10 Best Tried and True Japanese Facial Serums in 2023 (Beauty Expert-Reviewed)

Fujifilm's Astalift Jelly Aquarysta is a facial serum that claims to add firmness, elasticity, and moisture to the skin.

Featuring moisturizing nano-ceramides and Uncaria Gambir extract, which helps with moisture retention, this product has highly moisturizing ingredients, which was proven in our tests after we found that on average, our testers saw an 86% increase in moisture levels.

The subtle floral scent makes for a comforting addition to your skincare routine. The jelly-like product, which has a unique feel to it, gradually melts into the skin as you slowly massage it in. While taking it out of the jar with a spatula can be a little inconvenient, given how moisturizing it is, you probably won't mind.

This is a great facial serum that offers fantastic moisture retention abilities and is our top pick for Japanese facial serums.

Megood Beauty's mgb skin Cica Barrier Ampoule is a moisturizing facial ampoule made by Japanese influencer and fashion model MEGBABY.

This product is formulated with both water-based and oil-based ingredients, and is great for rebalancing your skin. Its use of encapsulated ceramides allows for higher penetration and increased hydration, maintaining an average moisture content of 92% after two hours among our testers.

The slightly thick liquid feels both hydrating and refreshing, and has a consistency that works in all seasons. The push-style dropper makes it easy and convenient to use with one hand.

Dinos Corporation's Imini Repair Serum is an efficacy-tested serum emulsion that reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles caused by dryness.

After increasing the average moisture content in our testers arms by 120%, it was also able to maintain ideal moisture levels after two hours, thanks to its well-balanced composition of water-based ingredients and oils. This is an all-in-one product, so you can take care of your skin with just this one without applying any toner!

The thick, milky texture reduces friction when applying. It provides plenty of moisture without leaving any unpleasant stickiness.

Kosé's Cosme Decorté Liposome Advanced Repair Serum is a serum to be used immediately after cleansing. Not only does it claim to moisturize the skin, but also helps skincare products used after this penetrate the skin easier.

It contains microcapsules known as liposomes, which can only be used in a limited number of products. This ingredient is highly effective in delivering moisturizing ingredients to the stratum corneum. Moreover, this product's ingredient composition is designed to be gentle on the skin, allowing those with sensitive skin to use it with peace of mind.

It has a slight floral fragrance, and it consistency allows it to blend into the skin quickly and smoothly. We found that this product maintained an average moisture level of 85% among our testers, demonstrating its high moisture retention ability.

Curél Wrinkle Moisture Essence is a moisturizing serum designed for dry, sensitive skin.

It contains pseudo-ceramide ingredients made to mimic human ceramide, and is highly moisturizing. Pseudo-ceramides are less expensive than human ceramides, so we expect there to be a fairly high concentration of the ingredient in the formula. Furthermore, we were impressed with how gentle the serum is.

This product's moisturizing abilities were impressive, boosting moisture levels by an average of more than 102%, making it perfect for dry skin. The easy-to-use tube-type container also makes it convenient to carry around on overnight trips. Although the consistency is thick and creamy, it was easy to blend and had little stickiness.

e'quipe's RMK Designing Rich Serum claims to create firm and bouncy skin, and features active ingredients like gamma-aminobutyric acid and dipotassium glycyrrhizate. In particular, gamma-aminobutyric acid earned this product high marks in the ingredients test for its ability to help improve the skin's texture.

In our moisturizing ability test, we found that on average, this product increased moisture levels by 87% after the two-hour mark, earning high scores. Our testers were fond of its refreshing scent and smooth consistency. While some testers did comment that it's slightly sticky, for the most part, this is a serum that's fairly easy to use.

Ayura Laboratories' Ayura Rhythm Concentrate Alpha is a moisturizing serum designed for fluctuating skin that suffers from recurring dryness.

It contains pseudo-ceramide and some oil-based ingredients, so it is expected to be both moisturizing and have emollient properties. At first glance, this product's many ingredients may be of concern in terms of gentleness on the skin, but all of the ingredients have minimal risk of irritation.

The thick liquid is easy to use regardless of the season. This way this serum adheres to the skin as it blends in feels pleasant and hydrating.

Tokiwa Pharmaceutical's NOV III Barrier Concentrate is a facial serum that is formulated to help the skin's natural barrier and prevent dryness and roughness.

This facial serum is formulated with gentleness in mind, featuring ingredients like stearyl glycyrrhetinate, which helps prevent roughness, as well as moisturizing ingredients like N-stearoyl phytosphingosine and sodium hyaluronate.

It performed fairly decently in our moisturization test, maintaining a moisture level of 72% on average after the two-hour mark. While it may be a bit lacking for those who are severely dry, it'll perform well for those who have normal skin. The slightly thick consistency left our testers divided, but we feel like it's a plus that the texture did leave us feeling moisturized.

MASH Beauty Lab's Tone Booster Serum (M) is a serum inspired by plants that survive in harsh environments.

In the moisturizing ability test, we found this product to be on par with top-tier products. We believe its high moisturizing ability can be attributed to the fact that it contains highly moisturizing ingredients like ectoin and saccharides. However, its high concentration of essential oils makes it less gentle on the skin, and we also found it to have a strong scent.

The loose gel, which is easy to apply and spread, also received great reviews. We feel tha it nicely seals in the moisture and leaves your skin hydrated. However, be cautious when pushing the pump as sometimes the gel squirts out violently.

SK-II R.N.A. Power Radical New Age Youth Essence from P&G Prestige is a moisturizing serum that uses the brand's proprietary ingredient, Pitera, to hydrate the skin all the way to the stratum corneum and help the skin become more firm.

SK-II dubs the ingredient galactomyces ferment filtrate as Pitera, and it contains amino acids, peptides, and vitamins, allows for a multifaceted approach to conditioning the skin, and helps it become more stable. 

This serum earned a full score in the moisturizing ability test, but we did notice that there was an inconsistency in how much moisture levels increased across our testers, which is a bit concerning.

Finally, while the product is highly moisturizing, many of our testers commented on its stickiness. Additionally, the dropper was a little hard to squeeze, but besides that, there were no issues with the container itself.