Getting old but looking young in Japan...

There's a common Q & A here in Japan among new acquaintances that may surprise visitors.  It is quite common to ask someone upon first meeting them how old they are.  Then, regardless of the answer, the reaction will ALWAYS be, "You look so young!"  The first 100 times I got this reaction, I was really encouraged and felt that, well, I must really look young!  This was even more encouraging given the fact that Americans actually look quite old at any age compared to Japanese people.  But very gradually, I began to catch on that telling someone they look young is a popular compliment here and only withheld on rare occasions, so that I really dread the day when I don't hear it anymore.  Though the Japanese population is getting old, it's not going quietly or without a good fight.  Looking young is extremely important here in a way that Americans can't imagine.  Though we also want to look young, at some point, we can't pull it off anymore and give in.  We turn to maxims such as, "Women are like fine wine..."  But the Japanese really can look young for so long that it's shocking and totally unfair.  Of course, skin care products are extremely plentiful, popular, and over-priced.  One of my favorites is horse oil for the face.  And yes, I use it, since I really like horses and never get to ride them anymore (though I refuse to eat horse sushi since I'm pretty sure that requires the demise of a horse, while I'm not sure where horse oil comes from).  Of course, I would much rather be able to buy a $5 bottle of almond oil (for the skin, not for cooking) at the supermarket like I used to in America.  But I've never been able to find a product like that here.  Have you got an affordable alternative to horse oil?  Contact us at noah-digital.co.jp/english/ for help marketing to the gracefully aging population in Japan.