15 Best Japanese Moisturizers For All Skin Types & Budgets (In 2023)
Looking for a new and unique moisturizer that truly works? Try these 15 best Japanese moisturizers that can accommodate all skin types!
From sushi and sumo wrestling to high-tech neon lights, mochi, and skincare, Japan has it all down to a fine art. The East Asian country has become a popular tourist destination for those interested in beauty and skin care as it produces many products with unique formulas.
There’s a reason why Japanese women have the clear, smooth skin that we all yearn for: their Japanese skincare game is impressive.
Every beauty aficionado has at least a few Japanese beauty products in their bathroom cabinet or makeup bag, perhaps even without realizing it. Japanese beauty brands might not be as popular or as hyped as their Korean counterparts, but we promise you, their products are just as effective thanks to their lightweight formulas and natural ingredients for guaranteed flawless skin.
Whether you’re looking to get a dewy, glowing complexion or hydrate the pesky dry patch on your chin that just won’t go away, there are amazing Japanese moisturizers for all different skin types. We’ve also found a few moisturizers that can also combat the appearance of aging, soothe sensitive skin, combat dark spots, and reduce oily skin build-up along your T-zone.
With the colder winter months right around the corner, now is the time to add a few Japanese moisturizers to your roster of hydrating products so you can achieve beautiful skin.
The Best Japanese Moisturizers… For Oily & Acne-Prone skin
1. Hatomugi Skin Conditioning Gel
Get this at Walmart
This lightweight moisturizer can be applied to your face or body, depending on the area that’s in dire need of some hydration. Its formula has no sticky texture and is gel-like, which allows your pores to quickly drink it up instead of getting clogged, leaving your skin replenished with hydration.
This skin conditioning gel is perfect for those with acne-prone or problematic skin as it’s quickly absorbed and doesn’t leave any unwanted residue.
The Hatomugi Skin Conditioning Gel contains a natural moistening ingredient called coix seed extract. This key ingredient is known to reduce melanin, naturally brighten your skin, and reduce any swelling or redness. A small amount goes a long way, so this will last you a long time!
2. DHC Super Collagen Cream
Get this on Ulta
The DHC Super Collagen Cream could literally fit into any of the skin type categories but we had to pick one. Because the cream is made with organic olive oil that’s rich in antioxidants, it’s safe for those with oily and acne-prone skin as it’s non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores).
Along with olive oil, this miracle cream also contains vitamin E, glycogen, citric acid, and Dipeptide-8, DHC’s patented skin-firming molecule that absorbs quickly and provides maximum hydration for healthy skin.
The skin-firming collagen molecule also plumps your skin, leaving you with a more youthful complexion. This is definitely one of the best Japanese moisturizers available!
3. Naturie – Hatomugi Skin Conditioning Gel
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The reasons why we love this brand are endless, starting with its adorable name and commitment to using natural, botanical ingredients. This Skin Conditioning Gel contains coix seed extract, an ingredient that naturally moisturizes and hydrates your dry skin. It also forms a protective barrier on your skin, which fends off any damage from drying agents, pollution, or free radicals.
Because the gel is so potent, you’ll only require a small pea-sized amount each time you apply, which means one tub of Naturie Skin Conditioning Gel will last forever.
…For Anti-Aging
4. Shiseido Benefiance Enriched Wrinkle Smoothing Cream
Shiseido is a popular Japanese skincare brand that’s carried at luxury beauty stores like Ulta, Nordstrom, and Sephora. The brand’s Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Cream locks in moisture with its special ReNeura Technology+ and KOMBU-Bounce Complex that also serves as a natural wrinkle filler.
Along with keeping your skin looking and feeling soft, it also helps target current and future wrinkles. A small jar of this cream retails for around $70 but it will last for a very long time as you only require a pea-sized amount for each application.
5. SK-II SKINPOWER Airy Milky Lotion
Get this on Sephora
The SK-II SKINPOWER Airy Milky Lotion is not for the faint of heart as it’s a bit of an investment, retailing for just over $200. But if you’re wanting to improve your skin elasticity and bounciness while bringing back suppleness and getting rid of dead skin cells, it’s totally worth the money.
The lotion is made with a very special ingredient that’s derived from yeast fermentation (Pitera™, or Galactomyces ferment filtrate), which has become SK-II’s signature ingredient in most, if not all its products.
The ferment contains more than 50 vitamins, minerals, and acids that promote your skin’s natural functions. Other skin-plumping ingredients include calla lily extract, peony extract, and dokudami extract. It can be used in the morning and then again before bed as a night cream.
6. Hada Labo Tokyo Skin Plumping Gel Cream
Get this on Walgreens
Hada Labo’s Tokyo Skin Plumping Gel Cream is a good moisturizer for those wanting to fight fine lines and wrinkles but is also extremely hydrating, making it perfect for those with very dry skin – all for an affordable price. The lightweight cream is fragrance-free and contains science-backed ingredients like hyaluronic acid.
It offers powerful multi-layer hydration to dry and damaged skin while effectively reducing wrinkles and restoring radiance. What won’t you get with this cream? Unnecessary dyes and scents, and other ingredients that can clog your pores and burden your skin.
…For Stubborn Dry Skin
7. Hada Labo Rohto Goku-Jun New Hyaluronic Cream
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If you suffer from chronic dry skin on your face or body, a cream that contains hyaluronic acid is exactly what you need. Hyaluronic acid is actually something that we produce in our bodies and it’s responsible for keeping our eyes and joints well-lubricated.
The Hada Labo Rohto Goku cream locks any moisture into your skin while enhancing your skin’s natural restorative powers. For optimal results, apply the lightweight cream to the problem area several times per day.
8. Shiseido Essential Energy Moisturizing Cream
This silky smooth Japanese moisturizer uses citrus unshiu peel extract, hyaluronic acid, and the brand’s ReNeura Technology to hydrate your skin and support its own moisture-generating functions.
The hyaluronic acid will keep your beautiful face hydrated for up to eight hours and will stimulate your skin so that it’s responsive to your other serums and gels. This formula is noncomedogenic, paraben-free, mineral oil-free, and approved by dermatologists. After application, you’ll be feeling fresh and looking mighty fine with clear skin!
9. SK-II SKINPOWER Cream
Get this on Sephora
The SK-II SKINPOWER Cream is silky smooth and will restore your skin’s natural moisture, leaving it plump and healthy. It contains the SK-II special ingredient, Pitera, that’s derived from yeast fermentation, bringing plenty of micronutrients to your depleted skin, as we mentioned above.
This cream definitely costs a pretty penny ($312) but if you deal with painful, dry skin on a regular basis, it’s a small price to pay. There’s nothing more depressing than applying makeup to your face when it’s irritated and peeling.
SK-II is one of the best and most hyped Japanese brands, full stop, and this moisturizer is definitely one to try if you can afford it.
10. Tatcha Indigo Overnight Repair Serum in Cream Treatment
Get this on Sephora
Disclaimer: While Tatcha is not technically a Japanese brand, it’s Japanese-inspired and based on Japanese beauty rituals. The founder, Vicky Tsa learned about all the best skincare ingredients to use in her skincare from Japan, and took that knowledge to start the beauty brand in America.
So, while the brand’s products perform the same as other Japanese brands’ products, if you want to try a cream from a 100% genuine Japanese brand, feel free to skip our Tatcha recommendations.
With that out the way, let’s focus on this wonderful product. The intense Indigo Overnight Repair Serum Treatment is ideal for those who are absolutely sick of their dry, flaky skin.
The cream’s thick, rich and creamy texture makes it ideal for overnight use, especially during the colder months of the year. Indeed, it could be very difficult to cake foundation and powder on top of it during the day!
The cream helps calm irritation, strengthen your skin’s natural barrier, and restore glow. It contains hyaluronic acid, Japanese Indigo extract, and mondo grass root among other ingredients.
11. DHC Extra Nighttime Moisture
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When you have chronic dry skin, a nighttime moisturizer is absolutely essential. The cream’s collagen-rich formula will soothe your skin, restore hydration, and provide relief to dull, flaky skin.
In the morning, you’ll wake up to smooth and supple skin that you won’t want to cover with makeup. DHC’s Extra Nighttime Moisture cream contains organic olive oil, hydrating squalane, vitamin E, and hydrolyzed collagen.
12. Shiseido WASO: Clear Mega-Hydrating Moisturizer
Get this on Sephora
This clear gel moisturizer from Tokyo uses carrot cells and peony root extract to bring hydration to your skin while softening your skin’s imperfections. The WASO moisturizer will keep your skin moisturized and plump for up to 24 hours after application.
If you’re worried about the appearance of your pores, this potent Japanese cream can blur the look of those too. You’ll be amazed to hear that this holy grail cream only costs $38, making it one of the best affordable Japanese moisturizers.
…For Sensitive Skin
13. DHC Olive Virgin Oil Essential Cream
Get this on Ulta
This cream’s rich formula will nourish your skin while providing it with antioxidant protection and promoting elasticity. Because of its gentle ingredients, the DHC Olive Virgin Oil Essential Cream is safe for even the most sensitive of skin types.
Its soothing formula consists of olive oil sourced from Spain, squalane (derived from beeswax), tocotrienols, and hydrogenated rice bran, which is a long-prized ingredient found in many Japanese skincare products. This cream can be used in the morning and in the evening after washing your face.
14. Tatcha The Water Cream Oil-Free Pore Minimizing Moisturizer
Get this on Sephora
Tatcha is best known for its “water” creams that come in several varieties. This cream is wonderful for those with sensitive skin as it’s oil-free and won’t clog your pores or irritate your skin.
Tatcha uses powerful ingredients native to the country in all of its creams such as Japanese leopard lily, Japanese wild rose, and the brand’s signature Hadasei-3, which is a combination of green tea, rice water, and algae.
15. Minon Amino Moist Charge Milk
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This hypoallergenic moisturizing milk contains 11 different amino acids that will bring hydration to your sensitive skin. The paraben-free, dye-free, and alcohol-free formula will instantly moisturize your skin without making it feel sticky.
Customers have said that it’s best for people that don’t have greasy skin as it can give your face a bit of a shine. If you’re lacking glow and have skin that feels tight, the Minon Amino Moist Charge Milk will work wonders for you.
We hope you found your next moisturizer from these 15 best Japanese moisturizers – let us know in the comments section! If you’re still looking for more beauty inspo, check the posts down below.
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