Taking a trip to Japan and want to know what Japanese skincare and beauty to bring back? Check out my list below!
Japan has been known for good skincare for a long time. My 90-year-old grandmother has been using Shiseido for as long as I can remember. While Kbeauty seems to have viral products that change quickly with trends, Japanese beauty tends to focus on a select few cult favorites that stay popular for years. If you’re traveling to Japan and want to stock up on beauty products, here’s a list of suggestions.
AND if you’re not traveling to Japan but just want to know the best Japanese beauty products, I’ll include the links to where you can buy these online!
1. Biore UV Aqua Rich Sunscreen
This sunscreen has been my holy grail for years and years. Even now when my Japanese friends go back to visit family, they bring back an entire suitcase of these sunscreens upon return to the states.
2. Melano CC Vitamin C Essence
They call it an essence, but it really appears more like a vitamin C serum. Actually it feels like a lightweight oil on the skin. The Melano CC Vitamin C Essence is another cult favorite Japanese skincare product that gets packed in bulk into suitcases by my friends. I have one on my shelf right now. It’s my favorite of all the vitamin C serums I’ve used.
3. Cezanne or Canmake Sunscreen Primers
Japanese skincare is known for both sun protection and makeup. So it makes sense that they’ve developed the best sunscreens which also act as makeup primers at the same time! My favorite drugstore sunscreen/primer is the Cezanne Make Base, but I think it might be discontinued, as I can’t find it at my usual stores. It seems they have a new version called the UV Ultra Fit Base.
Canmake is another really popular drugstore brand that has a highly raved about sunscreen primer. Their mermaid skin gel has SPF 50 and comes in different color correcting tints.
4. Kiss Me Heroine Make Mascara
The Kiss Me Heroine Make Mascara line has been popular for at least 20 years. Seriously. I’ve been using it since high school. It is THE MOST WATERPROOF MASCARA EVER. There’s different styles, but I like the volumizing one.
5. Canmake Cream Cheek Blush
Pretty much anything from Canmake is a good drugstore makeup buy in Japan, but one of their most popular products is their cream blush. They come in a variety of flattering colors, and they blend really well. I have the apple cream red color.
6. Kanebo Kate
Kate is another popular Japanese drugstore brand more popular with the over 25 crowd. It’s owned by Kanebo, so you might see the brand listed as “Kanebo Kate.” They have many beloved makeup products, but their lip products and eyebrow/eye products are especially popular. The Kate line tends to have more natural, neutral, and subdued colors (compared to more sparkly and bright colors in other lines with younger target audiences).
7. Hada Labo Gokujyun Lotion
This is the product that started the hyaluronic acid craze! The OG hydrating liquid! It’s had a cult following for over a decade and for good reason. The Hada Labo Gokujyun Lotion is a viscous liquid that you can use as a hydrating toner. If you don’t have a hyaluronic acid toner in your routine, you definitely should pick this one up.
8. Anessa Perfect UV Sunscreen
This is another sunscreen that has a cult following. Anessa is owned by parent company Shiseido, so it’s much more expensive than the Biore sunscreen, but it’s still flying off shelves. The Anessa sunscreen can also be used as a makeup primer, so if you’re feeling like you want a *fancier* primer sunscreen, you should pick this one.
9. Anything Shiseido
Shiseido still reigns supreme among Japanese beauty products. When the US dollar is strong, my friends go to Japan and stock up on their expensive Shiseido department store products. However, like with the Anessa, Shiseido also has various lines of drugstore products. They own the very popular Tsubaki line of hair care products. They also own Senka, which has the cult favorite Perfect Whip Beauty Foam cleanser. And they own Majolica Majorca, which has brightly colored and glittery makeup products aimed at younger audiences. I quite enjoy their eyeshadows.
10. SK-II
Just like with Shiseido department store products, you can obviously get SK-II products in America. However, if you’re coming from a country whose currency is strong against the yen, you might as well stock up while you’re in Japan for a slight discount. With products as expensive as SK-II, every penny helps, right?
More Asian Beauty Recommendations
Those are my top choices for best Japanese skincare and makeup! Looking for more Asian beauty recs? Check these out: