10 Best Tried and True Japanese Face Washes for Dry Skin in 2023 (Sensitive Skin Beauty Researcher-Reviewed)

Kosé Maruho Pharma's Carte HD Moisture Foam Face Wash is formulated to thoroughly and gently cleanse pores with its thick foam.

In our test for cleansing ability, the face wash removed sebum by roughly 70%, earning a high score in our cleansing ability test. It provided excellent moisture retention, with skin moisture levels increasing by 2% after washing.

The foam is fluffy and smooth yet firm enough, making it easy to spread onto your face. The pump-type container will be convenient even for busy mornings. It is great for sharing with your family since the face wash doesn't have fragrance.

This product is a great product that can gently cleanse the skin while simultaneously adding moisture, making it an overall high-quality best-buy face wash for dry skin.

Albion's Ignis Moist Wash Cream is a cream-type face wash that is said to provide good moisturizing with a soft finish. Just spread it on your skin without foaming it.

It doesn't contain any cleansing ingredients, and the formula uses a milky cream to blend in and cleanse the skin. In our tests for cleansing ability, this product removed ~70% of the sebum, which was highly evaluated. It provides excellent moisture retention, with a decrease in skin moisture content of less than 10% after use. The gentleness to the skin was also impeccable.

The tube-type container's lid is easy to open and close, making it convenient for using. On the other hand, some of our testers said that it was difficult to spread evenly on the face, and it took them a while to rinse off. Further, some of our testers enjoyed the herbal fresh fragrance, but others didn't.

The face wash will be perfect for people with dry/sensitive skin.

Premier Anti-Aging's Duo The Medicinal Vital Barrier Wash is a medicinal milky face wash that is said to alleviate many different skin problems.

The product has excellent cleansing ability, removing ~80% of sebum in our tests. Moisture retention was good enough, with the skin moisture decreased by 14%. However, it might be irritating for the skin when sensitive, due to its containing many kinds of skin-conditioning ingredients. Make sure to test it on your arm to see if your skin doesn't react to the product.

Testers said that it was easy to spread on the skin, and had a comfortable texture. Further they also found it favorable that the product was easy to rinse off, that the finish was very moisturizing, and they enjoyed the refreshing herbal fragrance. On the other hand, the container pours out too much content at once, so be careful for that when using.

Tokiwa Pharmaceutical's Nov III Washing Cream is said to clean pores thoroughly while reatining moisture in skin.

The appeal of this product is its simple, gentle to the skin formula. The main cleansing ingredients are soap-based, but amino acid-based ingredients are also blended for a milder cleansing ability. Our tests for cleansing ability showed that it removed about half of the sebum which is sufficient cleansing ability for dry skin. It also displayed excellent moisture retention, with only a 19% reduction.

Its lathering was pretty good, and the dense foam was highly evaluated by all our testers. It also has no unpleasant odor, making it suitable for those who don't like scented products. However, some of our testers found the container difficult to use, saying that it took time to turn the lid to open and close and that the mouth was too big causing too much of the contents to come out at once.

Kanebo Cosmetics' Kanebo Comfort Stretchy Wash is said to contain plenty of moisturizing ingredients that are also contained in beauty serums.

The main ingredient of this product is soap-based, but in our tests for cleansing ability, only about half of the sebum was removed. It has a mild cleansing ability, and is easy to apply on skin with its low oil content. It contains a high amount of glycerin, and received high reviews for its moisture retaining ability.

The face wash foams extremely well and produces a rich easy to spread foam. The tube-type container is easy to use, although there is some hassle when turning the lid to open and close it. However, the fruity floral fragrance was fairly strong, and opinions of our testers were split.

Matsumotokiyoshi's Recipeo Moist Washing Foam is a foaming face wash that coats the skin with a thick, rich foam while washing.

Containing amino acid-based and other skin-friendly cleansing ingredients, its cleansing ability is very mild. Our tests for cleansing ability showed that the product could remove only a little bit of the sebum. On the other hand, moisture retention is fairly good. There are almost no ingredients that could easily irritate delicate skin, and the formula is appropriate for a product that claims to be made for sensitive skin.

Although the foam is not very spreadable, it has a soft and comfortable feel as if it's being absorbed by the skin. It's easy to rinse off, and the pump-type container is also easy to use with one hand, making it very convenient to use. The product doesn't have a particularly unpleasant odor, making it great for anyone to use.

Kao Corporation's Sofina Liquid Essence Face Wash is a liquid-type face wash that is said to composed with over 50% of skin-conditioning ingredients.

Mainly composed of carboxylic acid for its cleansing ingredients which are gentle to skin, it received high reviews for its moderate cleansing ability, removing about 70% of sebum in our tests. The appeal of this product is that its simple formula is gentle to skin. Its moisture retention is so-so.

The foam is soft and fluffy, and rinsing it off is easy enough. However, some of our testers said it left their skin feeling dry after washing. The slim pump-type container is easy to use and received good reviews. Some testers found the floral fragrance to be overly strong, so those sensitive to smells are advised to try it beforehand.

Kao's Nivea Cream Care Face Wash Super Moitsurizing is said to provide a gentle finish while keeping skin moist.

It contains soap-based cleansing ingredients, but its cleansing ability was poorly rated with less than half of the sebum removed in our tests. However, it contains a high amount of glycerin, a moisturizing ingredient, and its moisture retention is sufficient.

The advantage of this product is that it produces a lather that is soft and absorbs well into the skin. The tube-type container is easy to use as well. Some of our testers found the sweet floral fragrance pleasant, while others found it to be too strong.

Decencia's Tsutsumu Gentle Cream Face Wash is said to provide a refreshing finish while retaining the necessary moisture in the skin.

The main cleansing ingredients are soap-based, but the moisturizing ingredients glycerin and maltitol weaken the cleansing ability. Our tests for cleansing ability showed that sebum was hardly removed. However, it retains skin moisture, for which it was highly evaluated.

The advantage of using this product is that it's easy to use and you can lather the foam quickly. The container is easy and convenient to use. Although the product is fragrance-free, it has a slight, distinctive smell from the ingredients, which may bother those who are sensitive to fragrance.

Kao's Curel Intensive Moisture Care Foaming Facial Wash is said to keep skin moist away while providing thorough cleansing for alleviating skin problems.

It contains anti-irritant ingredients and is gentle on the skin. Its moisture retention is also excellent, with skin moisture not decreasing much after use. On the other hand, the main cleansing ingredient is a mild amino acid-based ingredient, which resulted in little sebum removal in our tests. We were concerned about the slight amount of PG included in this product, which is a moisturizing ingredient that isn't recommended for sensitive skin.

While the foam is not elastic, it is fluffy and easy to rinse off. The pump-type container can be easily used with one hand, which makes it convenient to use.