At some point in our lives, we’ve all been a bit conscious of our skin.
The majority of the time, it’s just the natural cycle of us growing up. From adolescent years spent obsessing over pimples and breakouts to aging into our older years and despairing at the first sign of a wrinkle – sometimes you just have to kick back, relax, and say ‘it is what it is.’
However, when it comes to things such as dull skin (restless nights, anyone?), eye bags (lack of sleep?), or even freckles, you have options.
Japanese skin whitening products have been around for decades and are the holy grail of Japanese women’s skincare routines.
We’ll preface this article by noting that Japanese skin whitening products are by no means meant to ‘whiten’ your skin tone to alter its color. Rather, they’ve been developed to give your skin a ‘glow’, correct dark eye circles, target hyperpigmentation and sunspots, and so on.
The 10 Best Japanese Skin Whitening Product
Have you heard of the term ‘mochi skin’ before? It’s the ideal standard for Japanese women, and it means to have skin that boasts a youthful glow and bounciness, reminiscent of a mochi ball.
With Japanese skin whitening products, you will be on the right road to achieving mochi skin.
Let’s have a look at the best Japanese skin whitening products on the market right now.
- Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Gel Cream
- Kao Curel Whitening Moisture Lotion
- Kose Medicated Sekkisei Cream
- Senka Junpaku No Makeup Shirayuki White Beauty Facial Serum
- Meishoku Whitening Eye Cream
- Shiseido White Lucent Brightening and Illuminating Micro-Spot Serum for Dark Spot Treatment
- Hada Labo Shirojyun Premium Whitening Lotion
- Melano CC Intensive Spots Prevention Beauty Essence
- Ishizawa Transparent White Skin Lotion
- Shiseido HAKU Melano Focus Serum
1. Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Gel Cream
First up on the list is the Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Gel Cream. This is an incredibly popular option amongst Japanese women, albeit it is slightly on the more expensive side.
It is a refreshing and light gel moisturizer that works to correct dark spots and pre-emptively protect against the discolouration of the skin.
This cream features ReNeura Technology+ which helps to maintain the effectiveness of the moisturizer over time. It also boasts containing zero parabens and mineral-oil.
Try this moisturizer for brighter, dewier, more supple skin.
Summary:
- Targets dullness, dark spots, and uneven skin tone
- Paraben and mineral-oil free
- Leaves skin more vibrant
2. Kao Curel Whitening Moisture Lotion
Are dark spots and freckles your main concern? Curel’s Whitening Moisture Lotion is a product that is popular for its effectiveness in addressing this exact issue.
It works to gently brighten dark spots and freckles, actively suppress melanin production, and improve skin moisture for more radiant and supple skin.
Because it’s Curel, you also get the guarantee that this product is one of the gentlest Japanese skin whitening products on the market.
Summary:
- No added fragrance, colorant, and alcohol
- Suitable for sensitive skin types
- Targets dark spots and freckles
3. Kose Medicated Sekkisei Cream
Kose Medicated Sekkisei Cream is one of the most highly rated Japanese skin whitening products, and it’s pretty clear why.
This rich water-based cream hydrates the face whilst effectively suppressing melanin production. To do this, it includes natural ingredients such as coix seeds and Korean ginseng.
Whilst it’s a little on the heavier side, it feels surprisingly refreshing on the skin, penetrating the barriers immediately and leaving the skin feeling silky-smooth.
Summary:
- Contains natural ingredients such as Korean ginseng, and coix seeds
- Hydrates and protects against age spots and freckles
4. Senka Junpaku No Makeup Shirayuki White Beauty Facial Serum
For a facial serum, the Junpaku White Beauty Facial Serum is relatively rich in texture. This gives an added layer of moisturizing effect to the skin, with some people saying they may even skip the last moisturizing step when using this product.
The main purpose of this White Beauty Facial Serum is to target dark spots, textured pores, and dryness. It also works from a preventative angle to avoid pigmentation from UV exposure.
Read More: Best Japanese Skin Serums
It contains the super ingredient hyaluronic acid for a superior boost of moisture, as well as well-regarded ingredients such as rice bran, honey, and white lily essence.
Summary:
- Targets dark spots, textured pores, and dryness
- Prevents pigmentation
- Contains hyaluronic acid
5. Meishoku Whitening Eye Cream
Meishoku Whitening Eye Cream is a wonderful product designed for those looking to pay some extra attention around the eyes. Its main purpose is to brighten the skin around the soft area around the eyes as well as provide anti-aging protection.
This product contains placenta extract, a widely popular ingredient specifically used to prevent melanin production. It also contains collagen and Job’s Tears extract which helps to improve the elasticity and firmness of the skin as well as provide a boost of hydration.
Summary:
- Contains placenta extract, Job’s Tears, and collagen
- Brightens the skin around the eyes
- Improves elasticity and firmness
You will find here more recommendation of amazing Japanese eye creams.
6. Shiseido White Lucent Brightening and Illuminating Micro-Spot Serum for Dark Spot Treatment
Shiseido has developed this powerful Micro-Spot Serum to specifically target and fade the look of dark spots on the skin for radiant, bright skin.
It contains ReNeura Technology+ which works to effectively treat discoloration, dullness, and uneven skin tone. As a result, you’ll start to see smoother and more youthful skin in no time.
It is recommended that you layer it with other existing Shiseido White Lucent skincare products for optimum results.
Summary:
- Contains ReNeura Technology+
- Targets dark spots, dullness, and uneven skin tone
- Contains white sand lily extract
7. Hada Labo Shirojyun Premium Whitening Lotion
Hada Labo is definitely in the more affordable price range if you’re looking to get started on skin whitening products and are not sure where to start.
The Shirojyun Premium Whitening Lotion is a wonderful refreshing lotion that works to treat dark spots and pigmentation as well as uneven skin tone. It also aims to prevent discolouration and improve skin complexion.
This product contains Vitamin C and Vitamin E as well as Tranexamic Acid for the whitening effect. It also boasts two types of hyaluronic acid to inject intense hydration levels into the skin.
Summary:
- Contains Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Tranexamic Acid
- Contains 2 types of hyaluronic acid
- Treats dark spots and pigmentation
- Prevents discoloration
- Improves skin complexion
8. Melano CC Intensive Spots Prevention Beauty Essence
This intensive anti-spot treatment by Melano CC is the perfect option for those who want to target dark spots and hyperpigmentation, but also have acne-prone skin and are conscious about what products they put on their face.
It contains healthy amounts of Vitamin C and Vitamin E as well as anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial ingredients that work to prevent melanin production and treat acne.
If your skin in sensitive to breakouts, this treatment reduces redness and irritation whilst simultaneously wiping out the bacteria that causes acne production.
Summary:
- Prevents and treats dark spots and hyper-pigmentation
- Contains anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial ingredients to target and prevent blemishes and acne
- Helps reduce redness and irritation
9. Ishizawa Transparent White Skin Lotion
The exterior of the Ishizawa Transparent White Skin Lotion bottle is quite unassuming, but it packs a powerful punch for you to achieve bright, translucent skin in no time.
This lotion specifically aims to give you that supple, bouncy mochi skin texture that Japanese people know and love. It contains Vitamin C, soy milk fermentation, placenta, and collagen to give the skin a youthful makeover. It also contains hyaluronic acid for a great moisture boost.
Summary:
- Aims to give you bright, translucent skin
- Contains Vitamin C, soy milk fermentation, placenta, and collagen
10. Shiseido HAKU Melano Focus Serum
The HAKU line of products is one of the leading high-quality skin whitening products in Japan.
This particular serum boasts an advanced concept of pigmented spot protection by targeting the root cause of pigmented spot formation. It then acts quickly to suppress the melanin production, resulting in clear, dewy, radiant skin with a translucent appearance.
It boasts two types of active brightening ingredients: the highly penetrative 4MSK, and m-tranexamic – both of which are effective against melanin suppression.
Summary:
- Prevents dark spots and pigmentation
- Targets the root cause of spot formation
- Contains 4MSK and m-tranexamic, effective against melanin suppression
If you’ve always been curious about Japanese skin whitening products, there’s no better time like the present to start testing out a few products!
As most beauty and skincare experts say, the best way to treat is to prevent. Combining these skin whitening products with a proper skincare routine that ends in SPF+ and you’ll be winning at self-care.
Have you tried any of these listed products before? If so, which is your favourite? Tell us more about it in the comments section below!
For more beauty tips, feel free to also read our list of the best Japanese beauty products here!
hello thank you for this list of products ! may I ask you if similar products exist for the body as well ?
You are welcome! The team will look for similar products for body and we will write a post about it. 🙂 Thank you!