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Japanese Acne Fighting Skincare Routine

15 items

daisy

Having suffered from acne once moving to Japan, I quickly learned the best products to clear my skin.
This is everything you need for an acne-fighting, wallet-friendly Japanese skincare routine

Sections

First Cleanser

Cleansers

Toners

Moisturizers

Face Masks

Acne Creams/Spot Treatments

First Cleanser

All Japanese skincare routines start with a first cleanse to take off dirt, sunscreen, and makeup. these are my two go-to's when my skin is feeling especially irritated.

Fancl's normal oil cleanser has been the top oil based cleanser in Japan for multiple years. I recommend use this charcoal infused one for oily skin as the first step for removing makeup.

Fancl Mild Cleansing Oil Black & Smooth

I rely on this when my skin is super damaged and can't handle super strong products. This formula is AMAZING and turns from a gel to a cooling water that takes off light makeup at night and preps your skin for makeup in the morning. It is non-irritat...

LAGOM - Cellup Gel To Water Cleanser

Cleansers

After the first cleanse, now it's time to go in with a foaming cleanser. Japanese skincare routines are all about the foaming cleanser to effectively get rid of any impurities that could cause acne. You might think that foaming cleansers will be too ...

D Program is a sub-brand of Shiseido, which means that they have put in the research for a cleanser that will keep your breakout under control while balancing your skin barrier. If you have an active breakout, this foaming cleanser, while not overly ...

Shiseido - D Program Essence In Cleansing Foam

Ultra foaming cult-classic face wash by Senka. Most people chose the blue bottle but I actually prefer the pink, hydrating one for sensitive and acne prone skin. A little goes a long way so this is a really cost effective cleansing option!

Senka Perfect Whip Collagen In Beauty Face Foam

Toners

Always add a hydrating toner after cleansing! If your feeling lazy, I recommend a spray type.

This hydrating toner is super gentle, moisturizing yet not heavy or tacky at all. Just one pump will make your skin feel smooth and perfectly moist. It's essential to moisturize even if you struggle with oily skin. Because of Japan's ultra humid clim...
Note that in Japan, toners are referred to as lotions. Confusing, right?

Shiseido - D Program Moist Care Lotion

My HG toner- it uses ceramides which leaves your skin feeling moisturized without being heavy or sticky. I swear my skin texture changed when using this toner. Plus it is a spray type so it is so easy to apply.

Curel Japanese Skin Care Deep Moisture Spray,

Moisturizers

Lock everything in with a moisturizer. These moisturizers are gentle and at a low price point. They are not too heavy so there is a low risk you will get more pimples from them!

Not too thick, gentle moisturizer, perfect for acne prone skin. This brand Curel is my go-to when my skin feels irritated thanks to the gentle formula.

Kao - Curel Intensive Moisture Care Moisture Facial Milk

If you have acne-prone skin it's time to skip heavy moisturizers and try out emulsions which are slightly more liquid moisturizers that hydrate your skin without clogging it. My favorite emulsion is this one by IHADA, another sub-brand by shiseido de...

Shiseido - IHADA Emulsion

This is a game changer for my skin. It is so hydrating, leaves my skin plump and soft. The texture is lightweight and feels so nice on the skin and won't make you break out.

Naturie Hatomugi Skin Conditioning Milk

Face Masks

Use a sheet mask 1-3 times a week. These are my reccommendations for acne prone skin:

This tea tree infused sheet mask is my go-to when dealing with acne flareups. It actively calms down pimples quickly thanks to the brand's original nano capsule technology which helps the ingredients penetrate into your skin faster than other sheet m...

Quality First - Derma Laser Super Teatree 100 Sheet Mask

This is one of the only salicylic acid products I can use without a reaction of some sort. It really works to reduce acne and redness while being super moisturizing too!

Kose - Clear Turn Sorry Bare Skin Kinishinai Mask

Acne Creams/Spot Treatments

These holy grail treatments will help to speed along your acne recovery. I use the pair acne cream every night to prevent hormonal flare-ups around my jaw line. Then I use the Melano CC vitamin C essence to help fade dark spots.

This acne cream changed my skin and is my GO TO for any type of acne, even those nasty chin pimples before that time of the month (if you know, you know.) Japanese girlies use this cream to calm and prevent pimples. It contains ibuprofen as one of th...

Pair Acne Cream

Melano CC vitamin C essence has a cult following for a reason- it is proven to reduce dark spots, especially those from hyperpigmentation after your pimples have gone away. There's seriously no need to dish out money for expensive products when you c...

Melano CC Vitamin C Essence

Sunscreens

USE SUNSCREEN! Protecting against the sun will help even out your skin tone and make the biggest difference out of every other product on this list for achieving your ideal, glowing and acne-free, skin.

No good acne fighting skincare routine is complete without a good sunscreen. I have recently been using this one from Skin Aqua. You can chose different colors to help with different skincare concerns like redness or brightening. I am currently using...

Skin Aqua Tone Up UV Essence SPF 50+ PA++++

This is a super lightweight serum formula that rubs in easily and quickly. It's a relatively new sunscreen from rohto and it might just be my HG. When I don't want color collection from the other sunscreen I go for this. It also says that you can use...

Skin Aqua Hyaluronic Serum UV SPF 50+ PA++++