A Complete Guide To 25 Of The Best Japanese Skincare Brands

In this article we’ll recommend 25 of the best Japanese skincare brands, no matter what your skin type. From the best brands for dry or acne-prone skin, to specialist anti-aging products and luxury brands, this article is the perfect guide for consumers getting started with incorporating Japanese skincare products into their daily routines.

Best Skincare Brand For Busy People

Aqua Label

Aqualabel is a sub-brand of Japanese cosmetics-manufacturing giant Shiseido. Their skincare products are perfect for busy consumers who want to give their skin the attention it deserves but don’t have much time to dedicate to lengthy skincare routines.

Their reasonably priced line-up of products can easily be incorporated as part of your regular skincare routine. One of Aqua Label’s star products is their popular all-in-one Special Gel Cream, whose watery and light texture allows you to hydrate your skin easily and quickly, leading to clearer, more resilient skin. 

Best Premium Japanese Beauty Brands

Astalift

This brand’s products are easily recognizable by their eye-catching, elegant red packaging and are known for their excellent quality, backed by the manufacturer’s superior nanotechnology. Their products are regular award winners from prominent Japanese beauty magazines and contain a natural component called astaxanthin, which when combined with Astalift’s technology, work into the skin quickly and deeply for maximum results. 

Some of Astalift’s best-selling products include their collection of anti-aging face creams and collagen drinks.

Obagi Japan

Premium skincare brand Obagi Japan helps its customers to achieve smooth, even, firm, moisturized, resilient, and healthy skin through their meticulously developed products.

As an affiliate of Rohto Pharmaceutical, a dermatology-based skincare company, Obagi Japan centers its philosophy on harnessing the skin's natural power for healthy and beautiful bare skin.  One of their best-selling products includes the Rohto Obagi C25 Vitamin C Serum, a powerful anti-aging serum formulated with a high 25% concentration of vitamin C to effectively moisturize, brighten the skin, and diminish visible wrinkles caused by aging.

Best Anti-Aging Skincare Brands

Attenir

Atténir’s renowned anti-aging skincare products have gained recognition for their exceptional Cleansing Oils and the innovative Dresslift Series. What sets Atténir apart from other Japanese skincare brands is their particular focus on crafting skincare solutions tailored for women in their 30s to 50s. What’s more is that these high-quality skincare products are surprisingly affordable, making it easier to attain younger-looking skin.

Kracie Hadabisei

The Hadabisei series of skincare products addresses various concerns for adults such as wrinkles and acne prevention. Kracie Hadabisei Intensive Wrinkle Care are under-eye patches designed to reduce wrinkles around the eyes and maintain skin moisture.

For acne prevention, check out the Hadabisei Acne Care Lotion, which offers anti-acne benefits and hydration. Kracie's selection of facial sheet masks also provides intensive skincare for different results, such as moisturizing and brightening.

Shiseido Elixir

Shiseido’s Elixir brand specializes in anti-aging skincare and is focused on nurturing and maintaining the firmness, radiance, and transparency of the skin. 

The aim of their products is for consumers to achieve “tsuyadama”, an inner glow that is revealed on your cheeks only when they are firm and transparent. This brand believes that this is a sign of youthfulness and abundant moisture.

Elixir cosmetics are suitable for improving various skin problems that come from aging including wrinkles, a shortage of suppleness, and roughness. For younger consumers, the Elixir products make for a good preventative skincare routine.

Best Skincare Brand For Pores

Bioré 

The Bioré brand owned by the Kao Corporation was the company’s first brand to focus on pores. Their formulas have been developed according to the Japanese beauty philosophy of functionality and simplicity with long-lasting results, backed by innovative Japanese technology and scientific research. 

Bioré’s wide range of skincare products include facial washes, makeup removing wipes, and sunscreens. One of their most popular products is the UV Aqua Rich Watery Gel Sunscreen, which doubles up as a highly effective moisturizer.

Best Skincare Brand For Sensitive Skin

Curel

Curél is a skincare brand specially formulated for people who suffer from skin dryness and sensitivity, focusing on ceramide care and an inside-out approach, rather than covering your skin with moisturizing ingredients. Ceramides are essentially the glue that holds our skin cells together to keep our skin barrier intact and healthy. When the skin barrier is healthy, it helps seal in moisture and keep out harmful elements. 

Curél has a wide variety of skincare products to choose from, including facial washes, body soaps, face creams, and body lotions, which are all suitable for sensitive skin.

Best Olive Oil-Based Skincare Brand

DHC

DHC’s philosophy is based on embracing the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi – teaching us that there is beauty in imperfection and that each of us is “perfectly imperfect.” DHC is a Japanese skincare brand which has been producing high-quality products for more than 40 years. 

Their star ingredient is olive oil, with organic olive oil imported from Spain featured in many of their skincare products because it hydrates skin without clogging pores and is high in antioxidants, vitamin E, and polyphenols. DHC’s collection of skincare products includes foaming facial washes, eye creams and gels, but it is their Deep Cleansing Oil for which they are most well-known.

Best Science-Based Skincare Brand

Dr.Ci:Labo

This Japanese cosmetic brand was born out of a small dermatology clinic when the founder of this brand noticed that some of his patients suffered continuously from rough skin. He eventually realized that a daily skincare routine is the most critical element for achieving sound skin and began developing a high-quality skincare product based on feedback from his users, which led to the birth of the brand’s best-seller: the Aqua Collagen Gel.

The effectiveness of Dr.Ci:Labo products lies in the adoption of state-of-the-art aesthetic dermatology. Utilizing the latest skin science, their products are updated regularly, resulting in powerful skincare products.

Best Skincare Brands For Dry Skin

Hada Labo 

Hada Labo is one of Japan’s best-selling skincare brands whose range of products cater especially to consumers with dry and dehydrated skin. Hada Labo’s formulas contain a special combination of hyaluronic acid ingredients including large hyaluronic acid which acts on the skin’s surface to hold in moisture, standard hyaluronic acid retained in the skin’s top layer, super hyaluronic acid which retains twice the amount of water than standard hyaluronic acid, and nano hyaluronic acid which penetrates deeper into the skin and plumps from within.

Among Hada Labo’s most popular products is the Gokyjyun range featuring Japanese lotions, face creams, and cleansers.

Sukoyaka Suhada

A sub-brand of manufacturer Ishizawa Lab, the Sukoyaka Suhada range of moisturizing skincare products is ideally suited for consumers with dry skin. Their products help your skin to retain moisture and maintain firmness and elasticity. One of their best-selling products is the Sukoyaka Suhada Urea Moisture Lotion, an intensive moisturizing toner with urea for people concerned about dry and rough skin.

Best Skincare Brand For Removing Blackheads

Kanebo

Kanebo Cosmetics is part of the Kao Corporation, a leading Japanese manufacturer of personal care and cosmetic products brands such as Bioré, Curel, Sofina, and Kate.

Kanebo prides themselves on making cosmetics that reflect the latest beauty trends from Japan and overseas, often collaborating with designers during each of the seasons. Among their range of skincare products, popular items include their Suisai powder-type facial washes designed to remove blackheads, facial sheet masks, and their Allie coral reef safe sunscreens.

Best Sake-Based Skincare Brand

Kikumasamune

Originally a sake brewery for 360 years, Kikumasamune is now one of the most famous sake-based skincare brands in Japan. Their journey into skincare began in 2012 by creating a toner made from a byproduct of sake fermentation, and they then expanded their selection of Japanese sake cosmetics to include emulsion, creams, face wash, face cleansers, and more.

One of the brand’s most popular products is the High Moist Sake Skin Care Lotion which contains Japanese sake, ceramide, and placenta extract to highly moisturize, soothe and tone your skin.

Best Skincare Brand Containing Plant-Based Formulas

Kosé

Kosé is one of Japan’s largest cosmetics brands, with their Sekkisei product line among the most popular. Mainly formulated with nourishing oriental herbs and plants, its skincare products cause minimal irritation and use plant power to rehydrate your skin.

Kosé’s Clear Turn Vitamin C Mask is also one of the best-selling facial sheet mask brands in Japan. They have a collection of facial masks made from washi (Japanese paper) whose serum contains a blend of job’s tears extract and Japanese spa water. 

Best Natural Yeast-Based Skincare Products

SK-II

SK-II was developed in the 1970s by Japanese scientists after it was discovered that elderly workers at a sake brewery had smooth, clear, and young-looking hands from years of submerging them in fermented yeast. After more than five years of experimentation, the scientists managed to isolate the yeast extract – which they call pitera, for use in cosmetics and SKII’s products went on sale to the public in the 1980s. 

Pitera is a clear liquid rich in vitamins, amino acids, minerals, and organic acids. The combination of nutrients works to dramatically improve the skin’s natural surface rejuvenation process.

If you’re going to try one product by SK-II, make it their Facial Treatment Essence, SK-II’s best-selling product that softens texture, evens skin’s tone, enhances radiance and reduces the appearance of dark spots & fine lines.

Best Facial Sheet Mask Brand

Lululun

Lululun – which means ‘happy mood’ in Japanese, is a specialist in producing high-quality yet affordable sheet masks for daily use as well as special occasions. Within their collection of daily use masks, there are three ranges, Lululun Regular, Lululun Precious, and Lululun Over 45. The Regular masks are suitable for all age groups, Precious is for consumers with slightly more mature skin who are starting to notice signs of aging, and Over 45 is for as the name suggests, women aged 45+. 

Their special care masks include Lululun ONE, a luxurious 15-minute treatment mask packed with beauty serum, and their overnight mask is designed to rejuvenate your skin while you are sleeping.

Best Vitamin C Based Skincare Brand

Melano CC

Melano CC products are known for using the power of Vitamin C to help brighten skin and treat dark spots caused by aging and sun damage. Melano CC products are also kind to the skin and free from harsh ingredients and chemicals. 

Melano CC products include a range of skincare items including spot treatments, essences, serums, gels, lotions, and facial masks for treating unwanted spots and brightening the skin's complexion. One of their most popular products is their Intensive Anti-Spot Essence, a powerful serum designed to treat dark spots, hyper-pigmentation, blemishes, and acne.

Best Simple Skincare Brand

Matsuyama

Matsuyama is a soap and skincare manufacturer who focuses on making skincare products using only the ingredients they need, without any unnecessary extras. Their M-Mark series is a range of daily-use facial washes, hand creams, and body lotions for the whole family, whilst their Hadauru range of products uses natural ingredients derived from soybeans to moisturize and repair your skin’s natural barrier.

Best Skincare Brands For Preventing Dry Skin

Mediplus

Born out of a dermatologist’s quest to improve her own skin, Mediplus produces a range of skincare products with a preventative approach, working to prevent dryness before it happens, rather than moisturizing skin after it has already dried out.

One of the brand’s star products is their Mediplus All In One Moisturizing Hydrating Gel which contains 66 carefully selected essential ingredients, functioning as a toner, milky lotion, beauty serum, and cream.

Best Skincare Brand For Sunscreens

Nivea Japan

Nivea Japan is known for their innovative skincare products that can cater to a range of different skin types. Their best-selling products range from water-gel sunscreens that provide optimal coverage to creamy moisturizing body lotions packed with ceramides and hyaluronic acid.

One of their most popular sunscreens is the Nivea Sun Protect Super Water Gel Sunscreen SPF50 PA+++. This lightweight yet powerful Japanese sunscreen contains hyaluronic acid to keep the skin moisturized and protected from dryness caused by UV rays.

Best Skincare Brands Specializing In Facial Cleansers

Rosette

Rosette is well-known in Japan for their wide range of foaming facial washes, including the long-selling “Rosette Cleansing Paste”. It is a series of clay-based facial washes with a blend of botanical ingredients to cleanse and moisturize the face, using the power of clay to help alleviate any skin concerns. Although the texture of the foam varies between products, you can expect a cream which lathers well and creates a fluffy and voluminous foam to gently remove impurities. 

SENKA

Senka is a sub-brand of Shiseido, known for its reasonably priced yet highly effective foaming facial cleansers.

Their flagship product, Senka Perfect Whip is a series of facial cleansers that use gentle micro foam to cleanse deep into your pores, removing makeup and leaving behind fresh and bright skin. Senka Perfect Whip has remained the number one product in Japanese cream face wash sales every year since its development in 2003.

Best Brightening Japanese Skincare Brand

Sekkisei

Sekkisei is a sub-brand under the Japanese brand Kosé whose products focus on brightening your overall skin tone. Sekkisei products are formulated with high-quality herbal ingredients such as coix seed and other Japanese herbs that will help erase dark spots from your skin and brighten its overall complexion.

The Sekkisei line includes a skincare product for every step of your routine, from facial cleansers to creams, and sunscreens. Some of their most popular products include their Anti-Spot Face Cream and Multi-Functional Skincare Gel.

Best Skincare Brand For Overall Skin Health

Transino

Transino is a Japanese skincare brand operated by Daiichi Sankyo Healthcare whose products focus on promoting overall skin health. Transino offers a range of daily skincare products designed to help you achieve a healthy and radiant complexion. Their product line includes their Transino Clear Cleansing Makeup Remover which removes makeup without drying out the skin, and the Transino Melano Signal Essence Skin Brightening Serum which hydrates the skin whilst brightening your complexion.

Interested in more Japanese skincare brands? Check out our full range of skincare products here.