10 Best Tried and True Japanese Cleansing Milks in 2023 (Beauty Expert-Reviewed)

Softymo Lacheska Cleansing Milk, with its eye-catching polka dot design, is a cleanser that will leave your skin moist and soft after use.

In our test for makeup removal, it received a high score. Although some minor makeup remained, most of the makeup was removed. The product did not leave a sticky or oily residue after washing and left the skin feeling moist and refreshed.

Hydra Clarity Micro Essence Cleansing Emulsion is a product that removes dirt from pores and leaves skin clean and feeling.

In our makeup removal test, the product effectively cleaned off multiple layers of makeup. The ingredients give it high cleansing power, and if carefully lathered in, the product is strong enough to remove even heavy makeup.

It has a fresh floral fragrance and strong hydrating ingredients suitable for dry skin, such as Butylene Glycol and plant extracts. The product is gentle on the skin and we recommend it for those with sensitive skin. Its floral scent and ability to remove heavy makeup are what make this product unique. 

Ayura Make-Off Milk is a clenasing milk that is designed to be gentle on the skin and produces rounded stiff peaks when lathered.

It scored highly on our makeup removal test; although mascara could not be removed within 20 seconds, other makeup was removed cleanly, making it sufficient for daily makeup removal use. As for the ingredients, the product is made with effective hydrating ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and rice bran oil. 

Although the foam can tend to slip easily off of your hands, when lathered, it blends well with the skin and can be rinsed off with ease.

The texture is slightly thick and feels pleasant on the skin. In the feel test, many monitors who used the product reported that "It rinses off easily and doesn't leave a sticky residue," and the non-greasy feel of the product left a good impression on many of them. The ease of removing makeup was rated as moderate, and the product's cleansing power was a bit too low for speedy removal of heavy makeup.

MUJI Mild Milk Cleansing" has a great texture and works effectively at removing most makeup. In our makeup removal test, some heavy makeup residue remained. It was able to quickly remove light makeup, but it wasn't strong enough to remove multiple layers of applied makeup. On the other hand, the product received high marks for its refreshing citrus scent and for leaving skin moist and hydrated after use.

What received particularly high marks in our tests was its gentleness to the skin. The product is formulated to minimize damage or irritation on the skin, making it easy to use even when the skin is delicate. The product contains water-soluble hydrating ingredients, and the quality of these ingredients received favorable reviews. 

HACCI's JAPAN's Cleansing Milk is a product that claims to be as rich in feel as cosmetic beauty essences. On top of many gentle ingredients, this product contains honey, royal jelly extract, and sodium hyaluronate as hydrating ingredients. The texture is heavy like cream and is as rich and refreshing to use as it claims to be. 

Although it's thicker in consistency, it removes makeup quickly and rinses cleanly without leaving much of a sticky residue. While it quickly removes makeup foundation well, it doesn't work as well with multiple layers of makeup. In particular, mascara remained intact, making it unsuitable for those who want to quickly remove eye makeup.

Rosette Cleansing Milk is a cleanser characterized by its soft texture and its perfect balance of water-soluble ingredients and oils.  Many of its ingredients prioritize gentleness, making it suitable to use even on delicate skin. The thick milk formula was ideal for skin feel, as it was easy to cleanse and remove makeup without leaving a residual greasy film.

That being said, the cleansing power did not meet our expectations. Foundation was thinned but not completely removed, and much heavy makeup remained. Since residual dirt, grime and leftover makeup on the skin can cause problems, we recommend using this product when you're not wearing much makeup, or have already removed the makeup with another product. 

SUQQU Reset Cleansing Emulsion is a cleansing milk known for its smooth texture. This product received high scores in our tests for gentleness to the skin. It has a good balance of hydrating ingredients and is suitable for use on delicate skin. The texture is as smooth as advertised, and the product received high marks for its comfortable feel which was both refreshing and moisturizing.

The ease of removing makeup was not as good as we hoped. Foundation remained on the skin, while heavy layers of makeup didn't seem to budge much. This product is not suitable for those who are looking for a cleansing milk that works as an effective makeup remover. 

ACSEINE's Milky Cleanse Up is a cleansing milk that claims to remove makeup and dead skin cells that cause skin problems.

The highly viscous texture doesn't drip off of the hands and leaves the skin feeling hydrated after cleansing. The ingredients include Butylen Glycol and pseudo-ceramide as hydrating ingredients with a formula specially designed to be gentle. This is a big advantage, as it's suitable to use even for people with sensitive or irritable skin.

However, in the test for removing makeup, the product failed to remove most heavy makeup. Since foundation sticks to the skin in a thick layer, it is better to avoid using this product when removing heavy makeup, since it may leave a residue.

Nameraka Honpo Cleansing Milk comes in a generously sized 300mL bottle and is a cleanser that claims to lead to plump and soft skin after each use.

Although the thick texture is pleasant on the skin, many users commented that they were bothered by the sticky feeling that remained even after rinsing. It also didn't remove makeup very well, so it's not suitable for those who wear heavy makeup on a daily basis. Both foundation and heavy makeup layers remained stuck, so it's best to use it for light makeup or after already removing makeup first.

We really liked that this product was composed with simplicity in mind, using a small number of gentle ingredients safe for highly sensitive skin. It also contains hydrating ingredients which will keep your skin moist. This product has great value especially when considering the volume of the bottle and we recommend it for people with sensitive skin.