The skincare items Japan can’t shut up about right now

This is the mist people keep in their bag because it makes tired skin look less dead in about five seconds. d’Alba sells it as a double-layer spray serum with white truffle and plant oils, meant to give moisture and glow without wrecking your makeup, which is why it keeps ending up in the ‘one more thing before I leave the house’ category. In Tokyo, you can grab a bottle at most cosmetic stores these days. At @cosme it will set you back ¥2,420, but if you’re willing to brave the chaos at Don Quijote, you can probably snag a 2-for-1 box deal for as low as ¥1,400.

This is the mask for when you want your skin to look expensive by tomorrow morning. The appeal is the whole hydrogel situation: deep hydration, bounce, pore care and that satisfying transparent finish after you leave it on for hours. Prices vary depending on whether you buy single masks or a box set. Don Quijote sells a set of four masks for less than ¥3,000, but you can also buy singles for around ¥650 per piece.

This is the one all over TikTok with the pink capsules floating in clear gel, and while it definitely does the job, you can tell they truly understand the visual economy of skincare. Beyond looking cute, the hook is that you can adjust the texture a little depending on how much gel versus capsule cream you mix, so it does not feel as one-note as a standard moisturiser. The active ingredients include the ever-popular PDRN and 5% niacinamide, aimed at texture, moisture and glow. Most places around the city price it at ¥2,970.

There is something about a product that gives even a faint prickly feeling that makes your brain go, yes, now we are doing something. Medicube markets this in Japan as a topical ‘needle’ booster serum for pores and firmness, which is exactly why people get hooked on it. Containing the PDRN ingredient, this product feels like giving yourself your own clinical facial at home, all for ¥3,300.

Micro-needle serums are about as close as skincare gets to the feeling of an at-home facelift, minus the risk of getting botched. And before every brand started selling pain as beauty in a bottle, VT was the one that kicked it all off. While there are so many variations, Reedle Shot 100 is still the gateway serum for people who want skincare to feel a little more hardcore than a basic essence. This is the one you can use to lock in your daily 10-step, or lower, routine. @cosme named it Best Booster in both 2023 and 2024. If you want to try it before committing, Don Quijote sells packs of six single-use tubes for less than ¥700. Prices for the full product vary depending on bottle size and ingredient type.

This is the softer entry point if you want the PDRN angle without the whole stabby-serum theatre. It is Missha’s Vita B Plus Serum, paired with the ‘pink vitamins’ of PDRN for hydration, texture and that bouncy glow everyone is chasing right now. This one will set you back ¥2,475 at @cosme, but if you keep an eye out at Mega Donki, you might be able to get it a bit cheaper.

If you like the PDRN trend but do not want another bottle crowding your sink, you can add this one to the fridge instead. In a very aesthetically pleasing box, you get stretchable pads that you can either swipe across the skin or leave on for five to ten minutes like a mini mask, aimed at smoother texture, moisture and a firmer look. A 100-pad box costs ¥2,860 over at @cosme.