In my other blog, I wrote a short lil’ piece on my then shampoo fave, Shiseido Super Mild, and it’s one of those posts that strangely got an amazing number of hits. I was wondering if I should write a follow-up and thought it would be more appropriate to do so here.

Before I kick things off, I have to clarify that I didn’t try every single brand and will include what my friends had to say.

When I first landed in Japan, I was concerned about living without my favourite products. If you wander into an average pharmacy, or kusuriya, you will see a few foreign brands but the rest are all made in Japan. It can look intimidating and you wouldn’t know where to start.

This is just a snapshot of what shampoos are sold in a popular pharmacy, called Matsumotokiyoshi. If you take a look online, there are loads more brands available in Japan, but frankly, I’ve yet to know where they are sold and if they are any good.

Tsubaki-infused products

Tsubaki oil, or camellia oil, is a traditional hair treatment in Japan and I’m certainly a fan of this tonic. I would recommend Shiseido’s white tsubaki shampoo over the red one because it feels lighter for my oily scalp. The treatment conditioner (in tube form) is excellent if you want your hair to be silky for a special occasion.

I’ve not tried the red bottles of tsubaki products in the photo on the far right, but I have been using the yellow bottle, a tsubaki conditioner, for a week now and I like the fluffy, soft effect it gives my long tresses. The name of this one is Sealand Tsubaki Oily Conditioner (you gotta love Japlish). The consistency is rather watery for a conditioner but it smells lovely in its gentle floral goodness.

I’ve tried Oshima tsubaki oil as a serum after washing and conditioning my hair and it made my hair really smooth. I think this is as Japanese you can get with your hair and I would highly recommend it.

Other Shiseido brands

It’s likely that several of the shampoos you spot in the shops belong to one brand, Shiseido. They own so many cosmetics and beauty ranges it’s impossible to keep track. Anyway, the products may be the same brand but they are not always of the same quality.

On the left is Super Mild and I find this to be a good daily shampoo (read reviews here) for those who have a normal/oily scalp. But after a month or so, I felt it left a pretty heavy residue so I stopped using it regularly. Nothing a clarifying shampoo can’t fix but you do get what you pay for. I find the cheaper shampoos tend not to be that great in some way or another.

On the right is Fino and a couple of girl friends have vouched for this. Unfortunately I couldn’t find the bottles and saw only the refill packs (another great thing about shampoo culture here). This is definitely on my “to-try” list.

Stay tuned for Part Two!

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