This is a series of posts originally published on Rakuten Gold's "Mirobina Selected Products Story" page, republishing the stories behind the creation and origins of our products for our official blog.
What kind of encounters and thoughts led to the creation of each product, and how did it end up being sold at Mirobina?
We hope you enjoy the "story of encounter and creation" that cannot be fully conveyed on the product page alone.
You can find the stories behind all 12 products here.
Each one has a story
Hello. This is Nonko, the store manager of Mirobina.
Mirobina carries original products that you can't buy anywhere else, as well as carefully selected natural items that you can also buy elsewhere.
Each of these products has a story behind its creation and sale, and we thought that sharing these stories would help convey our feelings, so we introduced them in our email newsletter.
Here, I'd like to share an excerpt from our email newsletter from that time, telling you about our first encounter with these products.
I would be happy if you could come to like Mirobina's products even just a little.
Also, the store name used is the old store name. Furthermore, the information may not be up-to-date. Please enjoy Mirobina's story of struggle.
To talk more about Beauty Sesame Oil
Ranked #1 on Rakuten for 49 weeks...
After its release, this "Beauty Sesame Oil" became a bestseller due to its remarkable skin-beautifying effects.”
I feel like I've written everything there is to say about this product, but today I'd like to take a slightly different approach.
Sesame oil ranks number one in skincare!?
In the world of aromatherapy, sesame oil was known to contain many nutrients essential for the skin and to have high skin-beautifying effects. However, I don't think it was very popular.
I've never seen or heard of sesame oil ranking so highly in skincare products on Rakuten Market, so this Beauty Sesame Oil, which is 100% just sesame oil, is quite something.
To remain at the top of the rankings for 49 weeks is truly an unprecedented and extraordinary feat.
Similar products that appear immediately
As is often the case, when this happens, a lot of similar products start appearing.
Yes, that's right, just like with the rosehip tincture, they plagiarized the page, using the exact same catchphrase we came up with, and yes, another copyright issue has arisen.
The severity is also accelerating.
This time it's even worse: they're selling a completely different grade of product, making it look like the same grade, at about half the price.
...As a killer whale (?), I simply cannot help but bite!!
The manufacturers, having gone through immense hardship to develop this oil—which is second only to their own lives—were naturally furious.
On Rakuten Market, eye-catching products are always targeted. But that doesn't mean I'm going to leave them alone.
Immediate response!
We immediately cooperated with the manufacturer, contacted their legal counsel, obtained the product for examination, and subjected it to ingredient analysis. It turned out that what was advertised as organic, unrefined, and raw oil was, of course, not organic.
After confirming that the oil was properly refined and gathering solid evidence, we requested that the page be modified, including copyright issues.
I'm sure some of you are thinking, "Did he really go that far!?", but yes, I hate cheating!!
We have a very strong attachment to our products.
If someone were to steal a product that the manufacturer has poured their sweat, blood, and tears into creating, while we are working just as hard to introduce it to everyone, I, Nonko the orca, absolutely cannot stay silent!
Is that a killer whale named Nonko?
Huh? What's an orca? Let me explain for those of you who are wondering.
Hmm, I'm often surprised myself, but people say things like, "Ms. Kikawa, you never get angry at children, do you?"
People often say things like, "You're laid-back," or "You're easygoing."
No way! I'm impatient, and my child can get so angry that people run away from him.
Her emotions are certainly not mild. ...I wonder if she's really hiding her fangs when she's out?!
Dolphins and orcas look gentle and playful, with a kind of "lulululul" sound.
They're usually docile, but in reality, they're quite ferocious. They'll even kill other animals in groups (eek!).
One day, the president of one of our client companies, who was well aware of this, said:
"Ms. Kikawa, you're just like Nonko the orca," someone finally said to me.
Since that day, I've believed I have an orca as my guardian spirit (just kidding).
Getting back to the topic, the characteristics of Beauty Sesame Oil are
It's made using a meticulously crafted process, with nothing added or taken away.
・Ingredients are completely organic
・No chemical processing is involved, neither at the raw material stage nor afterward.
- Completely cold-pressed at temperatures below 15℃ (pressed in its raw state)
- No further heating was performed afterward.
・It's unrefined, having only been filtered out of sesame husks and other impurities, so it's rich in beneficial components. Scientists were surprised to find that sesamin crystals could even form.
The sesame seeds are made with meticulous care to prevent any alteration of their components, such as by avoiding contact with metal during the process. This may sound simple, but in reality, it is extremely difficult, almost impossible.
Prevents mold and preserves raw oil.
It is virtually impossible to produce completely organic sesame oil in Japan.
Because Japan has a humid climate, sesame seeds grown here have a high moisture content. Sesame seeds with high moisture content are prone to mold growth even after being processed into oil.
Therefore, it is usually heated once to kill the mold spores.
Many oils are labeled as cold-pressed, but in the case of sesame, even if it's cold-pressed, if it's not heated at a high temperature afterward, mold will grow.
Therefore, sesame oil is usually cured, which involves heating it to about 70 degrees Celsius to sterilize it.
In the case of domestically produced sesame seedsMaking truly "raw" oil, rich in enzymes and without heating,Absolutely impossibleThat's right.
Organic imported sesame seeds?
In that case, why not import cheap organic sesame seeds from overseas?
I see, that makes sense.
However, no matter how organically grown and carefully cultivated the sesame seeds are, they are sprayed with disinfectants and fumigated before they arrive in Japan.
This is mandated by law, so there's no way to prevent it.
Therefore, it's no longer completely organic in terms of quality. Oh, what a shame...
Beauty sesame oil is organic and raw
However, in order to achieve the best results, I absolutely want to create an organic product using traditional methods that do not compromise the beneficial components of sesame seeds!
The manufacturer's dedication was incredible.
With that in mind, she searched all over the world, and finally, she visited Sri Lanka, a country with which she had no connections whatsoever, over and over again. Now, on her own farm, she cultivates local sesame varieties that are rich in sesamin.
We cultivated pristine, undeveloped land inhabited by elephants and cobras, and after many failures, we are finally able to harvest high-quality sesame seeds.
After that, my luggage disappeared in another country along the way, I almost got blocked by various legal barriers, and I nearly got scammed...
Even in situations where an ordinary woman would easily give up, she persevered and patiently worked hard solely to complete this oil.
I went to Sri Lanka to find that oil.
A chance encounter
Sri Lanka is a poor country famous for its tea.
That's about all I knew about Sri Lanka at the time.
Naturally, I never thought I'd ever go there in my life.
And yet, I ended up taking two seven-day trips... Life really is unpredictable.
The person who invited me on this trip was the female president of another business partner company.
She's very active, confident, intelligent, and fluent in English! To be honest, I kind of admired her (#^.^#)
And then she invited me, saying, "Why don't you come to Sri Lanka with me? I think you'll learn a lot!"
I was so happy that I immediately said OK without even asking what it was about! Looking back now, it was reckless... I followed along without knowing what was going on, and there I found myself surrounded by people from a sesame oil manufacturer.
That's when I first realized that this was a trip with them.
A trip to Sri Lanka is a battle against extremely spicy curry (!?)
Well, that was part of it, but the country was exhausted from a long civil war, there wasn't a single highway, and naturally, the roads were bumpy everywhere. It took 7 to 8 hours to get anywhere!
However, throughout the seven-day trip, I was deeply moved by seeing their farm, and then by seeing the factory where they use their secret manufacturing methods. I continued to be impressed by the passion and conviction of the people who established these methods.
After hearing various things about the effects of the oil, I returned home with a strong desire to definitely launch it.
From the developer's worries
The sesame oil was developed by a female CEO who previously suffered from severe acne that made her face bright red, and also had skin problems such as numerous blemishes due to excessive sun exposure in her youth.
Furthermore, I was also struggling with many mental health issues, and it was during that time that I learned about the calming and detoxifying effects of sesame oil, and its power to purify the mind and body, which led me to decide to develop this oil.
Incredible skin-beautifying power
During the trip, her skin was already completely free of pimples.
Like us, she strictly adheres to a non-chemical routine (and of course, no foundation), and her skin quality has improved through long-term sesame skincare.
However, there were still some remnants of my terrible acne, such as acne scars and craters, and I could see some blemishes here and there. But compared to before, it was a world of difference.
Sesame oil
Its ability to promote health has long been recognized, and it is considered the most important oil in Ayurveda in Sri Lanka and India.
Furthermore, it has a very high ability to promote the regeneration of pigmented and damaged skin; even dark spots on the back of your hand will quickly change if you apply sesame oil every day.
This product has made all the people at the manufacturer's company have beautiful hands (they used to have lots of blemishes from driving and farm work), and it was surprisingly effective on our staff member, Satoatsu!
And even now, every time I see the president, I'm amazed to see how his acne scars and blemishes are fading.
Lately, her skin and hair are truly radiant and beautiful. You can't tell she's getting older.
Oh, the more I write, the more stories there are about sesame oil!
It truly is a masterpiece among masterpieces.
Softens and loosens stiff skin.
A commitment to "raw" food that preserves nutrients.
With the power of live enzymes, it gently cares for old dead skin cells, refining your skin's texture with each use and leading to smooth, clear skin free from dark spots.
▼beauty sesame oilClick here for the product page.
New articles and seasonal care information are available on LINE.
New articles and seasonal care information are also available via LINE.
🌿 "The Story Behind Our Carefully Selected Products" (12 episodes)
*The following pages will be released sequentially.
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