I love Korean Skincare, I really do. And of course, in a committed relationship faithfulness should be a given. But then comes Japan, and its magic world of crazy “kawai”(adorable) products and other temptations. So I cheated. Ok, I admit – I am a repeated offender. For my defense I will just say, that Japan has been my first love. This pure, high school love you think you got over with – but in fact you didn’t. I was reading manga, watching anime, bah I even started with Japanese dramas before I got into the crazy K-drama world. So of course, I had to try their amazing skincare. And I am glad I did! Japan has a long skincare tradition, back in the days Geishas knew already all the beauty tricks. This tradition of attention to beauty is very much alive today, and it’s visible in their skincare products. Many Japanese cosmetics deserve the status of worldwide cult products. Japan may have not succeeded in creating the same buzz around its skincare as Korea did, but many of their products deserve our attention and love. I will introduce you to a few of these Japanese beauty steals, that stole my heart.

In this post, I will review the following products:

Deep Cleansing Oil by DHC

Kanebo Suisai Beauty Clear Powder

SK-II Facial Treatment Essence

Rohto Hadalabo Gokujyn Hyaluronic Acid Lotion

Yu-Be moisturizing cream

Kracie Ichikami Care & Style Hair Water

Let’s start with double-cleansing, in Japan as well, these are fundamental steps of a beauty routine. For my Japanese double-cleansing routine, I use the cult oil-based deep cleanser by DHC. Officially branded as a make-up remover, this oil will literally melt your most stubborn mascara and eyeliner (I am crazy on make-up, so I talk from experience). It smells like your diet lunch (olive oil) and doesn’t look too appealing in its modest little bottle, but it’s so good. I love its short list of ingredients, in which Olive Oil has the first place. Olive oil, is loved all over the Mediterranean basin for its nourishing and moisturizing properties. Some adventurous beauty gurus use pure olive oil on their face and hair, if you are a less DIY girl but still want Olive Oil in your beauty routine then DHC is for you. This DHC cleanser is rich in vitamins and antioxidants, and leaves your skin clean and hydrated. According to the DHC website, one bottle of this cleanser gets sold every 10 seconds – so yep, you get the picture.

Ingredients:

Olea europaea (olive) fruit oil, caprylic/capric triglyceride, sorbeth-30 tetraoleate, pentylene glycol, phenoxyethanol, tocopherol, stearyl glycyrrhetinate, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf oil

How to use it? Apply the product with dry hands on dry skin, and use circular movements to clean your face. Add a bit of water, and massage the milky consistency into you face again. Then rinse thoroughly (be patient with this one).

Where to find it? Several options can suit your preferences. I got my travel size DHC cleanser at Urban Outfitters, but it also available on Amazon and directly on the DHC online store.

Then in my Japanese routine comes the Kanebo Suisai Beauty Clear Powder. Did you ever struggle with these powder cleansers to figure out how much of products should you use? (I did) No more worries with Suisai Beauty Clear Powder. The perfect amount of cleanser is packed in a separate mini plastic container, to help you apply the perfect dose. If you like the powder cleanser, then you will love this Beauty Clear Powder. It melts into a perfectly soft, not too overwhelming foam, and it leaves you skin squeaky clean and glowing. Although the composition of this cleanser is rather chemical, the presence of Silk Powder and Soybean Milk and hydrating Hyaluronic Acid definitely caught my attention. It also contains enzymes to remove dead cells and prevent adult acne!

Ingredients:

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizinate Talc; Sodium Olefin Sulfonate, Sodium Myristoyl Glutamate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Potassium Laurate, Carrageenan, Silk Powder, Methyl Hydrogen Polysiloxane, Nasturtium Officinale Extract, Soybean Milk Culture Filtrate, 2- (Methacryloyloxy) Ethyl Phosphorylcholine, Poly (Butyl Methacrylate), Paraben, Butylene Glycol, Isostearyl Alcohol, Protease-1, Lipase-2

Where to get it? I found my Kanebo Suisai Beauty Cleat Powder at Amazon.

SK-II Facial Treatment Essence

I always thought the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence was way too expensive to try. I classified it as one of these overly expensive luxury brands, somewhere between Crème de la Mer and caviar skincare, that only celebrities could use. Then I tried, and loved, the Time Revolution Missha Essence, widely considered a cheaper “dupe” of the SK-II and I partly forgot about this Japanese classic. And then one day I received the SK-II Essence in a Sephora set. I wished I had never tried it.

It is easy to love the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence. Compared to the Time Revolution Missha Essence that contains a beer derived fermentation liquid, the SK-II contains an anti-aging ingredient called Pitera (which is derived from yeast and is a blend of vitamins, amino acids, minerals, and organic acids), and is also alcohol free. The brand legend has it, that the leading scientist behind SK-II, Takashi Yoshii, noticed one day in a Sake brewery in Japan, that the brewery workers had incredibly smooth and wrinkle free hands despite their overall old appearance. He later realised, that their hands must have preserved their youthful appearance because of the constant contact with the sake fermentation process. So for me it was basically a competition between Beer and Sake, and I personally love beer. The SK-II has a stronger smell and a shorter ingredients list than Missha. I use it sparingly, by doing some DIY under eye sheet face masks and I noticed my eyes look brighter and more relaxed. I don’t think I will buy again the SK-II (and will just stick with the cheaper Missha) but it was a great experience (Message to Santa: If you want to give me the SK-II essence for Christmas I won’t complain).

Ingredients:

Saccharomycopsis Ferment Filtrate**, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Aqua (Water/ Eau), Sodium Benzoate, Methylparaben, Sorbic Acid.

Where to get it? Many products of the SK-II line are available at Sephora, and probably most of the “luxury” department stores in your country.

Rohto Hadalabo Gokujyn Hyaluronic Acid Lotion

If we were in Ancient Japan, and the Hada Labo lotion was a warrior, we would all be singing heroic ballads in its name. It’s been some time already that I am using this lotion in both my morning and evening routine, and I am a believer. The main ingredient in the Hada Labo lotion (I guess in all “light” and “moist” versions) is Hyaluronic Acid. If you only recently switched to Asian Beauty, you should still be familiar with this ingredient as it is widely used also in western skincare. Hyaluronic acid is a natural component already present in our skin and has the ability to retain moisture and provides antioxidant defense against free-radical damage, and also reduces inflammation. It’s been present in skincare since quite some time already, so there are many scientific studies that can support this (here and here). To simplify, Hyaluronic Acid is a brave warrior that helps in strengthening our skin barrier against all the evil of this world! So yep, it’s pretty cool. This lotion is virtually fragrance free, quite liquid which makes it tricky to apply and I find it reacts well with different products of my routine. It helped reduce my redness and keep my skin soft. If you want to learn more about other Hada Lado products, check out this post by adoredee.

Ingredients:

Water, butylene glycol, glycerin, disodium succinate, hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid, hydroxyethycellulose, methylparaben, PPG-10 methyl glucose ether, sodium acetylated hyaluronate, sodium hyaluronate and succinic acid.

Where to get it? I always buy mine at Amazon, but in the US can also find it at Walgreens.

Yu-Be moisturizing cream

Did you ever had such dry hands, that it was painful to move your fingers? Did your hands look like a 70 year’s old after washing them? Well, I for sure am suffering from excessively dry hands and feet, despite the industrial quantities of creams I massage into my hands in the evening, they become as dry as the Sahara after a few moments. This ‘dryness pain’ has considerable been alleviated since Yu-Be moisturizing cream came into my life. I won’t lie to you, it does leave a bit of a sticky feeling at first and the smell is, well… special. I use it in the evening on my foots, hands, elbows and lips so I don’t really care how sticky it is. After applying this cream, my hands are moisturized enough for me to be able to fall asleep (yes, sometimes it is THAT bad). The smell of Camphor, one of the ingredients of this cream, is quite strong at first but dissipates after a while. If you don’t know how camphor smells – think Tiger Balm and Menthol (or just pharmacy). The Yu-Be moisturizing cream is highly concentrated in Glycerin and contains Vitamin C, Vitamin B for a cooling lightweight hydration. According to the producer, Yu-Be is Japan’s best-selling medicated, vitamin-enriched moisturizing skin cream. And the best thing? It’s cheap and lasts a long time! 16 USD for a miracle cream, I am in!

Ingredients:

Glycerin, Water, Isopropyl Myristate, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Triethanolamine, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Camphor 0.8%, Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Hydrogenated Coco-glycerides, Stearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 80, EDTA, Methylparaben, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Sodium Hyaluronate.

Where to find it? I got mine from Sephora, also available at Amazon (Prime).

Kracie Ichikami Care & Style Hair Water

I discovered this product during my investigation of ancient Asian beauty secrets (article on rice in preparation!). The Kracie Ichikami Care & Style Hair Water contains fermented rice bran and Sakura leaf extract which are believed to make your hair silky smooth and shinny. I have long, blonde, chemically treated by occasional highlights hair. Yes, my hair is pretty damaged. My hair’s naturally poor condition (very thin and delicate) has driven my obsession for hair products. When it comes to haircare, I am always on the hunt for outstanding products. I usually don’t blow dry my hair, but when I do I would put an extra dose of the Kracie Ichikami Care & Style Hair Water that has UV and heat protection properties. This hair water helps reduce flyaway, and made my hair more shiny and less “puffy” (hello humid weather),

Ingredients:

Water, ethanol, DPG, PEG-4, Saccharomyces / rice bran fermented liquid extract, COMEX, inositol, rice bran extract, pure, Sakura leaf extract, Belamcanda chinensis extract, glycosyl, peg-60 hydrogenated castor oil, squalane, rice germ oil, BG, methyl Ethel PEG-10 Dimethicone, isopropyl alcohol, dextrin, hydrogenated starch hydrolysate, ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, citric acid, Sodium citrate, fragrance

Where to find it? I got mine from Amazon.

In conclusion, I will continue cheating with Japanese beauty products in the name of my hunt for the best in Asian Beauty. My only regret, is that so many of Japanese products have no labels in English, which makes me believe they are less export-oriented as compared to Korean beauty products. It’s somehow a pity, as I love closely reading the labels and product instructions, and most of the time this is simply not an option with Japanese skincare. Hope you liked this post – let me know in comments which are you favourite Japanese products that deserve the title of cult.

(PS note – the included links in this post are not sponsored and I won’t get any financial benefit from them – I just added them for your convenience)