Yojiya Aburatorigami - Oil Blotting Sheets from Yojiya of Kyoto

Founded in 1904, Yojiya is a famous Kyoto cosmetic company selling facial products. Early in the 20th century, Yojiya first introduced their fine oil-blotting facial paper (Aburatorigami) in Kyoto, Japan. The historic city of Kyoto is known for its beauty, culture, and beautiful women artists such as geisha, geiko and maiko. For nearly a century, these women of Kyoto have used Yojiya’s “Aburatorigami” to create a porcelain finish with their make-up by gently blotting excess oil away from the face.

Essentially, Yojiya's Aburatorigami are oil blotting sheets used to gently press excess oil away from the face. 

Originally made for stage actors in Kyoto who suffered from profuse sweat caused by the hot lights above the stage, aburatorigami were originally crafted from gold and paper melded together through repeated pounding. The unique ability of Yojiya aburatorigami is that it absorbs unnecessary oil from the face while leaving some oil to keep the face moist.

Aburatorigami are sold in packs of 20 sheets for approximately $4 USD in original black and white coloring and an array of seasonal offerings (colors) such as yuzu, sakura (cherry blossom) and green tea. Yojiya products are widely available via the internet.

Products mentioned in article

Yojiya Aburatorigami (Oil Blotting Sheets)

Marlen Elliot Harrison

Dr. Marlen Elliot Harrison’s journalism in the fragrance industry has appeared in international print and online publications such as Playboy...(more)