Japanese Skincare Routine: What We Actually Do in Japan

Konnichiwa from Osaka — I’m CHIO.

I’m an esthetician in Japan, where I work hands-on with women’s skin every day.

When I read about Japanese skincare overseas, I often see it described as a seven-step, nine-step, or even more elaborate routine. And yes, Japanese skincare can sometimes involve many steps.

But from inside Japan, I think there is something more important than the number of products we use: we look at our skin, notice small changes, and adjust what we do. Some days we add more hydration. Some days we use a mask. And some days, when the skin feels sensitive, doing less may be the better choice.

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Japanese Skincare Routine: The Short Answer

In the morning, sun protection is added. At night, makeup and sunscreen are removed before cleansing. Serums, masks, essences, and other treatments can be added when your skin needs them.

The routine is a foundation — not a fixed rulebook.

Morning & Night: The Basic Japanese Skincare Routine

Morning Japanese Skincare Routine

01 — Cleanse gently

The goal is not to make the skin feel squeaky-clean. Cleansing should remove what needs to be removed without treating the skin roughly.

Depending on your skin and the products used the night before, morning cleansing may be kept very simple.

02 — Apply Japanese lotion: keshosui

In Japan, what we call keshosui is often translated as “lotion,” but it is usually a lightweight hydrating liquid used after cleansing.

It may sound similar to a toner, but hydration is often the main idea.

03 — Add a serum if your skin needs it

A serum is not something you have to use simply because it appears on a skincare checklist.

You might add one for hydration or another targeted concern when your skin needs extra care.

04 — Use an emulsion or moisturizer

Emulsions — nyueki in Japanese — are very familiar in Japanese skincare. They are typically lighter than a rich cream and are used after lotion to help maintain moisture.

05 — Protect your skin from the sun

Sun protection is one of the most important parts of the morning routine when we think about the skin not only today, but years from now.

This is where Japanese skincare naturally connects with preventive skincare, Aging Well, and Skin Longevity.

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Night Japanese Skincare Routine

01 — Remove makeup and sunscreen

Japanese skincare often treats makeup removal and facial cleansing as separate steps.

02 — Cleanse the skin

This is where the idea of double cleansing comes from: first removing makeup, sunscreen, and oil-based residue, then washing the skin.

But I do not think “double cleansing” should become another rule everyone follows without thinking. The products you use and the condition of your skin matter.

03 — Hydrate with lotion

After cleansing, Japanese lotion is commonly used to give the skin hydration before the next steps.

04 — Add what your skin needs tonight

This might be a serum. It might be a sheet mask. It might be an extra layer of hydration.

Or it might be nothing extra at all.

05 — Finish with moisture

An emulsion, moisturizer, or cream can help maintain hydration through the night.

When you write down every possible part of Japanese skincare — makeup remover, face wash, lotion, essence, serum, sheet mask, emulsion, cream, sunscreen — the list can become quite long.

But I don’t think the number of steps is really the point.

For me, one reason Japanese skincare can appear so detailed is that there is a habit of paying attention to the skin and adjusting care depending on how it feels.

Inside Japan: The Routine Is a Starting Point, Not a Rulebook

A skincare routine is useful because it gives us a foundation. But skin is not exactly the same every morning and every night.

More skincare is not always better skincare. There are days when adding hydration or targeted care feels right, and days when keeping things simple feels better.

Clean gently. Hydrate. Moisturize. Protect from UV exposure. Repeat. These small actions may look ordinary, but doing them consistently is exactly why I find them interesting.

Why Japanese “Lotion” Is Different

If you are new to Japanese skincare, “lotion” is one word you need to know.

A Japanese skincare lotion — keshosui — is generally a lightweight hydrating step used after cleansing and before emulsion or moisturizer.

This is different from the meaning of “body lotion” in English, and it is also not always the same as an astringent toner.

Hydration is an important theme in Japanese skincare, which is one reason lotion appears so frequently in Japanese routines.

How to Start a Japanese Skincare Routine

Morning:
Cleanse → Lotion → Moisturizer → Sunscreen

Night:
Remove makeup/sunscreen → Cleanse → Lotion → Moisturize

Final Thought

I don’t want you to finish this article thinking you need a Japanese seven-step routine.

I want you to take something simpler from it.

Look at your skin.

Have a basic routine you can return to, but allow it to change when your skin changes.

Add when you need more. Do less when your skin needs less. And keep caring for it tomorrow, next month, and years from now.

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ARIGATO for reading.

CHIO
Japanese Esthetician in Osaka
Skin, the Japanese Way