We picked out 23 of the most popular products and tested them for the following: how well it moisturized our skin and how it felt to apply.
Then, based on how they performed on our tests, we graded and ranked the top 23 Japanese face lotions and moisturizers available online. Japanese prices for some of the products are given; they’ve merely been converted into USD for easy viewing.
$15.53
Japanese | 第一三共ヘルスケア ミノンアミノモイスト 保温乳液 |
---|---|
Hydration | A+ |
Application | A |
Overall score | A+ |
$30.09
Japanese | 花王 ソフィーナ ジェンヌ 混合肌のための高保湿ジェル乳液 |
---|---|
Hydration | B |
Application | A+ |
Overall score | A+ |
$27.81
Japanese | ORBIS アクアフォース ホワイトモイスチャー(医薬部外品) |
---|---|
Hydration | A |
Application | B |
Overall score | A |
$5.10
Hydration | A |
---|---|
Application | B |
Overall Score | A |
$26.71
Japanese | 花王 ソフィーナボーテ 高保湿乳液 |
---|---|
Hydration | B |
Application | A |
Overall score | A |
$25.07
Japanese | アルージェ モイスト トリートメント ジェル |
---|---|
Hydration | A |
Application | C |
Overall score | A |
$129.11
Japanese | ロート製薬 エピステーム デイモイスチュアエマルジョンa |
---|---|
Hydration | C |
Application | A |
Overall score | A |
$5.90
Japanese | 菊正宗酒造 日本酒の乳液 |
---|---|
Hydration | A |
Application | D |
Overall score | A |
$32.75
Japanese | 第一三共ヘルスケア トランシーノ 薬用ホワイトニングクリアミルク(医薬部外品) |
---|---|
Hydration | B |
Application | B |
Overall score | B |
$13.34
Japanese | FANCL モイストリファイン 乳液IIしっとり |
---|---|
Hydration | B |
Application | B |
Overall score | B |
$12.53
Japanese | 資生堂ジャパン アクアレーベル ホワイトアップ エマルジョン(医薬部外品) |
---|---|
Hydration | B |
Application | C |
Overall score | B |
$7.10
Japanese | 明色化粧品 セラコラ 保湿乳液 |
---|---|
Hydration | B |
Application | C |
Overall score | B |
$30.94
Japanese | d プログラム モイストケア エマルジョン R |
---|---|
Hydration | C |
Application | B |
Overall score | B |
$30.34
Japanese | d プログラム バランスケア エマルジョン R 2(医薬部外品) |
---|---|
Hydration | C |
Application | B |
Overall score | B |
$11.94
Japanese | 常盤薬品工業 なめらか本舗 乳液 |
---|---|
Hydration | C |
Application | B |
Overall score | B |
$98.71
Japanese | est エスト ザ エマルジョン II |
---|---|
Hydration | B |
Application | D |
Overall score | C |
$15.55
Japanese | ELIXIR REFLET バランシング おしろいミルク |
---|---|
Hydration | C |
Application | C |
Overall score | C |
$9.38
Japanese | ロート製薬 肌ラボ 白潤プレミアム(医薬部外品) |
---|---|
Hydration | C |
Application | C |
Overall score | C |
$9.29
Japanese | 無印良品 乳液・敏感肌用 しっとりタイプ |
---|---|
Hydration | C |
Application | C |
Overall score | C |
$25.05
Japanese | コーセー ルシェリ リフトグロウ エマルジョン |
---|---|
Hydration | D |
Application | C |
Overall score | D |
$35.64
Japanese | FUJIFILM アスタリフト エマルジョン |
---|---|
Hydration | D |
Application | C |
Overall score | D |
$29.99
Japanese | 花王 ソフィーナ ジェンヌ 混肌のための高保湿UV乳液(医薬部外品) |
---|---|
Hydration | D |
Application | D |
Overall score | D |
Image | 1 ![]() MINON | 2 ![]() Sofina | 3 ![]() Orbis | 4 ![]() Juju Cosmetics | 5 ![]() Sofina | 6 ![]() Arouge | 7 ![]() episteme | 8 ![]() Kikumasamune | 9 ![]() Transino | 10 ![]() FANCL | 11 ![]() Aqualabel | 12 ![]() ceracolla | 13 ![]() d program | 14 ![]() d program | 15 ![]() Nameraka Honpo | 16 ![]() est | 17 ![]() ELIXIR | 18 ![]() cutura | 19 ![]() Hada Labo | 20 ![]() Muji | 21 ![]() Kose | 22 ![]() Astalift | 23 ![]() Sofina |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Amino Moist Moist Charge Milk | jenne Moisturizing Gel Lotion for Combination Skin | Aqua Force White Moisture-M | Aquamoist Fermented Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing Lotion | beauté Moisturizing Lotion Super Moist | Moist Treatment Gel | day moisture emulsion a | Nihonshu no Nyueki – Sake Lotion | Medicated Whitening Clear Milk | Moist Refine Emulsion II | White Up Emulsion II | Moisture Milk | Moist Care Emulsion R | Balance Care Emulsion R II | Soymilk Isoflavone Lotion | the emulsion II | REFLET Balancing Oshiroi Milk | Milky Lotion | Shirojyun Premium with White Tranexamic Acid & Vitamin C Medicated Whitening Lotion | Moisturizing Milk Moisture | LECHÉRI Lift Glow Emulsion II | Emulsion | jenne Moisturizing UV Lotion for Combination Skin |
Features | Pretty Astounding When it Comes to Hydration! The Ultimate Drugstore Lotion | We’re Obsessed With This Lotion and Its Refreshing Scent of Spring | A See-Through Gel That’s a Bit Slimy but Also Super Hydrating | Worth Way More than Its Price Tag. Serious Hydration, as Long as You Can Get Over the Tackiness | Soft Scent of Dew-Covered Petals. Moisturizes Your Skin, Leaving it Soft, if a Bit Tacky | Lightweight Formula, but Still Manages to Be Incredibly Moisturizing | Makes Skin Feel Smooth and Soft–Shame it Doesn’t Actually Hydrate | Best Quality for the Price; Serviceable as Long as You Don’t Mind the Smell of Sake | Bit Sticky upon Application, but Skin Feels Hydrated After it’s Set | Spreads Easily and Absorbs Readily into Skin; Hydration is Average | Refreshing Both in Scent (Minty) and Texture (Light) | Hydrating, but Thick and Leaves a Sticky Residue | It’s Meant for Dry Skin, but It’s Not That Moisturizing... | Smells a Bit like Alcohol; Won’t be Enough to Quench Dehydrated Skin | Light and Silky; Worth a Try if You Aren’t Picky About Skincare | We’ll Take the Stickiness, but We Can’t Take the Smell | Felt Light on Skin; Will Work Well as a UV Base | Bottle Keeps Its Contents from Oxidizing; We Just Can’t Get Over the Medicinal Smell | Will Probably Help With Whitening, but Feels Quite Sticky | We Don’t Mind the Tackiness That Much, but the Cap Doesn’t Want to be Opened | Can’t Expect Much Hydration; Packaging’s a Hit or Miss | Why is it So Tacky When it Doesn’t Even Moisturize? | Closer to Sunscreen Than Lotion |
Price | $15.53 | $30.09 | $27.81 | $5.10 | $26.71 | $25.07 | $129.11 | $5.90 | $32.75 | $13.34 | $12.53 | $7.10 | $30.94 | $30.34 | $11.94 | $98.71 | $15.55 | $12.51 | $9.38 | $9.29 | $25.05 | $35.64 | $29.99 |
Japanese | 第一三共ヘルスケア ミノンアミノモイスト 保温乳液 | 花王 ソフィーナ ジェンヌ 混合肌のための高保湿ジェル乳液 | ORBIS アクアフォース ホワイトモイスチャー(医薬部外品) | A | 花王 ソフィーナボーテ 高保湿乳液 | アルージェ モイスト トリートメント ジェル | ロート製薬 エピステーム デイモイスチュアエマルジョンa | 菊正宗酒造 日本酒の乳液 | 第一三共ヘルスケア トランシーノ 薬用ホワイトニングクリアミルク(医薬部外品) | FANCL モイストリファイン 乳液IIしっとり | 資生堂ジャパン アクアレーベル ホワイトアップ エマルジョン(医薬部外品) | 明色化粧品 セラコラ 保湿乳液 | d プログラム モイストケア エマルジョン R | d プログラム バランスケア エマルジョン R 2(医薬部外品) | 常盤薬品工業 なめらか本舗 乳液 | est エスト ザ エマルジョン II | ELIXIR REFLET バランシング おしろいミルク | キュチュラ とろ~り乳液 | ロート製薬 肌ラボ 白潤プレミアム(医薬部外品) | 無印良品 乳液・敏感肌用 しっとりタイプ | コーセー ルシェリ リフトグロウ エマルジョン | FUJIFILM アスタリフト エマルジョン | 花王 ソフィーナ ジェンヌ 混肌のための高保湿UV乳液(医薬部外品) |
Hydration | A+ | B | A | B | B | A | C | A | B | B | B | B | C | C | C | B | C | C | C | C | D | D | D |
Application | A | A+ | B | A | A | C | A | D | B | B | C | C | B | B | B | D | C | C | C | C | C | C | D |
Overall score | A+ | A+ | A | A | A | A | A | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | C | C | C | C | C | D | D | D | |
Link |
We tried out each of the 24 products and tested them for how hydrating they were and how easy they were to apply. Then we gave each one a final grade.
First and foremost, we looked at hydration. We used a moisture analyzer and compared the state of our skin before application to its state eight hours after application.
Next, we tried applying the lotions. We gathered up a few volunteers from several departments and had them talk about things like the fragrance and texture of the lotions, as well as whether the packaging was well-designed.
Author: Yukina Matsuda/Translation: Jasmine Li/Photos: Koichi Miura, Yoshio Yoshida
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