What are the common misunderstandings about the order of skincare steps?

This answer is a draft. It stays unpublished until legal review and source verification are complete.

The order in which to apply skincare is debated worldwide, and recommendations differ by country and by brand. Japanese routines also use products a newcomer may not recognise, such as lotion (化粧水, keshōsui — a watery, toner-like liquid) and milky lotion (乳液, nyūeki — a light emulsion). And Japan has a legal line that frames the whole debate.

The basic pattern usually given is: in the morning, "face wash → lotion → milky lotion → sunscreen"; at night, "cleanser → face wash → lotion → milky lotion."

[Verify] Several medical clinic websites present this sequence as based on Japanese Dermatological Association information, but we (VV) have not been able to check the Association's original text. Confirm against the Association's primary material before publication.

Background｜Cosmetics may claim no more than 56 things

Under a notice from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) (Yakushoku-hatsu 0721 No. 1, 21 July 2011), the effects a cosmetic may state on its label or in advertising are limited to 56 items. "Conditions the skin" and "moisturises the skin" are within the range. Claims such as "the wrong order damages your skin" or "the right order doubles the effect" fall outside it.

So the debate about order can honestly cover only ease of use and lightness of load on the skin.

Misunderstanding 1｜One order works for every product

From the most watery to the most oily is a widely shared rule of thumb. But some products are designed not to fit it, and the product's directions are the final standard.

Misunderstanding 2｜Get the order wrong and everything is wasted

There is no evidence that a different order, on its own, damages the skin. Worrying about it and adding steps can be a greater load in terms of friction.

Misunderstanding 3｜The more layers, the better

Each extra step is another touch on the skin. Keeping to a number of steps you can sustain is more realistic.

Misunderstanding 4｜Morning and night can be the same

Morning is about preparing for daytime UV; night is about removing. The purposes differ, so there is no reason they must be identical.

Misunderstanding 5｜The same routine all year round

Humidity and temperature change the state of your skin. You do not need to keep the same routine through every season.

How VV sees it

VV believes that whether you can keep it up matters more than the order. Start by using products as directed, then pare the routine down to what suits you. We think that is enough.

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Sources

• Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Director-General of the Pharmaceutical and Food Safety Bureau, notice "Revision of the scope of cosmetic efficacy claims" [化粧品の効能の範囲の改正について] (Yakushoku-hatsu 0721 No. 1, 21 July 2011)

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/file/06-Seisakujouhou-11120000-Iyakushokuhinkyoku/kesyouhin_hanni_20111.pdf

• Japanese Dermatological Association, "Dermatology Q&A" [皮膚科Q&A]

https://www.dermatol.or.jp/qa/

• Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, "Cosmetics and quasi-drugs" web page [化粧品・医薬部外品等ホームページ] (quasi-drugs are a Japanese category between cosmetics and medicines)

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/kenkou_iryou/iyakuhin/keshouhin/index.html

⚠️ 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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