Kiku-Masamune Sake Brewing Sake Skin Care Lotion Versus Kiku-Masamune Sake Brewing Japanese Sake NA5 Skincare Essence
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantRice Ferment Lees
HumectantGlutamic Acid
HumectantArginine
MaskingLeucine
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningPlacental Extract
Arbutin
AntioxidantGlycyrrhetinic Acid
Skin ConditioningSoy Protein Phthalate
EmollientMaltitol
HumectantMethyl Gluceth-10
EmulsifyingPEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingStyrene/Acrylates Copolymer
Citric Acid
BufferingSodium Citrate
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeMethylparaben
PreservativeParfum
MaskingWater, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Rice Ferment Lees, Glutamic Acid, Arginine, Leucine, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Placental Extract, Arbutin, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Soy Protein Phthalate, Maltitol, Methyl Gluceth-10, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantNiacinamide
SmoothingSaccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningGlutamic Acid
HumectantArginine
MaskingGlycine
BufferingAspartic Acid
MaskingSerine
MaskingValine
MaskingProline
Skin ConditioningIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningThreonine
Histidine
HumectantAlanine
MaskingPhenylalanine
MaskingCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningAscorbyl Glucoside
AntioxidantMagnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin ConditioningPlacental Extract
Arbutin
AntioxidantDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantBakuchiol
AntimicrobialHydrolyzed Yeast
Skin ConditioningSqualane
EmollientTriethylhexanoin
MaskingIsostearic Acid
CleansingPhytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
EmollientPhytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningSodium Lactate
BufferingPCA
HumectantSodium PCA
HumectantSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingPolysorbate 60
EmulsifyingPEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingSorbitan Isostearate
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTocopherol
AntioxidantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Phytic Acid
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingSilver Oxide
AntimicrobialPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeParfum
MaskingWater, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate, Glutamic Acid, Arginine, Glycine, Aspartic Acid, Serine, Valine, Proline, Isoleucine, Threonine, Histidine, Alanine, Phenylalanine, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Placental Extract, Arbutin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Bakuchiol, Hydrolyzed Yeast, Squalane, Triethylhexanoin, Isostearic Acid, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Cholesterol, Phytosphingosine, Sodium Lactate, PCA, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Polysorbate 20, Polysorbate 60, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sorbitan Isostearate, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Tocopherol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Phytic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Silver Oxide, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Arbutin is derived from the bearberry plant. It helps even out skin tone and reduce hyperpigmentation.
This ingredient has the ability to block tyrosinase, an enzyme that starts the process of skin darkening. When applied to the skin, arbutin works at a slow pace. This can make it less irritating than similar ingredients.
Kojic Acid is a similar ingredient.
Learn more about ArbutinArginine is a semi-essential amino acid. This just means our bodies can product a bit on its own, but sometimes needs a little boost from food sources.
It is a part of your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.
Here's an interesting thing about Arginine: your skin converts it into urea through the Krebs-Henseleit urea cycle. Urea is one of the most effective humectants your skin naturally produces.
A clinical study showed applying 2.5% arginine hydrochloride to atopic dermatitis skin showed significant urea levels in the stratum corneum and improved moisture in just four weeks.
Arginine is also a precursor to nitric oxide; nitric oxide improves microcirculation and supports wound healing and collagen synthesis.
One study found that an amino acid complex containing Arginine reduced skin irritation, improved hydration, and accelerated skin repair in clinical / in-vivo studies.
Arginine itself is an amino acid and not a fatty acid, oil, or ester. On its own, it's not a direct food source for Malassezia, or the yeast that causes fungal acne.
Learn more about ArginineButylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCeramide AP is is a skin-identical lipid that mimics what your skin already makes naturally. Ceramides help maintain epidermal integrity and barrier function.
You'll often see this ingredient paired with other ceramides (like ceramide NP), cholesterol, or fatty acids because this combination best mimics the natural lipid mix your skin already has.
The skin's ability to produce ceramides gets disrupted in skin conditions like eczema. This in turn weakens the skin barrier and applying ceramides topically has been shown to replenish what's been lost to restore barrier function.
Most of the studies with Ceramide AP test it as part of a multi-ceramide complex; studies reinforce ceramide AP's role in rebalancing ceramides in skin and improving skin hydration.
Learn more about Ceramide APCeramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
Learn more about Ceramide NPGlutamic Acid is an amino acid that is found in all living organisms. Our bodies use this to help nerve cells in the brain communicate with other cells.
In cosmetics, glutamic acid is a famous humectant. It draws water from the air to your skin, keeping your skin hydrated (like hyaluronic acid).
An in-vitro study from 2024 found glutamic acid to play a role in inhibiting inflammation and thus a potential skin-soothing ingredient.
Other studies show it to be have potential wound healing, skin barrier repair, and hair growth properties.
Glutamic acid has poor solubility in water and other solvents.
Learn more about Glutamic AcidGlycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPeg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil comes from hydrogenated castor oil. It is a solubilizer and emulsifier.
As a solubilizer, it helps dissolve ingredients into a water-based version. It is also an emulsifer. Emulsifier help prevent oils and water from separating. Both these properties help create evenly-spread and uniform products.
Basically, Peg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil helps hold ingredients together.
Learn more about PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor OilPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
We don't have a description for Placental Extract yet.
Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water