEANSING
Morning Zen
Sale price$35.00 USD
MOISTURIZING CLEAN FOAM <br>Morning ZenMOISTURIZING CLEAN FOAM <br>Morning Zen
Save $10.00
HAND-CRAFTED FACE SOAPHAND-CRAFTED FACE SOAP
HAND-CRAFTED FACE SOAP Sale price$30.00 USD Regular price$40.00 USD
SILKY RADIANT PURE LOTION TONER <br>Enlightening RainbowSILKY RADIANT PURE LOTION TONER <br>Enlightening Rainbow
PURE BOTANICAL CHARGE LOTION TONER <br>Morning ZenPURE BOTANICAL CHARGE LOTION TONER <br>Morning Zen
Sold out
SKIN JEWEL OIL SERUM <br> Enlightening RainbowSKIN JEWEL OIL SERUM <br> Enlightening Rainbow
KANAZAWA BEAUTY FACE CREAM <br>Morning ZenKANAZAWA BEAUTY FACE CREAM <br>Morning Zen
GOLDAYS 24K GOLD PERFECTOR SHEETGOLDAYS 24K GOLD PERFECTOR SHEET
GOLDAYS 24K GOLD PERFECTOR SHEET Sale priceFrom $25.00 USD
Save $5.00
24K Golden Couple24K Golden Couple
24K Golden Couple Sale price$70.00 USD Regular price$75.00 USD
HANDMADE PURE KONJAC SPONGEHANDMADE PURE KONJAC SPONGE
HANDMADE PURE KONJAC SPONGE Sale price$12.00 USD
GOLDAYS GOLD MAGIC GLOW BALMGOLDAYS GOLD MAGIC GLOW BALM
GOLDAYS GOLD MAGIC GLOW BALM Sale price$25.00 USD
THE GOLD LEAFER'S HAND MILK SOAP<br> Soothing FrankincenseTHE GOLD LEAFER'S HAND MILK SOAP<br> Soothing Frankincense
SECRET RECIPE HAND CREAMSECRET RECIPE HAND CREAM
SECRET RECIPE HAND CREAM Sale price$20.00 USD
Lovely Hands Duo<br>($55.00 VALUE)Lovely Hands Duo<br>($55.00 VALUE)
Lovely Hands Duo
($55.00 VALUE)
Sale price$49.00 USD
Save $10.00
SECRET RECIPE MINI HAND CREAM Gift Set <br> Tokyo Clear SkySECRET RECIPE MINI HAND CREAM Gift Set <br> Tokyo Clear Sky
SECRET RECIPE MINI HAND CREAM Gift Set
Tokyo Clear Sky
Sale price$40.00 USD Regular price$50.00 USD
24K Golden Couple Trial24K Golden Couple Trial
24K Golden Couple Trial Sale price$50.00 USD
Save $45.00
24K Golden Couple Trial Subscription24K Golden Couple Trial Subscription
24K Golden Couple Trial Subscription Sale price$25.00 USD Regular price$70.00 USD
GOLDAYS 24K GOLD MASKGOLDAYS 24K GOLD MASK
GOLDAYS 24K GOLD MASK Sale price$200.00 USD
Save $145.00
Glow Up 24k Zen TrioGlow Up 24k Zen Trio
Glow Up 24k Zen Trio Sale price$150.00 USD Regular price$295.00 USD
Cleansing,Toning & Exfoliation Trio<br>for dry skin <br>($92.00 VALUE)Cleansing,Toning & Exfoliation Trio<br>for dry skin <br>($92.00 VALUE)
Cleansing,Toning & Exfoliation Trio<br>for oily skin<br>($92.00)Cleansing,Toning & Exfoliation Trio<br>for oily skin<br>($92.00)
Poreless Purity Set<br> ($52.00 VALUE)Poreless Purity Set<br> ($52.00 VALUE)
Pearlescent Purity Set<br> ($52.00 VALUE)Pearlescent Purity Set<br> ($52.00 VALUE)
WASHI PAPER BODY SCRUB TOWELWASHI PAPER BODY SCRUB TOWEL
WASHI PAPER BODY SCRUB TOWEL Sale price$20.00 USD