10 Best Japanese Body Washes in 2021 - Tried and True! (Minon, Clover, and More)

We tested each of the body washes for the following: how well they cleaned and moisturized our skin, how much good stuff was in them, and how rich of a foam they produced. Then, based on how they performed on our tests, we graded and chose three of the best Japanese body washes available online. 

※Japanese prices for some of the products are given; they’ve merely been converted into USD for easy viewing.

While our top three picks were great overall, here are a seven more choices that may appeal more to those looking for more moisturizing options and for those with particularly sensitive or dry skin.

We put each of the 48 popular body washes we purchased through a series of four tests to gauge their effectiveness. Two tests focused on their moisturizing and cleansing powers while the other two examined their ingredients and foam density. After we tested, we picked 10 of the best and ranked them above. Here's how we tested the products.

We first tested out a body wash's most important factor: its cleansing ability. To do this, we applied a thin layer of pseudo-skin oil made from stearic acid, oleic acid, and dye to synthetic skin.

Then, to simulate the body wash experience as accurately as possible, we mixed each body wash with the same small amount of water and blended it with an electric hand mixer for 30 seconds. For foam body washes, we just put three pumps' worth of product into a plastic cup.

Then we moved each plate of synthetic skin and oil back and forth about 20 times in each cup of body wash. We then rated them on a scale of 1.0 to 5.0 based on how much oil was removed from the sample plate.

The clear winners in our test were liquid body washes that used soaps as their main cleansing ingredients. Foam body washes gave us the same amount of cleansing power if they similarly had a high amount of soap cleansers. 

Overall, however, foam body washes didn't cleanse very well, so if you need a good scrubbing, we'd recommend a liquid type. 

Next, we applied each product directly to our skin, rubbed it in a few times, and then washed it off to test our skin's moisture retention.

We used this tool to measure our skin's moisture levels before and after washing. Our results showed that body soaps with a lot of moisturizing ingredients in them helped our skin stay hydrated and supple. 

On the other hand, body washes with simple ingredients tended to dry out our skin. If you have dry skin or want to preserve your skin's moisture, look for those added moisturizers and emollients. 

We tested the ingredients of each body wash using two methods.

The first was to ask the opinion of Mizuha, a sensitive skin care specialist. She examined the ingredients of each body wash to check the following:

• The quality of surfactants, the main cleansers in a body wash
• Whether or not skin-irritating ingredients were included
• The presence of moisturizing ingredients
• Whether or not it contained ingredients that could sooth skin irritation

Medicated products don't always have all of their ingredients listed, so she checked the ones provided.

The second method we used to test each product was an egg white protein denaturation test. This is the photo of each product in a plastic cup that looks a bit yellow.

We separated products that were soap-type (since these are slightly alkaline) and products that were weakly acidic and only tested the weakly acidic ones. This test measures how much potential irritation a product could cause on your hair or skin.

So we mixed select body washes with an egg white that's rich in protein and checked to see how white it turned. The whiter it was, the higher the chance for skin irritation.

Our tests revealed that body washes with amino acid cleansers, soap cleansers, and additive-free cleansers were the least likely to cause irritation. It was body soaps with added scents, ethanol, or a surplus of mineral oils and plant extracts that were more likely to cause redness.

Mineral oils are revered for their relaxing scent and antibacterial properties, but too many of them can have an adverse effect on your skin. So if you have sensitive skin, you should stick to as few mineral oils as possible.

The final thing we tested for was foam density, which can prevent excess friction to your skin and wash your body gently.

We added an equal amount of water to each liquid soap and mixed it with a hand mixer for about 30 seconds. We especially looked out for body washes that foamed up quickly.

Then we measured their level of foam; for foam-type body washes, we just judged how they came out of the pump.

Interestingly, we didn't see much of a difference between liquid and foam types. If you want a bubbly body wash that will wash your body super gently, we recommend Cow Brand soaps.

Here are four big things to look out for when picking out your next body wash.

Different levels of cleansing power in a body wash are suited for different skin type. Knowing yours and your family's skin type can make your search much easier.

If you have dry skin or the body wash is going to be used by children, gentleness should be one of your top priorities. Mild cleansers like amino acids and ampholytic surfactants will do the job. Here are some ingredients to look out for on the label.

Amino acid cleansers

• Sodium cocoyl glutamate
• Potassium cocoyl glycinate
• Sodium lauroyl methylaminopropionate

Ampholytic surfactants

• Sodium cocoamphoacetate
• Cocamidopropyl betaine

Amino acid cleansers don't always get the cleansing job done, especially if you have oily skin. A body wash with soaps or carboxylic acids is better suited for you.

Soap-type cleansers are especially powerful, so we recommend this to those who want to feel squeaky clean after their shower or bath. Here are some ingredients to look for.

Soap ingredients

• Soap
• Fatty acids (lauric, myristic, palmitic, etc.) with sodium or potassium hydroxide

Carboxylic acids

• Sodium laureth-4 carboxylate
• Sodium benzoate

You may be thinking, "What good are moisturizing ingredients if I'm just going to wash it off?" These aren't meant to provide moisture to your skin, but rather to provide a cushion between the soap and your skin.

These ingredients will provide a helpful barrier for your skin especially during dryer seasons like autumn and winter. Here's what you should keep an eye out for.

Natural moisturizing ingredients

• Ceramides (ceramide 1-3, 6 II, etc.)
• PCA-Na
• Amino acids
• Sodium lactate

(*not to be confused with lactate, a peeling ingredient!)

Emollients

• Squalane
• (type) oil
• (type) fat

Whether you have sensitive skin or you're going to be using the same body wash as a family, you'll want something that irritates your skin as little as possible. This is often advertised on body wash labels as "non-irritating" or "for sensitive skin".

If you're unsure of how you'll react to a body wash, here are some ingredients you may want to avoid.

What to avoid if you have sensitive skin

• Ethanol, denatured alcohols
• Fragrances
• Dyes
• Preservatives (parabens*, benzoic acid, etc.)
• An abundance of mineral oils or plant-based ingredients

*Not all parabens are irritating. Makers choose ingredients such as parabens to include in their products after much thought and thorough testing. Parabens used in large amounts or have strong antibacterial properties may cause irritation for some people.

A good foam will reduce the amount of friction and damage to your skin in the washing process. Pump type containers that produce an ample amount of froth with just one push reduce time and effort for you and especially for children.

A great liquid body wash will produce tons of bubbles with only a little bit of product, which also makes them cost efficient. You can read reviews to find out the specifics of foam.

Washing? Done. Now it's time to make sure you're using only the best for your follow-up skin care.

We rounded up members from our editing department, purchased the 49 most popular Japanese body washes, and tested them all.

We learned that the best of the best body washes have a dense foam that prevents damage to your skin, protects you from losing valuable moisture, and cleanses thoroughly. Read reviews or test out products for yourself to get a better feel for texture and smell; this is just the start of your search!

Author: Yurie Katafuchi/Translation: Shannon McNaught/Photos: Yuuki Inagaki, Ayumu Sasaki

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A sponge or loofah can help you with exfoliation and can easily suds up your chosen body wash. They can also be great in getting to those hard-to-reach places. If you're looking for a great sponge option, check out this one recommended by skincare blogger Richard Davies.