Best Japanese Face Washes for Acne Prone Skin

Must-Buy Japanese Acne Face Washes

If you struggle with acne-prone or oily skin, you may need to use special skin care products daily. Especially, facial wash and cleansers are the key items for daily skin care routine, which are responsible to clear up makeup, dirt, bacteria and excess sebum. The cause of acne is when the pores of skin are blocked with oil, dirt, old skin cells and bacteria, so it’s very important to wash your face properly (but not to over-wash), and prevent the causes of acne.

In this article, I would like to introduce my picks of the best Japanese face washes which are specially designed for acne-prone skin and available widely at Japanese drugstores. These Japanese facial washes are recommended for acne prone skin as well as oily skin as they are formulated with acne-fighting ingredients and help to maintain the balance of the skin sebum and sweat that can cause acne.

Let’s check out the best Japanese face washes for acne prone skin on the market today!

*Please note that this article contains affiliate links.


1. Rosette Cleansing Paste Acne Clear

Copyright ©2020 ROSETTE Co.,Ltd.

Rosette Cleansing Paste is a long-selling Japanese face wash series since 1929. It’s one of the most popular drugstore cosmetics items in Japan and won multiple beauty awards. The brand offer 5 types of clay face wash that can be chosen according to the skin type and effect: Marine Clay Smooth for pore cleansing (Green), White Clay Lift for adding elasticity (Pink), Ghassoul Bright for skin brightening (Yellow), Glacier Mud Cleanse for oily skin (White) and Acne Clear for acne-prone skin (Blue).

Rosette Cleansing Paste Acne Clear (ロゼット洗顔パスタ アクネクリア) is a medicated cleansing form containing moisturizing and anti-inflammatory ingredients which are effective especially for adult acne. It also contains fine clay powder that creates creamy foam, removes the excess sebum gently and clear up clogged pores while protecting the essential skin hydration.

Price: 547 yen (120g)【Buy it Now】

2. Curel Sebum Trouble Care Foaming Facial Wash

Copyright © Kao Corporation.

Curel is a Japanese skin care brand with a range of skin care products specially designed for sensitive skin. With more than 30 years of extensive dermatological research, Curel has innovated ceramide functioning skin care products that help to strengthen skin’s natural barrier function and achieve the healthy-looking skin.

Curel Sebum Trouble Care is a skin care line for sensitive, oily skin that suffers from excess sebum, blackheads and enlarged pores. Curel Sebum Trouble Care Foaming Face Wash (キュレル 皮脂トラブルケア 泡洗顔料)  is formulated with sebum-dissolving ingredients that thoroughly removes excess sebum and impurities from pores while protecting skin’s essential ceramide. It contains active inflammatory ingredient to prevent acne and skin irritation. The fine and soft foam leaves the skin smooth and moist without feeling tight or stiff after wash.

Price: 1,320 yen 【Check the price】

3. Mentholatum Acnes Foaming Face Wash

© ROHTO Pharmaceutical Co.,Ltd.

Mentholatum Acnes is a Japanese cosmetics brand which provides various skin care products for acne treatment. The products are especially popular among teenagers and commonly sold at drugstores in Japan at affordable price.

Mentholatum Acnes Foaming Face Wash (メンソレータムアクネス 薬用ふわふわな泡洗顔) is a medicated foam facial wash with anti-bacterical and anti-inflammatory ingredients that sterilize the acne causing bacteria and prevent inflammatory. The pump type face wash is convenient and easy to use especially in busy morning as it provides fluffy foam with a single push. It’s tested for non-comedogenic.

Price: 650 yen (160ml)【Buy it Now】

4. Hada Labo Gokujyun Hatomugi Cleansing Foam

© ROHTO Pharmaceutical Co.,Ltd.

Hada Labo is one of the most popular drugstore range cosmetics brands in Japan, which offers a wide variety of skin care products for all skin type. The Gokujyun series is the signature skin care line of the brand with the highly moisturizing hyaluronic acid formulation.

Hada Labo Gokujyun series offers a face wash for acne care, Gokujyun Hatomugi Cleansing Foam (肌ラボ 極潤 ハトムギ泡洗顔). The product is highly effective for adult acne which is commonly caused by skin dryness, hormonal changes and stress. The face wash contains hatomugi (job’s tear) extract to prevent acne and hyaluronic acid to moisturizes the skin, and the rich and bouncy cleansing foam gently cleanse off clogged pores.

Price: 660 yen (160ml)【Buy it Now】

5. Senka Perfect Whip Acne Care

Copyright © Shiseido Co., Ltd.

Senka Perfect Whip is a top-selling Japanese face wash which gained its popularity worldwide in the past decade. Senka Perfect Whip is known for its micro dense foam that leaves skin moist and plumped after wash. It’s currently available with 4 types: regular, collagen-in, white clay and acne care.

Senka Perfect Whip Acne Care (パーフェクトホイップ アクネケア) removes dirt and impurities from pores gently with the micro beauty foam and contains active ingredients to prevent adult acne and rough skin that tend to repeat. It’s also formulated with silk essence and double hyaluronic acid that leaves the skin smooth and moist.

Price: 657 yen 【Check the price】

6. Biore Skin Care Face Wash Medicated Acne Care

Copyright © Kao Corporation.

Biore Skin Care Face Wash series is highly popular affordable drugstore skin care product in Japan. The products are formulated with the brand’s original Skin Purifying Technology that leaves skin moist, smooth and soft after wash. The series includes 5 types of face wash which you can choose depending on your skin type or condition: Moisture (Blue), Oil Control (Purple), Acne Care (Green), Scrub-in (Pink), Rich Moisture (Orange).

Biore Skin Care Face Wash Medicated Acne Care (ビオレ スキンケア洗顔料 薬用アクネケア) is a quasi-pharmaceutical face wash that contains anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory ingredients. It’s formulated to prevents acne and thoroughly cleanses off skin impurities while keeping the skin soft and moisturized. It’s tested for non-comedogenic.

Price: Open Price (130g)【Buy it Now】

7. FANCL Acne Care Washing Cream

Copyright © 1999–2020 FANCL CORPORATION

FANCL is a Japanese cosmetics brand known as a pioneer of preservative-free beauty products.The brand provides a wide range of skin care lines for various skin types and conditions such as moisturizing, aging care, skin brightening and acne care.

FANCL Acne Care Washing Cream (アクネケア 洗顔クリーム) is a facial wash from the brand’s acne care line which was developed under the dermatological research. The face wash creates fine and creamy foam which actively removes causes of acne such as sebum and keratin plugs and leaves the skin fresh, clean and moisturized. It’s free of sterilizer and preservation, and recommended to use for sensitive skin, too.

Price: 1,540 yen (90g)【Buy it Now】

8. PAIR ACNE Creamy Foam

Copyright © 1996–2020 Lion Corporation.

PAIR is a Japanese skin care brand which is dedicated to prevention and treatment of adult acne. The brand has various lineups including cream, toner, face wash, tablets and beverage which effectively treats inflammation and redness of acne.

PAIR ACNE Creamy Foam (ペアアクネ クリーミーフォーム) is a hypoallergenic medicated face wash, providing a mild cleanse even for sensitive skin. The face wash contains sterilizing and anti-inflammatory ingredients, and the rich and creamy foam gently washes off the cause of acne trouble. It also contains various moisturizing ingredients that penetrate deep down the skin.

Price: 1,320 yen (80g)【Buy it Now】

9. ORBIS CLEARFUL Wash

Copyright © 1999 – 2023 ORBIS Inc.

ORBIS (オルビス) is Japanese mail-order cosmetics brand with a range of skin care and makeup products which are oil-free, fragrance-free and additive-free and made with carefully selected ingredients. Their skin care products are highly recommended for sensitive skin.

ORBIS has a range of skin care lines that can be chosen according to skin type or trouble, and ORBIS CLEARFUL is a skin care series specially designed for adult acne. ORBIS CLEARFUL wash is a hypoallergenic face wash that approaches the cause of acne and cleanse off clogging impurities in pores. It contains 5 kinds of botanical ingredients such as coix seeds and aloe extract which leads to smooth and healthy skin.

Price: 1,430 yen 【Buy it Now】

10. NULL Acne Block Face Wash

Copyright ©NULL

NULL is a Japanese men’s cosmetics brand launched in 2013. The brand offers a variety of cosmetics products from facial care to body care which are developed by their skin care research and utilizing the advanced Japanese technology.

NULL Acne Block Face Wash (NULL 薬用 アクネブロックフェイスウォッシュ 洗顔) is a top-selling men’s face wash in Japan today, which is specially designed to fight against acne and skin irritation. The face wash contains various plant-base beauty ingredients such as ginkgo biloba, chamomile, artichoke and aloe vela, which are effective for preventing acne and razor burn, washing away dirt and impurities in pores, and moisturizing the skin. Although it’s a men’s skin care product, it’s recommended for women with oily skin and acne prone skin, too.

Price: 2,017 yen (120g)【Buy it Now】


Thanks for reading my list of the best Japanese face wash for acne prone skin! I hope this list could help you to solve your skin problem! The listed products are commonly sold at drugstores, cosmetics stores and variety shops in Japan, and some of products are also available to shop online with international shipping!

If you are into J-beauty, I’d recommend you to check out the online beauty store Kokoro which offers a wide selection of Japanese beauty products with worldwide shipping. Visit their website (Kokoro: http://bit.ly/32HfNbi) to check more Japanese cosmetics products! Free shipping is available when you spend over 40 USD 🙂

For more information about the latest Japanese cosmetics products, here are some more articles for you to check out!

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"The world is my oyster" A globetrotter 🌎 and hammock lover 🌞 who loves taking adventures to fuel wanderlust. Born and raised in Japan, I have spend almost a decade living and exploring countries across the world. Based on my travel experience, I'd love to share my knowledge and tips for travelling with my readers. I hope my stories help you plan your trip and have a great time in Japan 🌈