The Naturie Hatomugi Skin Conditioner is one of the best-selling drugstore skincare products sold in Japan, as it has been ranked at the top of the sales chart in Japan for several years. Because of its simple and effective ingredients, there are many different people who adore this product, and it’s even used by many celebrities in Japan. Read more to see why this product is so popular in Japan!

I remember that during my middle school and high school years in Japan, it’s no surprise that everyone knows about this product. I would see this product all over the place, at stores, on tv and even my friends bringing it to school. It was and still is one of the most loved products in Japan mainly for how affordable it was for its effectiveness and quantity.

I used this a lot in my late middle school years and high school when I struggled with clearing up fungal acne and pimples. I loved this product so much because it cleared my skin troubles, and it was affordable as well. Although I haven’t used this product since then, I am excited to share with you guys how I felt about this product as an adult!

About Naturie

Naturie is a Japanese skincare brand that makes skincare products based on a particular ingredient, coix seed extract , an oil-free moisturizing agent. All of their skincare has no scent and consists of very simple ingredients, making it easier for all kinds of people with different skin types to use their products. 

Quick Facts about Hatomugi Skin Conditioner

As mentioned previously, Naturie makes skincare products based on a particular ingredient, coix seed extract. According to Naturie, coix seed extract has been an essential natural ingredient used to treat health and beauty from ancient times. Coix seed extract has nutrients such as 12 types of amino acids that would help your skin retain the moisture and maintain the "barrier function" that protects the skin from dryness and external skin troubles, such as rough skin and excessive sebum secretion (e.g., acne, pimple).

Other than the essential coix seed extract, there are other characteristics that make this Hatomugi lotion so good. This lotion is scent-free, oil-free, alcohol-free, color-free, hypoallergenic, and surfactant-free.

Although this product is called a “skin conditioner,” it is used as a toner. You can also use this product on your body as well.

Ingredients: Water, DPG, BG, Glycerin, Glycyrrhizic acid 2K, Hatomugi extract, (styrene / Acrylate) copolymer, Ethanol, Citric acid, Na citrate, Methylparaben, Proxparaben

Skin type: For all types of skin

Texture: Watery, liquidy

Fragrance: Minimum to none

Packaging: 14.2 x 6.2 x 5.21 cm / 480.81 g / 500ml

My Initial Impression

It was so exciting for me to use this product after a long time, mainly because I knew it did great things to my skin in the past (clearing up my pimples and acne during my secondary school years!). However, my skin right now does not have many pimples, just one on my chin. Rather than focusing on my pimple, I wanted to focus on whether it would tone my skin, especially because my skin has recently looked a little red and irritated.

At first glance, the packaging is very simple and is not overwhelming at all. You can tell that this product is very simple regarding the ingredients and use, making it easier for all people to use. The moment I splashed a little bit of lotion on my hand, I honestly couldn’t tell the difference between this and water because of how lightweight the lotion was.

Applying on the Face

According to the packaging, there are several ways to use it on your face, but it’s recommended that you apply this lotion right after you wash your face. One way to apply it on your face is to splash the product directly onto your face/skin. Another way, which they mention is the most effective way, is to put some lotion on the cotton pads and apply it on your face, leaving it on for five minutes.

I like using the cotton method because I know that my skin would absorb the lotion the best, leading to better results. I like putting it on my cheeks, forehead, chin, and nose, using five cotton pads in total. While I leave the cotton pads on my face for five minutes, I like to gently press them on my skin to help my skin absorb the lotion even more.

My skincare routine is very basic, and it consists of lotion + cream, sometimes face masks if I feel like my skin is not doing great. With the Hatomugi Lotion, after I used it, I followed with my cream moisturizer. I had no problem applying cream moisturizer because of how lightweight the Hatomugi Lotion is, and in no way did my skin feel clogged at all!

Results and Effectiveness

I’ve used this product both morning and night for several days to see its effectiveness. My skin had become very soft from using the lotion consecutively for a few days, achieving the mochi-skin texture! I can easily say that my redness has greatly calmed down compared to when I didn’t use this lotion. Also, I did have a little bit of fungal acne on my forehead, and I can easily tell that this lotion minimized it, which made me so happy! Overall, I think this simple and affordable product does so much for your skin––it’s a miracle in a bottle!

The Pros and Cons

The Pros:

• Locks in moisture
• For any skin type
• It contains very simple ingredients
• No stickiness
• Scent-free
• Oil-free
• Alcohol-free
• Color-free
• Hypoallergenic
• Surfactant-free
• Can use on body
• Very light-weighted

The Cons:

• May have trouble applying the product because of how watery it is
• Application method would most likely change how much your skin would absorb the product (splashing on face vs. using cotton pads)

Naturie Hatomugi Skin Conditioner: Lotion vs. Gel

There are two types of Hatomugi Skin Conditioner, one being the lotion and the other being the gel version. I’ve used both types before, just to see what the difference was. The ingredients in both products are mainly the same, which means that the product’s effectiveness is the same. The only most significant difference is its texture. The lotion is literally like water, and the gel is similar to the texture of aloe vera. Both products are very light-weighted.

Because the texture is different, how I use the product changes very much. For me, I like using the gel version because it’s so much easier. For the lotion version, I can splash it or put it on several cotton pads to use as a face pack on my face. However, for the gel version, all I do is apply it to my face, and I don’t have to worry about lotion dripping from my face or using cotton pads.

Final Thoughts

This product is very effective in toning the skin for your face and body. The fact that this high-quality product costs less than $15 USD for half a liter of lotion, it’s definitely worth purchasing again! If you're looking for a simple toner or lotion for your skin, whether you have skin problems or looking to achieve the mochi-skin texture, I 100% recommend getting this product.

By Kaitlyn C.