5 Best Inexpensive Japanese Skin Care Brands

Must-Buy Skin Care Products by Japanese Drugstore Beauty Brands

Looking for high-quality but affordable Japanese cosmetics products?? At Japanese drugstores, you can find a wide selection of skin care products , and some of products offers amazing effectiveness, qualities and value for money. Because of the highly competitive market, many great skin care products are sold at very affordable prices (between 1,000~2,000 yen) in Japan. But there are hundreds of products in stores, so it may be hard to choose which one is good or suits your skin.

I have previously introduced 5 best Japanese drugstore makeup brands and their top-selling makeup products, and this time, I’d like to share with you the list of the best Japanese drugstore skin care brands that offer high quality and affordable skin care products.

Related article: 5 Best Inexpensive Japanese Makeup Brands

*Please note that this article contains affiliate links.


1. HADA LABO

© ROHTO Pharmaceutical Co.,Ltd.

HADA LABO (肌ラボ) is a Japanese skin care brand developed by ROHTO, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the country. The brand offers skin care products that are not only effective but also very affordable.

HADA LABO is best known for their moisturizing skin care series “Gokujyun” with Super Hyaluronic Acid that provides intensive hydration to the skin. Gokujyun Hyaluronic Acid Lotion has been one of the top-selling toners in Japan over the past decade.

The brand offers a wide variety of skin care products including face wash, emulsion, all-in-one gel and sheet masks. There are also the premium edition (Gokujyun Premium), the skin-brightening line (Shirojyun) and the anti-aging skin care line (Gokujyun α) available besides the regular moisturizing Gokujyun line. Some of HADA LABO’s skin care products are available with the refill package that you can reduce waste and cost!

Check more HADA LABO’s best-selling skin care products!
Hada Labo Gokujyun Hyaluronic Acid Foaming Cleanser
Hada Labo Gokujyun Hyaluronic Acid Lotion
Hada Labo Gokujyun Perfect Gel

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2. Nameraka Honpo

Copyright © TOKIWA Phamaceutical Co.,Ltd.

Nameraka Honpo (なめらか本舗) is a skin care brand by SANA, the cosmetics company which owns several popular drugstore cosmetics brands such as EXCEL, MAIKOHAN and Keana Pate. The brand offers a wide range of skin care products including face wash, toner, moisturizer and face mask.

All products of Nameraka Honpo’s skin care series contains the moisturizing ingredient of soymilk isoflavone that delivers intense hydration and helps the skin to feel smooth and soft. One of the best-selling products is the Cleansing Face Wash. The rich and dense form gently washes the face and removes makeup, but leaves the skin smooth and moisturized.

Besides the basic line, the brand offers many different variations that you can choose depending your skin type or effectiveness such as the rich line for higher moisturization, the wrinkle line for anti-aging and the white line for skin brightening. Some of the skin care products can be also refilled.

Shop Nameraka Honpo’s top-selling skin care products!
Nameraka Honpo Cleansing Face Wash
Nameraka Honpo Cleansing Milk
Nameraka Honpo Skin Lotion

3. Naturie

© Imju Corporation.

Naturie (ナチュリエ) is a Japanese skin care brand belongs to the cosmetics company called imju, which has produced several cosmetics brands and award-winning drugstore beauty products such as eye makeup products by deJavu, lipsticks by OPERA and skin care products by naturie.

Naturie Hatomugi Skin Conditioner is top-selling skin care series which features natural Hatomugi (Job’s tear) extract which is highly moisturizing and keeps the skin soft and smooth. The products contains no colouring or fragrance additives, and has a hypoallergenic formula which is recommended for all skin type including sensitive skin and acne-prone skin.

Naturie Hatomugi Skin Conditioner series consists of two award winning skin care products. Naturie Skin Conditioner is a light-weight and refreshing skin toner that helps to normalize the turn over cycle of skin cells. The other is Skin Conditioning Gel, a highly moisturizing, non-greasy skin care gel which is recommended to use after the toner. Both products can be used for face and body. Also last year, Naturie Hatomugi Skin Conditioning Milk was newly added to the line up. It’s a milk type skin emulsion to achieve plumped and smooth skin.

Buy Naturie skin care products now!
Naturie Hatomugi Skin Conditioner
Naturie Hatomugi Skin Conditioning Gel

4. Melano CC

© ROHTO Pharmaceutical Co.,Ltd.

Melano CC (メラノ CC) is a skin care brand by ROHTO. The brand offers skin care products with highly penetrating technology Vitamin C which is effective for treating hyper-pigmentation such as dark spots, blemish and acne scars.

Currently the Melano CC skin care series includes a toner, face mask, beauty essence, gel and cream. The products are highly recommended for dry and damaged skin from UV rays or in order to prevent blemishes.

One of the most trending drugstore beauty products in Japan today is Melano CC Medicinal Vitamin C Essence. It’s formulated with Vitamin C and Vitamin E that give intensive care to the skin by reaching to the melanocytes and preventing dark spots and freckles. It also contains moisturizing ingredients and soothes the skin redness from acne or sunburn.

Check the price of Melano CC skin care products!
Melano CC Medicinal Vitamin C Essence
Melano CC Medicinal Vitamin C Lotion
Melano CC Intensive Treatment Face Mask

5. Curel

Copyright © Kao Corporation.

Curel (キュレル) is a skin care brand by KAO, one of the leading chemical and cosmetics companies in Japan. Comparing to above four brands, Curel’s skin care products might be slightly more costly, but also higher quality and effectiveness can be expected. If you have sensitive skin, Curel products are highly recommended as they are specially designed for sensitive, dry skin. All products are hypoallergenic and free of fragrance, colouring, and alcohol.

Curel’s skin care products are highly moisturizing, and contain ceramide functioning ingredients that helps to improve your skin’s natural barrier function. Along with the Naturie Hatomugi Skin Conditioning Gel, Curel Intensive Moisture Facial Cream is a winner of @cosme Hall of Fame title which is the most honorable award given to cosmetics products in Japan.

The brand offers a variety of products including basic skin care products, body and hair care products and sunscreens. Besides the regular skin care line (Intensive Moisture Face Care series), there are also the Sebum Care series designed for sensitive, oily skin, the Whitening Care series for dull skin with dark spots and freckles, and the Aging Care series for anti-aging.

Shop the best-selling products of Curel skin care series!
Curel Intensive Moisture Facial Cream
Curel Moisture Lotion III Enrich
Curel UV Cream


Thanks for reading! I hope you have enjoyed checking out the best Japanese drugstore skin care brands! Skin care products from the listed brands are widely available at drugstores, variety stores and cosmetics shops in Japan, but you can also purchase some of items from abroad!

Check an online beauty store Kokoro offering a wide selection of Japanese beauty products with worldwide shipping. Visit their website (Kokoro: http://bit.ly/32HfNbi) to check more Japanese cosmetics products! Free shipping is available when you spend over 40 USD 🙂

For more information about the latest Japanese cosmetics products, here are some more articles for you to check out!

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"The world is my oyster" A globetrotter 🌎 and hammock lover 🌞 who loves taking adventures to fuel wanderlust. Spent around a decade by living and travelling across the world and currently reside in Japan working as a social media writer for Japan Web Magazine 💻 I spend my days by researching and discovering new places and hidden gems for my next journey, and write articles based on my knowledge, interests and travel experiences. I hope you find my stories helpful to plan your trip and have a wonderful time in Japan 🌈