Packing for Shanghai Like a Beauty Obsessive: Hinata Kato's Supplements, Skincare, and Suitcase Rules

Open on YouTube ↗
Overview

With four hours until they had to be at the airport, Hinata Kato filmed themselves packing for a short trip to Shanghai, a 3-night, 4-day stay that included a hotel with a gym and pool and a Halloween visit to the Shanghai Disney Resort. The video is a tour of what an admitted "beauty fanatic" brings on the road. Kato says their attention to beauty is already part of daily life but becomes even stronger when traveling. Alongside the items themselves, they explain the reasoning behind their supplement choices, a diet they credit for recent compliments on their skin, and a few practical packing principles.

18 min read
0:25

Starting with supplements

Kato opens by saying people have recently been telling them their skin is beautiful, and the first thing packed is supplements. At home they take a multivitamin covering vitamins A, B, C, D, and E, plus 3,000 mg of vitamin C because they feel they don't get enough. They also use LACTIS, which they describe as an extract made from 16 types of lactic acid bacteria: soy milk is fermented, aged for a year, and only the active ingredients are extracted. According to Kato, it supports healthy gut bacteria and doesn't change the taste of water when added. They normally add mineral salts to that water too, but skipped them that day because they had eaten a lot of pizza.

Everything goes into a Ziploc-style bag printed with a ghost-themed Keroppi, a gift from a male best friend. The travel lineup includes:

  • EAA, their go-to product, because the Shanghai hotel has a gym.
  • Vitamins A through E, which they call essential and describe as whitening the skin, suppressing melanin, and acting as antioxidants.
  • A backup vitamin product (named in the transcript as "LYPRICEL") for days they forget their regular vitamins.
  • Astaxanthin, three tablets, which they say is reputed to be 1,000 times stronger than vitamin E.
  • Zinc bound to citric acid, chosen because they believe it is easier to absorb in that form.
  • Vitamin A and minerals.
  • Oxidation-resistant omega-3, bought at Pro Labo.
  • Tranexamic acid, which they take at a lower concentration because of the risk of blood clots, to make the body less prone to blemishes.
  • LACTIS, digestive enzymes, and gluten enzymes.
  • Heliocare, for UV protection. They had only one left and packed it "just in case."
  • NMN, which they also mention is rich in vitamin D.

Kato stresses that they don't take everything every day and that food comes first. If they eat carrots, they skip the vitamin A supplement. If they eat avocado or mackerel, they skip omega-3. Supplements fill whatever gaps their diet leaves. For this trip, though, they expect to eat xiaolongbao every day and consume a lot of oil, so they pack omega-3 deliberately.

Digestive support gets particular attention because Kato expects to "binge eat and drink" on the trip. Enzymes, they explain, help break down lipids, proteins, and sugars. In their view, relying on the intestines alone takes a long time and a lot of physical energy, so the enzymes are "a lifesaver." On gluten, they say they discovered a delayed allergy. They also say most Japanese people are sensitive to gluten, which tires the intestines. They then clarify that this isn't really an allergy but the gut getting fatigued. This is their own framing, and it is the reason they pack a gluten-specific enzyme.

4:07

The diet they credit for their skin

Returning to the compliments, Kato says their skin isn't just smooth on the surface but seems to "glow from within." They give supplements some credit, but say the most important factor is food.

Their approach centers on keeping advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which they describe as glycation in the body, low. They suggest checking which foods are high in AGEs by asking ChatGPT. In practice, they say raw ingredients are ideal, but they steam or boil food rather than using higher-heat methods. They choose foods that don't spike blood sugar, such as soba, and mix glutinous barley into white rice to lower its GI value. Lately they have been enjoying sticky black rice, which they associate with anthocyanins (the pigments also found in blueberries) and say improve skin health.

Kato says they followed this diet for about two months and their skin improved, to the point that people say they look 22. They say they're glad they paid attention to it.

5:40

The Rimowa debut

With supplements done, Kato moves to the suitcase: a newly bought Rimowa, used for the first time on this trip. It was raining that day, so they briefly wondered whether to bring it. They decided that if they hesitated now, they would never use it.

They explain that they couldn't choose between grey pink and light blue, so they bought both. The light blue one is sized for a 3-night, 4-day trip. The grey pink is a one-week case, which they expect to need for future trips to places like America or Hawaii. Grey pink is a long-running standard color, while the blue was a limited edition. Kato says the store's current-season colors are coral pink, ballerina pink, and pale pink, and that they were told the blue was from the previous season and this would be the last shipment. They add, laughing, that the salesperson may have said that just to make the sale.

The new suitcase changed how they pack liquids. Kato says they never used to care if things leaked inside their carry case, but with a Rimowa they pack carefully. That matters more because they are heading to Los Angeles the following week.

Gadgets and the dinosaur adapter

Before clothes, Kato shows a universal travel adapter bought at a Korean grocery store. It works in multiple countries, including a US plug configuration, and has a USB Type-A port. They struggle on camera to figure out how it closes. They like that it has a dinosaur design, connecting this to being from Fukui Prefecture.

7:52

The N7 bra and a travel companion

Kato is also packing several bras from N7, the sports bra line that appears in the video description. They show a larger-size version resized for a G cup and say two of the bras can be worn by people from E to I and K cups. They think the underband size probably depends on ribcage size. They are traveling with gravure idol Umi Shinonome and plan to have them try the N7, bringing a tape measure to help with sizing. Kato thanks viewers, saying N7 was made possible through everyone's cooperation, and later calls the bra a must because they "don't want my breasts to sag."

Cosplay, swimsuits, and the Disney plan

The group is going to Shanghai Disney Resort during its Halloween event, which has a Zootopia area, so everyone will dress up. Kato opens a newly bought Nick Wilde costume for the first time on camera and is impressed that it really looks like a fox. They debate an accessory they think "isn't cool" and is stretched out, comparing it to a rubber band after an elementary school sports day. They pack it anyway in case it's needed. They plan to travel in Air Jordan platform boots to match the costume.

Because the hotel has a pool, they bought swimsuits for possible photos: a Hello Kitty one and a light blue Korean one. They joke that they ate a lot of pizza the day before a swimsuit shoot.

9:52

Hair tools and a trick for traveling with shampoo

Kato brings their own hair dryer, saying hotel dryers are unreliable. It is a new Panasonic model that they say costs about 80,000 yen. They bought it after using a Panasonic dryer at a previous hotel, which dried their hair quickly and left it smooth.

They also call a LOVECHROME comb an absolute must. They say its developer based it on the plating used on cars, and running it through hair makes it fluffy. They mention a hairdresser named Konishi, who they say has 950,000 Instagram followers, and describe Konishi's technique: place the hair with this comb, hit it with a dryer for three seconds, and get a three-dimensional style. Kato says they bought theirs at Olive Young in Korea.

The item they're most excited about is a set of small refillable pouches found by searching "travel skincare" on Amazon. They fill a pouch with shampoo and seal it with a hair iron, leaving a visible seal line. They prepare three days' worth this way. Their argument is that people usually buy travel samples at drugstores or Loft, but this lets you bring as much of your own favorite shampoo as you want. Hair products packed include:

  • A Tsururincho Booster, planned for specific days of the trip
  • A sample shampoo from their hairdresser
  • A conditioner, which they decide to bring as is
  • REKERA Emulsion, which they say changes the texture of hair
  • ReFa Lock Oil, applied before using a hair iron to keep hair moisturized

Of the ReFa Lock Oil variants, Kato recommends the yellow one most and says the red one also contains sun protection for hair. Since starting it, they say, everyone compliments their hair. This is the first time they've bought dedicated packing storage, and these products go into it.

13:33

The bath set

The bath kit includes intimate-care products from IROHA, which Kato describes as a women's brand from TENGA: a gentle intimate cleanser, plus an intimate lotion and whitening lotion. They also pack a glasses cleaning cloth, a small but powerful item for washing hair, and their own hair ties, because hotel hair ties leave marks. They add an eye mask they aren't sure will help with dark circles, and a scrub.

They have no body soap and plan to wash with just hot water at the hotel. They also pack a hand-moisturizing product they wanted after seeing an Instagram ad where it went on so smoothly it looked edited. They say it turned out to be ordinary, and that they bought it on Mercari, which they say they love.

15:52

Skincare and the case against harsh cleansers

Kato calls skincare the hardest part to pack and says they are very particular about it. Their dental mouthpiece goes in, along with cotton pads for cleaning it and for removing eye makeup. They choose cotton pads that don't wrinkle easily, citing the eye area's tendency to wrinkle.

They show a facial device bought five years ago and never used. They say its list price was 120,000 yen and they got it on Mercari for half that. Its green and yellow-green modes remove makeup. For cleansing, they use a FOREO, which they say vibrates the pores to remove dirt, and a small brush to work face wash into the nostrils.

Kato says there is no need for charcoal or enzyme cleansers. When they used an enzyme cleanser, they ended up with four more blackheads. Two weeks after stopping, they say, the dark spots disappeared.

Their skincare lineup includes:

  • A ROHTO Pharmaceutical lotion as a base. Kato says it contains three types of human-type ceramides plus another important ingredient they couldn't recall. They previously used a lotion with seven ceramide types but switched, and they praise ROHTO products as inexpensive and convenient.
  • P1 Vaseline, applied on top to seal treated areas and prevent oxidation.
  • Elastin and collagen drops for the nasolabial folds and under the eyes. Kato acknowledges the view that caring for the skin's surface is pointless but says they don't believe it, or at least want to believe otherwise.
  • Topical tranexamic acid on the cheeks, where they tend to get spots.
  • A ROHTO azelaic acid cream for pores, and another ROHTO cream they describe as bringing moles and blemishes up and fading them, which they call their favorite.
  • A rich eye cream, plus retinol-type creams under and at the outer corners of the eyes, because they "don't want to age at all."
  • Lash-perm mascara that helps a lash perm last. They say one tube lasts about two years.
  • A lotion that didn't suit their face, repurposed for neck wrinkles.
  • Body cream. They normally prefer retinol or vitamin C creams. They're bringing one they say would leave them too depressed to tell anyone if they lost it.

They also show two creams meant to boost circulation, which make neck veins more visible. They are still testing these and explicitly ask viewers not to buy them yet. A few times they apologize for being "so focused on beauty," saying some viewers may be worried.

21:05

Eyes and teeth

For the Nick Wilde look, Kato is bringing light blue colored contacts from REBORN, with four spare pairs in case their eyes get sore or a lens falls on the floor. They also pack eye drops containing trace vitamin B6 and B12. They admit it may be "a matter of attitude," but say their eyes feel younger and look whiter and healthier.

On teeth, Kato says hydrogen peroxide is prohibited under Japan's Pharmaceutical Affairs Law, so the whitening agents dentists use elsewhere can't be used in Japan. They bought a toothpaste overseas containing 5% hydrogen peroxide (named "Colgate" in the transcript) and say brushing with it whitens teeth. The dental kit also includes:

  • A tongue scraper and an electric toothbrush
  • Fluoride floss and fluoride toothpaste
  • SSSS-size interdental brushes, used with fluoride toothpaste, which come in a carrying case holding two. They call these their favorite after trying many and pack four.
  • CONCOOL mouthwash and a tooth gum

They also add camellia seed oil, recently bought, and a patented anti-aging product that they say is well worth its roughly 2,000-yen price. They throw in more vitamin C because they expect UV exposure.

Choosing a perfume

Kato weighs two perfumes. One is a scent praised by Miyu of Banbanzai. Kato says that when something like that gets praised on social media, they always buy it on Mercari, and this one arrived secondhand that same day. They say they want to be upfront that it's used, because being honest is better than lying when recommending things. They had bought it once before on Mercari, liked it, and bought it again.

The other is Laura Mercier's Amber Vanilla, which they describe as popular and sweet but pleasant. They also mention a cypress scent they think would appeal even to men who prefer light fragrances. In the end, since the new bottle just arrived, they take that one. They say the scent they always use is one that reminds them of an ex-boyfriend.

23:36

Workout gear and the "keep it visible" principle

Kato's workout kit goes into a see-through bag, and they explain why. If they can't see their gear, they won't use it. They compare this to supplements at home, which you won't take unless you see them, and to seasonings, which you won't cook with if they're out of sight.

The kit includes a resistance band (a must for home workouts, they say), a weight, a face-lifting tool, an octopus-shaped tool for the tongue, and a ball for loosening the armpit area. They really wanted to bring a foam roller but couldn't. They also pack two books: one a friend gave them that they never read, and one that seems to have been important in developing N7. They say they read while walking.

While recommending the resistance band, Kato adds that they don't usually push things on people. As long as they're happy, that's enough, and everyone has their own happiness. They just think this item is worth having.

25:02

Food: tomato juice and protein

After a break to eat pot-au-feu, Kato says they noticed their eyebrows getting darker since starting to eat it and are bleaching them. They mention they still have to review videos, do strength training, and stretch.

They also pack tomato juice because they take lycopene daily and think China may not have tomato juice. Their worry is that it will burst, so they put it somewhere safe even if it does. Wanting protein to go with three days of lycopene, they reason that China surely has protein (Korea does), but they buy some at a convenience store and add three servings anyway.

Cutting down the makeup bag

Kato has many cosmetic pouches but brings only what's needed. The makeup includes a palette, sunscreen, BB cream, a La Roche-Posay primer, highlighter, a slimming contour product, and a foundation with serum received as a birthday gift. There is also a favorite lipstick, mascaras for both upper and lower lashes in case they paint their lower lashes, a go-to concealer for under-eye circles, a nose-contouring product, makeup brushes, and a lash tool. They also mention makeup connected to the Nick Wilde cosplay. They say the makeup bag ended up much lighter but worry they may still have to pay extra for luggage.

The carry-on bag

Kato notes that Anker chargers shouldn't go in a checked case, so their Anker charger and Ricoh camera go in the carry-on. Their Sony camera goes in as well. The carry-on also holds:

  • A light blue passport case matching the suitcase
  • The LOVECHROME comb and a massage ball they think all girls should own
  • A Lusciouslips product and a highlighter
  • A pen, which they call an absolute necessity abroad for filling out customs forms
  • An Anker device that moves data from an SD card to a phone
  • A wallet, bone-conduction earphones, and a work phone
  • A Chinese-language notebook to review during the trip

Clothes last

Clothes are the final step. They include pajamas, a night bra that Kato says promotes circulation, and casual outfits. There's a pale blue shirt for day one, an outfit inspired by a high school uniform, and a jacket since they don't know the weather. They pack a blue AMIPARIS shirt they saw on Instagram and call a color that suits them, noting they like coordinating shirts and sweaters. A large training T-shirt comes along because they may not be able to walk around Shanghai in just a sports bra. They add a Betty T-shirt bought at an unmanned shop in Korea, a hat they can afford to lose, and loose socks.

With packing finished, Kato says that after filming they'll clean, do strength training, stretch, and then work.