Coming out of the pandemic, Japan has become an even more popular destination during this revenge travel boom. With this, their beauty and skincare products have since grown even more popular as well! In Japan especially, drug store doesn’t mean it can't compete with high-end quality. Here’s a list of the country's best performing and quality drugstore beauty products that you need to try, without having to fly out!

DHC Lip Cream

This DHC Lip Cream is Japan’s best selling lip balm for good reason. The combination of ingredients from virgin olive oil, aloe essence, licorice and vitamin E deliver a smooth glide, non-sticky lightweight wear, and maximum hydration for the lips. Among lip oils, lip masks, glosses and most especially other lip balms, DHC lip cream hydrates and softens the lips like no other. Many variations of this product are also available such as the colored versions, botanical oil, UV moisture, flavored moisture, and others.

Hada Labo Skincare Products

Hada Labo skincare is most known for its Gokujyun series, which delivers intensive hydration to give that mochi skin effect: firm and hydrated. This series covers the skincare routine from start to finish– Wash, prep, moisturize, with its products ranging from face wash, toner, emulsion, cream, beauty serum and face mask. Among these, the top-seller is the toner. The brand also offers several other skincare ranges that cater to differing skin needs.

Biore Cleansing Oil Makeup Remover

The Biore Cleansing Oil Makeup has grown undeniably popular because it provides a thorough yet gentle cleanse without leaving a greasy finish. It effectively melts away stubborn and waterproof makeup without stripping the skin of its moisture, leaving the skin feeling clean yet still hydrated. Best of all, it does all this very quickly!

Senka Perfect Whip Facial Cleanser

If you haven’t already seen or heard of this cleanser or any variation of it, you must be living under a rock! As Japan’s best selling cleanser, the product is best at clearing the skin of impurities and buildup while being light and gentle to keep the skin remaining conditioned. From the name itself, this cleanser creates a perfect whipped or foamy consistency as it lathers onto the skin.

Rohto Melano CC Intensive Anti-Spot Essence

Melano CC Vitamin C is claimed to deliver more benefits than you'd typically get from just one skincare product. These include lightening of dark spots or acne marks, moisture retention, reduced inflammation and sebum production, and fighting premature aging to result in radiant, supple, and youthful skin. As a Japanese cult-favorite, it is safe to assume that it indeed does all that. With this, you can use this product for either a spot treatment or all over the face for an overall brightening effect.

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K-Palette Real Lasting Eye-liner and Eyebrow Liquid Pens

The K-palette eyeliner and eyebrow pens boast their lasting power with the “1 Day Tattoo” line distinctly seen in their product packaging. Apart from this, they're highly pigmented, waterproof, smudge proof, and user-friendly with its easy application. The felt tip of these products allow for precise strokes on your lids and brows to create any look that you're aiming to achieve. Lighter application for a more natural look while also having the ability to build up a full dramatic effect.

Heroine Make Volume and Curl Mascara and Speedy Mascara Remover

The Heroine Make Volume and Curl Mascara ticks all the boxes. Volumizing, holds the curl, waterproof, oil proof, smudge proof, all checked. It also conditions and protects your lashes with its serum ingredients? Still a check! What more could you ask for? The Speedy Mascara Remover completely melts away the most waterproof and stubborn mascaras. With the slim wand, it can easily reach the base of the lashes, ensuring that no leftover product remains.

Shiseido Fino Hair Mask

While Shiseido is popularly known for its higher end range of products, they also produce high quality affordable products available in the Japanese drugstores that are worth trying. Case in point, the Shiseido Fino Hair Mask. This hair mask is formulated to restore health and shine to dry and damaged hair, making it a perfect product for those with chemically treated hair. Fortified with seven different essences, it boosts moisture penetration leaving one with repaired, smooth, and strengthened hair.

Utena Matomage Hair Styling Stick

It’s all in the details: Utena Matomage hair styling stick is the product you need to bring a hair look from finished to perfect. This hair styling wax stick tames unwanted frizzy strands and holds baby hairs in place for a seamless and clean look. It comes in two variations, the red one being the regular variant while the blue one being the strong hold. Both variants come in an easy to use packaging where the product is directly applied to the hair and does not leave you hair with the typical stiff texture that other hair styling tools tend to do. Sleek “clean girl” hairstyles are all the rage right now and there’s no better finishing product to help us hop on the trend than this hair styling stick.

&Honey Hair Deep Moisture Line

You can never go wrong with giving your hair the deep hydration it's most likely needing right now. &Honey Hair’s Deep Moisture Line gives us just that in the luxurious and transformative formulas of their 4 step product range offering.

1.0 &honey Deep Moist Shampoo
1.5 &honey Deep Moist Hair Pack
2.0 &honey Deep Moist Treatment
3.0 &honey Deep Moist Hair Oil

The 3.0 &honey Deep Moist Hair Oil is the best selling product of the range as it packs the deepest moisture onto the hair among all the others. As the most potent one of the bunch, it fulfills another level of hair nourishment and sustains it. As for the entire range, it provides an ultimate moisture replenishment like no other.

Article by Charlisse Chua

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