Issue 01 Vol. 01 · Spring / Summer 2026

The Edit.

Twenty-one pieces of Japanese skincare, organized as the rituals they're meant to support — not as a list of products on a shelf.

21 Pieces
06 Rituals
04 Standards
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Index i. Cleanse ii. Treat iii. Renew iv. Hair v. Body vi. Sensitive
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Ritual i. sosogi · the act of cleansing

Cleanse — the foundation.

06 pieces

The Japanese approach to cleansing is gentler than what most Western routines accept as default. The goal is not to strip; it is to lift, to soften, to leave the skin's barrier alone. Six products that I keep returning to, organized from the most beginner-friendly to the most specific.

No. 01 Daily KEANA Baking Soda
Ishizawa Lab · Powder format

KEANA Baking Soda Scrub Wash.

If you've never used a Japanese scrub, start here. The formula is unusually fine — it polishes without the grit you feel in Western scrubs. The packaging is dated. The product isn't.

For

Combination skin, congested pores, anyone curious about Japanese cleansers

Not for

Sensitive or compromised barriers, daily use

AED 110.00 Read & buy
No. 02 Daily KEANA Baking Soda
Ishizawa Lab · Foam format

KEANA Baking Soda Face Foam.

The gentler cousin to the scrub wash. Same Keana DNA in a cream-foam format that suits drier skin or anyone who finds physical exfoliants too much. The cleanser I'd recommend to most people first.

For

All skin types, including dry and combination. Beginner-friendly.

Not for

Those who prefer balm or oil-based cleansers

AED 99.00 Read & buy
No. 03 Daily KEANA
Ishizawa Lab · Gel cleanser

KEANA Cleansing Gel.

A makeup remover that does more than remove makeup. The gel-to-emulsion texture is one of those small Japanese formulation details Western brands haven't matched. Melts foundation and SPF in one pass.

For

Anyone wearing daily SPF or long-wear makeup

Not for

Those who prefer balm-format cleansers

AED 99.00 Read & buy
A note on order

The order matters more than the count. Six products applied in the right sequence will outperform twelve applied haphazardly — every time.

From the Curator
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Ritual i. teate · the act of cleansing

Treat— the weekly work.

04 pieces

Daily care maintains. Weekly treatment shifts. Four masks and treatments that earn their place not because they promise transformation, but because the small, repeatable improvements they deliver compound quietly over months.

No. 07 Weekly KEANA 
Ishizawa Lab · Sheet mask

KEANA  Tightening Mask.

I'm cautious about sheet masks in general — most are vehicles for forgettable essence at high prices. This one earned its place because the cucumber-and-pineapple combination genuinely tightens visible pores in the short term.

For

Pre-event prep, summer use, visible pore concerns

Not for

Pineapple/bromelain sensitivity

AED 75.00 Read & buy
No. 09 Weekly KEANA 
Ishizawa Lab · Sheet mask

KEANA  Rice Mask.

Rice has been a beauty ingredient in Japan for centuries — long before TikTok found it. This is a properly formulated version, made with 100% Japanese-grown rice. The sheet stays saturated. Your skin will still feel hydrated four hours later.

For

Dry, dehydrated, or mature skin

Not for

Rice allergies (rare but worth flagging)

AED 55.00 Read & buy
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Ritual iii. saisei · the act of renewal

Renew — the long game.

03 pieces

The actives. The compounders. The products that ask more of you in exchange for what they return. Three products with strict protocols — and the only chapter in this Edit where I'd actively dissuade some readers from buying.

No. 11 Nightly KISO
KISO Care · No. 035 · Pure retinol

KISO Care Retinol Serum.

Clinical-grade retinol from a Japanese pharmacy brand most of the region has never heard of. Not gentle. If you're new to retinol, start lower — or message me before ordering. This is the only product in the Edit I'd actively dissuade some people from buying.

For

Experienced retinol users, mature skin, photodamage

Not for

Pregnancy, retinol beginners, sensitive skin

AED 185.00 Read & buy
A short ritual, not a regimen

The Starter Set.

If you don't know where to begin, this is where I'd point you. Three products from the Edit — a cleanser, a treatment, and a moisturizer — paired together cleanly.

Less effective in isolation. The ritual is the point. The smallest possible introduction to Japanese skincare done correctly.

See the Starter Set
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Twenty-one pieces, this season. More when the right ones surface.

The Edit is a working list — revised quarterly, narrowed when needed, expanded only when something earns the slot. If a product you're looking for isn't here, it's not an oversight. It's an answer.

The Curator