Have you ever tried Japanese facial lotions before? Japanese facial lotions are called kesho-sui(化粧水) in Japanese. The texture of Japanese facial lotions is usually just like water. (It's not creamy at all.) You might think that Japanese facial lotions are more like toner. While toner is usually swiped on your skin with facial cotton, you can apply Japanese facial lotion with hands or cotton, and just gently pat into your skin until absorbed. Japanese facial lotion is used to hydrate skin, and then you are supposed to use milky or creamy lotion, which is called nyueki(乳液) in Japanese, in order to keep moisture in your skin from evaporating. When I moved to the U.S. from Japan, I was surprised that women apply creamy lotion right after washing their face. I believe that most women in Japan apply Japanese facial lotion (kesho-sui) before applying creamy lotion (nyueki).
Today, I'm going to share top 5 most popular Japanese facial lotion, kesho-sui, with you. All of them I listed below can be purchased at drugstores in Japan. If you are planing on traveling Japan, you should check them out there. :)
Sekkisei is a skincare brand of Kose, which is one of biggest cosmetic companies in Japan. Kose first started selling Sekkisei products in 1985, and since then, its lotion has been one of the most popular skin care products in Japan. Indeed, it was selected the best skin care lotion awards by many Japanese beauty magazines and cosmetic review sites. This lotion brightens and moisturize your skin. Although Sekkisei is pretty high-end brand, you can find ones at any drugstores in Japan.
Hada Labo is a skincare brand of Rohto, which is one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in Japan. Rohto was established in 1949 and started selling Hada Labo products in 2004. Hada Labo skincare products contain hyaluronic acid, which retains moisture in your skin. When they started selling Hada Labo at drugstores in Japan, I had never heard about hyaluronic acid. Moreover, I used to think that Rohto was a manufacturer of commercial medicine such as eye drops. (By the way, Rohto Lycee is pretty popular eye drop for women in Japan.) That's why it was pretty surprising that they started introducing beauty products to the market. However, their skincare products became very popular and was selected the second best skin care lotion award by @cosme. I used to purchase Hada Labo Light Lotion when I lived in Japan. :)
Hatomugi Skin Conditioner is very inexpensive lotion. Yet, this lotion is loved by so many Japanese people. Because of its low price, you can use a plenty of it at a time. Many Japanese women suggest to use it for facial mask. You can put it in facial cotton or facial mask sheet, and leave it on your face for 3 to 10 minutes. You can watch this video, how to use Hatomugi Skin Conditioner as a facial mask.
According to Nameraka Honpo, this Tonyu Isoflavone Lotion has been sold every 5 seconds in Japan, and one in three Japanese women in 20s has used this lotion. In addition, 80,000,000 bottles of this lotion have been sold in Japan since 2004. It contains Isoflavone which improves women's skins.
Senka is a skincare brand of Shiseido. This Shiseido Senka Facial Lotion from Serum is pretty popular in Japan and was selected the best skincare product award in 2011 by @cosme. It is inexpensive but brightens your skin well. By the way, I love their cleansing, Shisedo Senka Perfect Whip.
I have tried so many Japanese lotions before, and now my favorite one is Muji Toning Water. (Yes, its name is toning water but is sold as kesho-sui.) Muji lotion is also affordable in Japan and hydrates my skin well. I didn't list it above because Muji skincare products cannot be found at drugstores in Japan. If you love to try Muji lotion, you can find it at Muji branches and FamilyMart convenience stores in Japan. :)
0 Comments