You dont have javascript enabled! Please enable it! J-Beauty 101: A Beginner's Guide to Japanese Lotions

J-Beauty 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Japanese Lotions

Japanese “lotion” is an all-encompassing J-beauty term for “toner” (as well as K-beauty’s “skin” and “first essence”). It refers to the first leave-on product you apply to freshly cleansed skin.

In Japan, “lotion” is also called keshousui 化粧水 (or “cosmetics water”).

Let’s start with what Japanese watery lotions are not:

    • They aren’t a type of moisturiser (although do have hydrating properties).
    • They aren’t intended to remove traces of makeup left behind by (bad) cleansers.

Functions of Japanese Lotions

Using a Japanese lotion is considered an essential skin care step in Japan and they have 2 primary functions:

1. Prepare for skin care products that follow by softening skin.

2. Hydrate skin.

  • It’s common for Japanese skincare brands to offer 2–3 moisture levels to suit different skin types.

Many Japanese lotions also have additional functions such as…

…the list goes on.

How To Apply Japanese Lotions

There’re 3 ways of applying Japanese lotions:

1. Gently pat it onto your skin with your hands.

  • It’s worth noting that a lot of skincare experts in Japan actually advise against using your hands. They say using your hands to apply leads to uneven application.

2. Use a cotton pad.

3. Saturate a few cotton pads and use it “Japanese lotion sheet mask”.

How can Japanese lotions be hydrating when most contain alcohol?

Alcohol is a common ingredient in Japanese lotions (and other skin care products like sunscreens). It’s added to give the product a lighter texture and help it absorb into the skin faster. In a lot of Japanese lotion formulas, the alcohol doesn’t dry out the skin due to the high concentration of hydrating ingredients that are also present.

Alcohol is an essential ingredient in high humidity environments like Japan. Without it, the product can take quite a long time to completely absorb the skin.

There are alcohol-free options available but are typically aren’t as popular in Japan for the reasons just mentioned. They can work well, however, if you live in an arid environment.

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