I Can't Book a Ticket to Tokyo, so I'll Use These 11 Streamlined Japanese Skincare Products Instead

This milky essence from the J-beauty brand Albion is a skincare lover's dream. It's created by fermenting herbs in white koji and, as such, promises to firm, smooth, and hydrate the skin. Featuring Shirakami yama sauvignon seed extract, it's rich in powerful skin-brightening and anti-aging antioxidants. I use it whenever my skin looks dull, dehydrated, and tired—mostly after sleepless nights or travel. It instantly plumps my skin with moisture.

B.Glen is a brand that's developed and manufactured in Japan. It was recommended to me byBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing 's managing editor, Tiff Soga. There are multiple products I could effusively recommend, but I'll stick to this vitamin C serum. It uses pure ascorbic acid to brighten dullness and minimize dark spots. Since vitamin C is notoriously unstable and degrades when exposed to light and air, I appreciate that this serum features an airless nozzle to maintain the star ingredient's activity.

If you have dry skin and/or a damaged moisture barrier, Curél's skincare products are for you, especially the Intensive Moisture Care line. Liu recommends this cream, as it's "formulated for dry, sensitive skin" and "contains ceramides and eucalyptus extract to deeply hydrate while reinforcing the skin barrier."

DamDam is a minimalist J-beauty brand that focuses on simple yet effective formulations. Take this cleanser, for instance. It draws out excess oil, balances the skin's pH, and even offers gentle exfoliation (especially if you use it with the included Cloud Glove). It does all of this with only three ingredients: snow mushroom, salt, and plant fiber.

This iconic, editor-favorite cleansing oil is my preferred first step in my double-cleansing routine. Liu recommends it because it's "simple but effective" and is "great for dissolving makeup and SPF without stripping the skin."

Liu recommends trying this "cult-favorite" toner-essence hybrid, which seems perfect for using as part of TikTok's so-called skin-flooding trend. Liu says it "deeply hydrates with multiple molecular weights of hyaluronic acid. It’s incredibly gentle and layers beautifully under any skincare routine."

Seiso's skincare products are gentle, hydrating, and all about strengthening the natural moisture barrier. This Water Velvet Cream is one of my favorite products from the brand. It's silky, sumptuous, and cooling. It uses two different weights of hyaluronic acid, glycerin, ceramide, and rice ferment extract to make the skin look smooth, plump, and bouncy.

Shiseido is another celebrated Japanese skincare brand. There are so many specific products worth trying from the brand, but Liu recommends this one first. Powered by four camellia extracts (fermented, seed, leaf, and flower form), it's designed to disrupt what the brand refers to as the aging cycle. "It's a lightweight serum that helps defend against environmental stress and strengthens the skin’s defenses over time," Liu says.

I can't talk about Japanese skincare without talking about SK-II. The prestige brand is known for its luxe, skin-elevating essentials, and none is more iconic than the Facial Treatment Essence. "Known for its signature Pitera (a fermented yeast extract), it helps refine texture, boost radiance, and support overall skin clarity," Liu says.

You didn't think I'd leave out Tatcha, did you? This iconic and editor-loved brand makes so many worthy products, but this lightweight cream is at the top of my list (and the end of my skincare routine). I love gel-cream moisturizers, and this one is no different. It hydrates and plumps my skin and never leaves clogged pores behind. Plus, I like knowing that luxe ingredients like Japanese wild rose, Japanese leopard lily, green tea, rice, and algae are treating my skin. 

Ya-Man's Medi Lift skincare line has cult following online thanks to its lifting and firming action. The products are infused with micro-spicules, tiny spear-like structures that improve product penetration and help boost collagen production. This face cream also contains 24-karat gold colloid, botanical extracts, and hyaluronic acid to lift, firm, and hydrate the skin for a plumper look.