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, which makes it the easiest "try one Japanese product" recommendation I can give. The packaging is dated (the cartoon mascot is straight out of a 1990s Tokyo drugstore), and I almost passed on it for that reason. I tested it against three more expensive cleansers anyway. This is the one I kept reaching for.
The most polishing cleanser in the edit — and the one I'd send most people to first.
A baking-soda powder cleanser by Ishizawa Lab, the Japanese pharmacy brand that built its entire reputation on pore care. The format is unusual: a granular powder you activate with water in your palm. The reaction lifts sebum and softened keratin out of pore walls in a way foaming cleansers can't reach.
I tested this against three Western enzyme cleansers in the AED 200–280 range. None of them came close on actual pore visibility after four weeks. The packaging is dated. The product isn't.
For: combination or oily skin, congested pores around the nose and chin, anyone curious about Japanese cleansers and willing to start with the strongest one. Not for: sensitive or compromised barriers, daily use (2–3 times per week), or anyone allergic to papain enzymes.
How to use: Wet hands. Dispense one pump of powder into wet palm. Add a small amount of water and lather between palms until creamy. Massage onto wet face for 30–45 seconds, paying attention to nose and chin. Rinse thoroughly.
Delivery time: 1-2 business days.
Thoughtfully Selected
Every product in our edit has been carefully chosen for its quality, efficacy, and alignment with our standards. We believe in curating, not just collecting—selecting items that genuinely deliver on their promise and enhance your daily rituals.
We focus on Japanese beauty because of its philosophy: precision in formulation, respect for ingredients, and the belief that skincare is self-care. Each product here represents that commitment to excellence and intentionality.
Pairs well with
Dear Beauté HIMAWARI Treatment Mask
Fino Premium Touch Hair Mask
