5 Skincare Products for Japan Newbies

Posted on 09/19/2023 Last updated on 01/11/2024

We all know the hardship of moving to a different country. From adjusting to food and culture to changing your regular skin care products to match what is available in that country. I am not an expert but I have done my research.

I am also one of those people who have lived with pimple scars and breakouts my whole life. So this one is for anyone who recently moved to Japan. There are a variety of skincare products and hair care, you name it. You can literally find anything here and all the more reason to confuse the buyers.

So let’s talk about the weather here in Japan. Summer is humid and hot. While winter is dry and harsh. The weather sure doesn’t go easy on your skin especially when you are new to a place. I arrived in Japan in the midst of humidity and the heat. I started to get breakouts and my skin was getting out of hand.

I changed my skincare to affordable drugstore brands and it actually works. So the five products that I am recommending are products that are accessible, affordable, and mild on your skin. Something that you can afford as a regular skin care product.

The products mentioned below are super easy to get. You can literally walk into any drugstore and get it. All of these are below 1000 yen. I think a lot of the skincare routine that you come across makes us feel like we need to use a lot of products. I personally feel that you just need a good sunscreen and moisturizer for your skin health. There is actually a term for it ‘Skinimalism’. So with all that said, here’s my list!

Hada Labo Vitamin C

This is a lightweight cream that works great on your skin. The texture is watery and helps reduce pores, reduces acne scars, and also to reduce acne. I normally don’t use a toner, so I use it after wiping my face. Normally it is recommended you use it after toner.

Hada Labo Gokujyun Super Hyaluronic Acid Lotion

Moving on to the next product from Hada Labo again. Well, there is a variety of Hada Labo creams and moisturizers, you can always look for what is soothing for your skin type. This moisturizer is said to reduce wrinkles and improve the texture of your skin by rejuvenating. You can use this as a serum or cream.

Photo by pho-to-co

Kose Softymo Speedy Cleansing Oil

This cleansing oil has a mixture of oily and liquid consistency. It removes any waterproof makeup on your face within seconds. It is also a washing oil so prior to using a face wash you can wash the oil off. It is extremely gentle on your skin and removes makeup without any fuss.

Skin Aqua

My whole life I never came across a perfect sunscreen. It was either too oily, too dry, or too white. I have had sunscreen that made me look like I had a foundation that didn’t match my skin at all. So this sunscreen has a perfect balance, it doesn’t make you look too greasy or too dry. The texture is gel-like and it dries up pretty quickly on your skin leaving your skin feeling lightly moisturized.

I hope my list of recommendations will be helpful to newcomers to Japan out there. Thanks for reading!

Image Credits:

Top photo: favoritoRosa on PhotoAC

Additional image by pho-to-co