Japanese Drugstore Skincare: Quasi-Drug Labels and Spotting the Japanese Version

In Japan, a skincare product labelled 医薬部外品 (quasi-drug) needs its own approval from the health minister before it can be sold, yet Hada Labo’s best-known lotion is legally just a cosmetic. Hana here: below are the three names most people search for, Hada Labo, Melano CC and Curél, what the little 医薬部外品 (quasi-drug) mark on the box means, and how to make sure the bottle you order online is the Japanese version you read about. In short: look for the 販売名 (official sales name) and the JAN code, and match them to the maker’s page. Checked on official pages on 21 October 2026.

Why Japanese drugstore skincare has its own rules

Japan’s law on medicines sorts skincare into two groups, and you can see which one a product belongs to on the box.

• Cosmetics (化粧品): products to clean, beautify or keep the skin and hair healthy, with a mild effect on the body (Article 2(3) of the law).
• Quasi-drugs (医薬部外品): a separate group, also defined as having a mild effect (Article 2(2)). Skincare in this group is what the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare calls “so-called medicated cosmetics”. Each product needs its own approval from the Minister before it can be sold, and the ministry keeps a list of active ingredients that have been approved before for lotions, creams, sunscreens and packs.

That is why many Japanese drugstore serums and lotions carry the word 薬用 (yakuyō, medicated) and list their 有効成分 (active ingredients) apart from the rest. Other countries sort products differently: in the US, for example, the FDA decides whether a product is a cosmetic, a drug or both from what it claims to do. That is one reason the same brand can be sold differently abroad.

Three names you will see, compared

	Hada Labo Gokujyun Hyaluronic Lotion	Melano CC medicated anti-spot essence	Curél
Maker	Rohto	Rohto	Kao
Type in Japan	Cosmetic (化粧品)	Quasi-drug (医薬部外品)	A brand with a whole line; check each box
販売名 on the box	ハダラボモイスト化粧水d	メンソレータムホワイトCG	–
Size	170 mL bottle, 170 mL refill, 400 mL pump	20 mL	varies
What the maker says it is built around	Four types of hyaluronic acid; fragrance-, colour-, oil-, alcohol- and paraben-free; weakly acidic	Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) as the active ingredient, with a vitamin E derivative, isopropyl methylphenol and dipotassium glycyrrhizate	Ceramide care for people with dry, sensitive skin
JAN code (for matching)	4987241155712 (170 mL bottle)	4987241169658	–

Sources: Rohto’s official product pages and Kao’s Curél page, checked 21 October 2026. Rohto lists its prices as “open price”, which means each shop sets its own.

A few things stand out once you read the Japanese pages. Hada Labo’s lotion is officially a cosmetic, not a quasi-drug, even though it sits next to medicated products on the shelf. Melano CC’s page warns that you may feel a slight tingling as it goes into the skin, and tells you not to use it on broken or inflamed skin and to keep it out of the eyes. And the brand name on the front is not the name the product was approved or notified under: that is the 販売名, printed in small type on the box.

If you are building a full routine, our Korean skincare routine order guide explains where a toner, essence and serum go. For sun protection, see Japanese vs Korean sunscreen in the US, which covers PA ratings and why US sunscreens follow FDA drug rules.

Related guidesKorean Skincare Routine Order: Steps, Skin Types and Buying It in the US

How to tell the Japanese version from a listing

1. Find the 販売名. On Japanese boxes it is printed near the ingredient list. For Melano CC’s essence it is メンソレータムホワイトCG. If a listing’s photos show the box, zoom in.
2. Compare the JAN code. The barcode number on Rohto’s page for the Melano CC essence is 4987241169658. GS1 Japan gives Japanese companies codes that start with 45 or 49. A 45 or 49 code means the barcode belongs to a company in Japan; it does not tell you where the product was made.
3. Check the size. The Japanese Melano CC essence is 20 mL and the Hada Labo lotion is 170 mL (or a 400 mL pump). A different size in the photos often means a different version.
4. Look for the 医薬部外品 mark. If you want the quasi-drug version, the box should say so.
5. Check the seller and expiry date. Many US listings of Japanese drugstore skincare are imports by third-party sellers. Read “Sold by” and check the date when it arrives.

Ordering to the US: two rules worth knowing

• Drug or cosmetic in the US depends on the claim. The FDA says a product’s status depends on its intended use, and that claims to increase or decrease the production of melanin in the skin make a product a drug. Japanese “whitening” or anti-spot quasi-drugs are marketed in Japan under Japanese rules, so an imported box is not a product checked for US labelling.
• Duty can apply. CBP suspended duty-free de minimis entry for low-value shipments from all countries from 29 August 2025, so a parcel from Japan can owe duties, taxes and carrier fees.

Who should skip it

• If you have a skin condition, use a prescription treatment or react to vitamin C serums, talk to a dermatologist first. Nothing here is medical advice, and these products are not meant to treat skin conditions.
• If you need an English label and a US company to contact, buy a product made for the US market instead of a Japanese import.
• If you only want one bottle, the price gap may disappear once seller margins, shipping and duty are added. Ordering several items together usually makes more sense.

Where to buy

Amazon has many listings of Hada Labo and Melano CC; compare the 販売名, JAN code and size with the table above before you order. eBay has sellers shipping directly from Japan, which helps if you want the Japanese box. Links are below.

Next on the shelf is sunscreen, with PA++++ on the box: what does that mean, and is a Japanese sunscreen really different from a Korean one? Our Japanese vs Korean sunscreen guide explains.