Frequently Asked Questions
What is Japanese skin care best known for?
Like Korean skin care, Japanese skin care focuses on hydration and maintaining bouncy, mochi-like skin with simple-yet-innovative products, according to Dr. Liu.
Double cleansing and serum-like sunscreens are also quintessential parts of Japanese skin care. Most of the top beauty best sellers in Japan fall into those categories with nourishing cleansing oils, decadent foam cleansers, and SPF with barely there finishes. Plus, many of these Japanese beauty products tend to be on the more affordable side as they can often be found in Japanese drugstores alongside incredible haircare products. (But that’s another story for another time.)
What are the most popular ingredients in Japanese skin-care products?
J-beauty products are less about aggressively trying to “fix” skin and more about supporting it over time—a philosophy that extends to the ingredients themselves. According to Dr. Turegano, Japanese skin care often blends traditional ingredients with modern innovation, prioritizing hydration, barrier support, and long-term skin health. Some of the standout ingredients and technologies include:
- Fermentation technology: Especially galactomyces and Pitera-style ferments made famous by SK-II. “Fermented ingredients are rich in amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and postbiotic compounds that support hydration, improve skin texture and radiance, and strengthen the skin barrier,” says Dr. Turegano.
- Rice-based ingredients: Rice bran, rice ferment, and rice water have “a long history in Japanese beauty rituals” and are often used to “soften, brighten, hydrate, and support overall skin luminosity,” says Dr. Turegano. Rice bran is also naturally rich in antioxidants and skin-supportive lipids.
- Camellia oil (tsubaki oil): Traditionally used for both skin and hair, this antioxidant-rich oil is “rich in fatty acids,” helping nourish skin, reinforce the lipid barrier, and boost softness without feeling overly heavy.
- Green tea: Dr. Turegano notes that green tea is “rich in polyphenols like EGCG, which have potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties,” meaning it can calm redness, reduce oxidative stress, support the skin barrier, and even regulate excess oil.
- Seaweed and marine extracts: Common in Japanese formulations because they’re “rich in minerals, polysaccharides, amino acids, and humectant properties” that hydrate, soothe, and support the skin barrier, says Dr. Turegano.
You’ll also spot familiar skin-care staples like hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and panthenol throughout Japanese skin care—proof that J-beauty happily blends time-honored ingredients with modern barrier-protecting favorites.
Meet the experts
- Jaimie Glick, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City
- Jenny Liu, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Minnesota based in Minneapolis
- Mamina Turegano, MD, a board-certified dermatologist, internist, and dermatopathologist based in Metairie, Louisiana
- Geeta Yadav, MD, board-certified dermatologist based in Toronto, Canada
- Jane Yoo, MD, a dual board-certified dermatologist and Mohs surgeon based in New York City
- Yuui Vision, a makeup artist based in New York City
How we test and review products
When Allure tests a product, our editors look at it from every angle in an effort to best serve you. We review ingredients, scrutinize brand claims, and, when necessary, examine peer-reviewed scientific and medical studies. In addition to testing each and every product that’s included in each and every review, we rely on experts who shape their fields, including dermatology, cosmetic chemistry, and medicine, to help us vet the ingredients and formulas.
For our list of the best Japanese skin-care products, we considered each product’s performance across five primary categories: product ingredients and efficacy, packaging, fragrance, texture, and product wear. Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors—along with special consideration from dermatologists. To learn more information on our reporting and testing processes, read our complete reviews process and methodology page.
Our staff and testers
A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.
After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the “best” for people over 50 if the only testers we’ve solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it’s never been tested on curls? We’re proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.
Our favorite skin-care products come from all across the globe—let’s dive into them:
Done reading? Now, watch the SNL cast spill secrets after sipping the truth serum:
