Value Village ／ Beauty
This answer is a draft. It stays unpublished until legal review and source verification are complete.
"Mutenka" (無添加, "additive-free") is one of the most visible words in a Japanese cosmetics aisle, but what has been left out differs from product to product. Like "clean beauty" in the West, the word is used without any legal definition.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1980 onwards | Designated-ingredient labelling system: 102 ingredients (later 103) with a possible link to allergy etc. had to be listed. The claim "free of designated ingredients" spread |
| April 2001 | Switch to full ingredient labelling. The designated-ingredient system was abolished. As every ingredient is now listed, "additive-free" has nothing left to compare against |
| Today | "Mutenka" is governed by industry self-regulation (the Japan Cosmetic Industry Association's advertising guidelines), which require makers to state clearly what has been left out |
[Verify] Check the year of the switch to full ingredient labelling against MHLW materials, and the approach to "additive-free" claims against the Japan Cosmetic Industry Association's advertising guidelines and the Consumer Affairs Agency's "Guidelines on 'no food additives' claims" (2022).
Naturally derived ingredients (essential oils, plant extracts) can also cause allergies. "Mutenka" only means certain ingredients are absent; it does not mean non-irritating.
Parabens are preservatives with a long record of use, and Japan's Standards for Cosmetics set a maximum concentration for them. We can find no official basis for calling them "dangerous". Some people do not tolerate them, but the same is true of any ingredient.
Without a preservative, bacteria grow more easily and the product's life after opening is shorter. "Preservative-free" products usually assume a small container, refrigeration and quick use.
Reading the full ingredient list is more reliable. Ingredients are listed in descending order of quantity (those at 1% or below may be in any order). Remembering which ingredients do not suit you is the practical approach.
In Japan there is no public certification scheme for "organic" cosmetics. Products with a private certification (such as the international COSMOS scheme) carry its mark. "Organic" without a mark is self-declared.
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https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/kenkou_iryou/iyakuhin/keshouhin/index.html
https://www.jcia.org/user/business/advertising
https://www.caa.go.jp/policies/policy/food_labeling/food_labeling_act/
⚠️ Editorial note: the source URLs above were identified by search. Our working environment cannot reach go.jp domains, so the contents have not been checked against the text. Verify every source before publication and record who checked it and when.
What we share here are ideas and everyday practices passed down among people living in Japan, together with general information drawn from public sources. They are not official recommendations, and they are not professional instruction. Practices vary between households and regions.
This is general information. Results vary from person to person and depend on your own conditions and surroundings.
Please decide for yourself, using your own judgement, whether any of this suits your situation. We cannot accept responsibility for any damage, loss or injury arising from following this article.
Cosmetics are not medicines and are not meant to diagnose, heal or prevent any condition. If your skin reacts, stop using the product and see a dermatologist.
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