Suisai Beauty Clear Powder: Japanese Cleanser Guide
I used to see this product promoted all the time at my local drugstore in Japan. And for the longest time, the packaging led me to believe it was some kind of laundry detergent! Suisai Beauty Clear Powder is one of the bestselling and most popular powder facial cleansers in Japan, and has quite the following outside of the country too. Produced by Kanebo, it has won many beauty awards and is a favorite product among tourists stocking up on skincare when visiting Japan.
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What is cleansing powder?
Cleansing powders have long been used in Japanese skincare routines (and Korean ones too!) and are beginning to gain popularity further abroad. They are commonly made of natural ingredients such as rice bran or oats and are often used as a second cleanser in a Japanese skincare routine. These products are used by taking a little of the powder, adding some water and working it up into a milky or foaming cleanser.
What are the benefits of cleansing powder?
Gentle Exfoliation
Cleansing powders are often very soft and fine in texture, which allows them to gently exfoliate the skin, while also cleansing your face. Often containing minerals and enzymes, these ultra-fine particles eliminate the need for harsh scrubs or abrasive exfoliants such as microbeads. This makes them more suitable for those with sensitive skin.
Customizable
As these products come in a powder format that needs to be mixed with water, you can customize the final texture of the cleanser. Adding more water will result in a gentler exfoliation, while adding less water will result in a deeper exfoliation. Using your hands will create a milky foam, while using a foaming net will result in a fluffier foam.
Travel Friendly
As these products are non-liquid, they are exempt from liquid restrictions when travelling and also remove the risk of a liquid product exploding throughout your luggage! The capsule format also makes them super easy to pack, as you can take only what you’ll need.
Fewer Preservatives
Thanks to the lack of liquid, cleansing powders often require fewer preservatives to help keep them stable. It also means that they’ll often last longer than their liquid cleanser equivalents.
What is Suisai Beauty Clear Powder?
Suisai Beauty Clear Powder is a facial cleanser that comes in a fine powder form. It comes packaged in capsules, which are designed for a single use. The product is water-activated and forms a silky cleanser which contains two different kinds of enzymes and amino acid to cleanse the skin. It is designed to remove dirt, excess sebum and dead skin cells from pores, which helps to prevent clogging that can cause breakouts. It is fragrance and colorant free, making it less irritating to sensitive skin.
The product gently exfoliates while still keeping skin moisturized, resulting in bright, smooth skin that isn’t stripped of moisture or left feeling tight. As this cleanser doubles as an exfoliator, it can be too much to use on a daily basis. While everyone is different, most people use this product 1-3 times per week, in place of their regular cleanser.
The product comes in single use capsules, sold in packs of 15 or 32. These tiny hexagon-shaped capsules each contain 0.4g of powder, enough to cleanse your face once, making it easy to know exactly how much product you need to dispense. That said, some people find they only need to use half a capsule per face wash and can get a little more mileage out of each pack. The capsules are tiny and lightweight, making them convenient for travel. They do however, also involve more packaging and can work out more expensive than other cleansers.
Please note: the classic packaging (shown above) was updated in 2020 with a new design and updated product formulation. The new formula contains hyaluronic acid for increased moisture. Both products are still available for purchase.
How do you use Suisai Beauty Clear Powder?
- Use Suisai Beauty Clear Powder as the second step in a double cleansing routine. All makeup, sunscreen and excess oil should be removed prior, with a product like this. As it is exfoliating, this cleansing powder is commonly used about 1-3 times per week.
- Start with a damp face and clean, dry hands.
- Take one capsule of cleansing powder, open the foil lid and empty all of the white powder into your palm. This is enough product for a single wash, though some people choose to use only half of this amount.
- Add small amounts of lukewarm water into your palm, starting with just a few drops. Start working the product into a lather, you can do this by lathering it in a circular motion with your fingers or by using a foaming net. Using your hands will result in a light milky foam, while a foaming net will result in a more bubbly foam. Using less water will result in a thicker texture that provides more exfoliation.
- Gently apply the foam to your damp face and massage using circular motions to cleanse. Continue this for about one minute.
- Rinse the product off with lukewarm water (ideally around body temperature) and ensure all traces of product are removed. Pat your face dry with a clean towel.
- Follow with the next step in your skincare routine, ideally a lotion (aka toner) like this. We’ve written more about Japanese Skincare Routines here.
What are the ingredients of Suisai Beauty Clear Powder?
The following is a translation from the brands Japanese website of the latest product formulation, which outlines some of the main ingredients. Cleaning components: proteolytic enzyme (protease), sebum-degrading enzyme (lipase), amino acid-based cleaning component (sodium lauroyl glutamate, sodium myristoyl glutamate). Aqua moisture components: aqua glucoside (ethyl glucoside), sodium hyaluronate.
Is Suisai Beauty Clear Powder suitable for sensitive skin?
As the product is fragrance-free, colorant-free and additive-free, it is gentler on the skin. While it is marketed for all skin types (including sensitive) there are mixed reviews on this.
What is the pH of Suisai Beauty Clear Powder?
The official Suisai website doesn’t indicate the pH level of this product, however some home tests performed here indicate it may be pH balanced at around 4.5-5.
Where is the expiry date on Suisai Beauty Clear Powder?
This cleansing powder doesn’t come with an expiry date stamped on the packaging. Instead it has a 4 digit batch code printed on the bottom of the container, which can be entered on this website to determine the production date.
