5 Favourite Japanese Hair Care Products
air is big business in Japan.
In fact, hair salons are so common here, that finding a good and stylish one is just as easy as finding a convenience store – there’s pretty much one located on every corner.
While balayage sun-kissed tips and unicorn rainbow hair is the hottest trend in the West, it isn’t at all popular in Japan. Seriously, you’ll be surprised at how many hair salons in Tokyo are still asking “balayage-what?”
In Japan, it’s all about your hairstyle, better known as “ヘアアレンジ or “hair arranging.”
With such importance placed on your hairstyle, it’s only natural that hair styling products are also a huge market here. But how do you know which ones to pick? Lucky for you, I’ve searched high and low for the most must have daily items that are also all under $15.
Here are my top 5 Japanese hair care products for you!
1. Hair Cologne
t’s day 2 of not washing your hair and you notice something…your hair really stinks!
Tying it all up in a high bun will look cute and hold everything together, but unfortunately, no hairstyle can absorb the stench of sweaty oily hair. Hair is made of protein and because it is porous it will absorb any smells from cigarettes to the Korean BBQ you went to last night.
That’s where hair cologne comes to the rescue. It’s just like perfume but for your hair, keeping it smelling fresh until your next wash.
Hair colognes are so popular in Japan that they have become a daily hair necessity, with most brands making bottles small enough to fit perfectly in your bag while you’re on the go.
I’m currently using the Kanebo Sala Hair Cologne which has a soap fragrance and is very affordable as well.
Kanebo Sala Hair Cologne | ¥518
2. Hair Treatment oil
e all know the hair wonders of Argan oil thanks to brands like MoroccanOil, but have you heard of the benefits of Tsubaki or Anzu oil?
Tsubaki (Camellia oil) and Anzu (Apricot Kernel oil) are incredibly popular in Japan for their beauty benefits. The use of Tsubaki for beauty can be traced back to the 8th century and was (and still is) the beauty product of choice by Geishas. Tsubaki oil is known for its anti-aging and non-greasy moisturising qualities, and the minerals and oleic acid present in Anzu oil promotes anti-drying and healthy hair growth.
I found Aroma Kifi Damage Care Treatment Oil by chance and it’s jam-packed with both these highly beneficial oils.
Aroma Kifi Damage Care Treatment Oil | ¥1,500
3. Hair Mask
quality moisturising hair mask is a must for any hair type, but especially for course hair girls like me. In Japan, it is common for hair products to come in two versions: the orginial and the premium version. The “premium” version is more concentrated than the original and is developed with higher quality ingredients to give your hair a little more TLC.
The Shiseido brand is known for its hair products and the FINO Premium Touch Hair Essence Mask has a royal jelly formula that is specially designed for dry and damaged hair caused by weather changes, UV-rays and colour/perm treatments. This mask definitely impacted the daily condition of my hair. It feels much softer, moisturised and has helped to smooth out my coarser kinks.
However, I found another hair mask which has much better results and is seriously underrated.
The Your Flora Clay Hair Mask is a salon quality product that moisturises using pomegranate, avocado, and yoghurt extracts. Although the product is pint-sized and good for only 5 uses, it is great as a luxury head spa treatment. It also has two kinds of clay: Moroccan clay and sea silt, great for absorbing dirt and product build-up to improve the condition of your scalp. If you suffer from an oily itchy scalp, this clay mask will make you believe in miracles again.
Get the SHISEIDO FINO Premium Touch Hair Essence Mask here:
SHISEIDO FINO Premium Touch Hair Essence Mask | ¥880
Your Flora Clay Hair Mask | ¥880
4. HAIR STYLING WAX
here is something about the quality of Japan’s hair waxes that can’t be beaten.
For those that aren’t familiar, styling wax is very different from gel as it does not harden to a brick or produce that super wet shiny finish. Waxes are more natural as they don’t produce any shine or tackiness. They can come in medium to strong hold and they can also be styled to give your hair added volume or define the tips of your hair as sharp as an anime character.
If you love putting your hair in a high ponytail or bun, but your short curly baby hairs keep ruining your slick look, Matomage Hair Styling Stick is my recommendation.
Rated 1st place on the ‘@cosme’s Beauty Product Word of Mouth Ranking’ for 3 months in a row, this wax stick tames all your annoying flyaway hairs without feeling stiff and hard – and you won’t even get your hands dirty during application!
While Japan creates many nice hair wax products, this one contains Camellia oil, Argan oil and Baobab oil for boosting moisture and hair shine. As a plus, the stick design also gives you nice control which is perfect for when you are trying to groom the back of your head.
Get the Matomage Hair Styling Stick here:
Matomage Hair Styling Stick | ¥598
5. Hair Dry Spray
his is a new product which was released by the popular brand Saborino and, wow! The Saborino Quick Hair Dry Spray is one of those products that you would have never known you needed until you tried it.
Styling and drying your hair in the morning or evening straight after a shower, can be a grueling routine particularly if it’s thick and has a mind of its own.
If you rely on your hair dryer daily and spend way too much time standing in front of it, this spray helps to cut down styling and blow drying time while maintaining your hair with fruit and nut oils. As an added touch, the fruit herb scent version is very pleasant and the spray has a cooling sensation like peppermint. This would also be great for traveling when you need to dry your hair with a crappy hotel dryer or situations when you can only towel dry your hair.
Saborino Quick Hair Dry Spray | ¥1,300
What’s your secret weapon for beautiful hair?
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Updated May 2019
these sound like fab products :) thanks for sharing!
this looks awesome. thanks for sharing :)
http://www.pinkoolaid.com
Thanks Angel!
Really cool products! Japan sure makes great stuff in hair care and fashion! The hair oils sound really great!
Rebecca
http://www.winnipegstyle.ca/blog
Thanks Rebecca! Japan really is an industry leader when it comes to beauty and hair! The hair oil is very good, but if I had to pick a top two, I’d go for the Saborino Spray and the Shiseido Essence Mask!