How far can I rely on acne cosmetics and over-the-counter acne products in Japan?
This answer is a draft. It stays unpublished until legal review and source verification are complete.
Acne is a common skin problem: more than 90% of Japanese people are generally described as experiencing it at some point. In Japan, cosmetics, quasi-drugs, over-the-counter (OTC) medicines and the dermatology clinic each play a different role. If you mix them up, you can easily end up feeling that "nothing I use works".
The roles of the four options
| Category | What it can do (legal position) | Suited to |
|---|---|---|
| Cosmetics | Cleanse the skin and moisturise it | Prevention and daily care |
| Quasi-drugs ("medicated", 薬用 yakuyō) | Claims are limited to "helps prevent acne" and "helps prevent rough skin" (in line with the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's list of 56 permitted claims) | Prevention; daily care for people who get repeated spots |
| OTC medicines | Topical products containing ibuprofen piconol, sulphur, resorcinol and similar. Short-term care for mild spots | A few mild red spots |
| Dermatology clinic | Prescriptions such as adapalene, benzoyl peroxide and topical antibiotics. Highly recommended options in the guidelines | Many red spots, marks remaining, lasting more than 3 months |
- The Japanese Dermatological Association's "Guidelines for the Management of Acne Vulgaris and Rosacea 2023" [尋常性痤瘡・酒皶治療ガイドライン2023] recommend adapalene or benzoyl peroxide for comedones (whiteheads and blackheads), and combination with topical antibiotics for inflamed red spots. These ingredients require a dermatologist's prescription in Japan.
- Wash your face twice a day as a guide. More than that strips too much sebum and can make things worse.
- Do not touch or squeeze. Squeezing spreads inflammation deeper and raises the risk of permanent marks (scars).
- Acne marks (redness, dark pigmentation, pitting): pitted scars do not recover with cosmetics; they are the domain of dermatology and cosmetic dermatology clinics.
- The quasi-drug claim "helps prevent acne" refers to prevention, not to any effect on spots that already exist. A cosmetics advert that claims to make acne go away breaks the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act (Japan's cosmetics and drugs law).
[Verify] The guideline recommendations are based on the 2023 edition (a revision of the 2017 one). Check the current approval status of the OTC active ingredients before publication.
Misunderstanding 1｜If I use acne cosmetics my acne will disappear
Cosmetics and quasi-drugs can only "help prevent". The law does not allow them to claim any effect on acne that has already formed. Some people do see improvement, but that comes from prevention and keeping the skin clean.
Misunderstanding 2｜It is not serious enough for a doctor
Acne is covered by Japanese national health insurance at dermatology clinics. The topical medicines the guidelines recommend are not sold over the counter, and seeing a doctor early is the shortest route to avoiding marks.
Misunderstanding 3｜The more thoroughly I wash, the better
Twice a day is the guide; more than that tends to backfire. Scrubbing also makes inflammation worse.
Misunderstanding 4｜Squeezing out the core makes it settle faster
This is the classic way to spread inflammation deeper and create a scar. If a spot really bothers you, a dermatologist can perform comedo extraction (面皰圧出, menpō asshutsu) as a clinical procedure.
Misunderstanding 5｜Chocolate and crisps give you acne
No direct causal link with any specific food has been clearly shown. There are, however, studies linking high-sugar diets with worsening. Sleep, washing and keeping your hands off your face bring more noticeable results than extreme dieting.
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Sources
- Japanese Dermatological Association, "Guidelines for the Management of Acne Vulgaris and Rosacea 2023" [尋常性痤瘡・酒皶治療ガイドライン2023]
https://www.dermatol.or.jp/dermatol/wp-content/uploads/xoops/files/guideline/zasou2023.pdf
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, "Scope of Efficacy or Effects of Quasi-drugs" [医薬部外品の効能又は効果の範囲] (Notice Yakushoku-hatsu 0721 No. 1, 2011)
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/
- Japanese Dermatological Association, "Dermatology Q&A: Acne" [皮膚科Q&A：にきび]
https://www.dermatol.or.jp/qa/qa9/
⚠️ 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.
About this article
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.
Sources
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