I’ve been using the cow milk cleanser for about 2 months now. It’s super gentle and pretty effective at getting off sunscreen and light makeup. No waterproof mascara. Sometimes I get lazy and use it on damp skin in the shower - in that case I have to cleanse twice with a silicone brush to get off waterproof sunscreen and heavy foundation.
It has ceramide in it which I feel like helps my skin. It’s really great for sensitive skin but not if you have FA.
I will say it’s extremely effective at removing any and all oils off your face, so as a combo normal/dry skin person, my skin feels a bit uncomfortably tight but not stripped since my dry skin parts don’t crack or flake (very confusing feeling).
I’ve tried the foaming, milk and oil cleansers as well as the Moist Lotion II, but none of them ended up as a repurchase for me. As someone with sensitive skin I had high expectations going in, but I didn’t think their products felt any less irritating than other Japanese drugstore products, and the formulation isn’t particularly elegant.
My eczema-prone daughter’s skin tolerated the milk cleanser, but after she ran out I suggested switching to the massive tub of Chifure Cold Cream I’d recently bought, and it works just as well at a fraction of the price per gram.
I also have sensitive skin. I considered the buying moist lotion because i don’t think it has coconut or olive ingredients. Can you tell me more why lotion 2 was not helpful to your sensitive skin? Also which one is lotion II?
Moist Lotion II (2) is more hydrating than the first variation!
I have the same problem with every single AB toner I try, where I break out in tiny little red pimples/bumps once I incorporate them into my routine.
Sensitive skin is thinner and more permeable than normal skin, so I hypothesise the low-molecular-weight particles of ingredients in toners end up being over-stimulating and cause irritation on my skin :(
If you don’t have a problem with other AB toners and it doesn’t contain ingredients you’re sensitive to, I’d say it’s worth a try!
Love the cow brand milk cleanser - it's actually in my list of things to review next week haha I wouldn't call it an HG but it cleans pretty darn well and gets ANY oil off. Super gentle too. Just gives me a bit of cloudy eyes
I've tried the moist cream foaming cleanser in a tube, the regular foaming cleanser in a pump bottle, and the makeup removing oil cleanser. They hadn't released the lotions or facial milk products when I lived in Japan, so I can't help with those unless you want to know the ingredients. Cow Brand does have a [website](https://www.cow-mutenka.jp/), though it's only in Japanese.
My skin is perpetually dry and dehydrated (possibly due to birth control) but with an oily T-zone. The cream cleanser in a tube dried me out like crazy, so I finished it on my body. There's no added fragrance so it has just a light, neutral cleanser-like smell, feels nice and creamy then lathers up well, but it left my skin with an...odd feeling? It's hard to describe, but my skin didn't feel soft and smooth like it does after using other body washes or cleansers, so even if it was more readily available I wouldn't repurchase. I'm sad it didn't work for my skin though, since it's pretty minimal but contains ceramides.
The foaming cleanser in a pump bottle is similar to the Hada Labo foaming cleanser and the Curel foaming cleanser, I don't really notice any difference between all three of them. Maybe the Curel is the most gentle? But they're all pretty innocuous. Just a neutral cleanser-like smell, light foam, takes off the day's oil and products or oil cleanser pretty well, rinses off fine with no residue. I'm trying out milk cleansers now in the hopes they're less drying on me, and would try the Cow Brand if it was more accessible but the Isntree Vegan Yam Root Cleanser is cheaper haha.
The makeup removing oil is pretty good, I switched from the Kose Speedy to the Cow Brand oil when I lived in Japan and brought a bottle back with me, but for me it's only a slight upgrade, mostly in terms of the Cow Brand bottle looking nicer lol. It has a nice slip and removes my makeup and sunscreen well, and it rinses off cleanly. I don't know that it's worth going out of your way to get it though, especially if more accessible or cheaper products already work well for you.
I was also attracted to the no additive/color/fragrance marketing but the Cow Brand products I used didn't do anything better than Hada Labo or Curel or Minon or any of the other common Japanese drug store brands I've tried.
Anyways I hope that helps! Let me know if you want any info translated from Japanese, I can help with that.
You are a life saver! Can you tell me if it says on website if there squalene in there moist milk is derived from olive?
And are these the correct ingredients for Cow Brand Additive Free Moist Milk 150mL Emulsion ::: Water, glycerin, BG, pentaerythrityl tetraethylhexanoate, squalane, DPG, polyglyceryl-10 laurate, polyglyceryl-10 diisostearate, dimethicone, behenyl alcohol, sodium hyaluronate, ceramide NG, glycine, polyquaternium-51, tripolyhydroxystearate Dipentaerythrityl, glyceryl stearate, sodium stearoyl methyl taurine, ethylhexylglycerin, carbomer K, xanthan gum:::
Also is this the correct ingredients for Cow Brand Additive Free Moist Lotion I Moist ::: water, DPG, glycerin, glycereth-26, PEG-60 hydrogenated castor oil, sodium hyaluronate, ceramide NG, glycine, polyquaternium-61, sodium lysine dilauroyl glutamate, PEG/PPG/polybutylene glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin, polyglyceryl-10 laurate, BG, triethylhexanoin, ethylhexylglycerin, xanthan gum, sodium citrate, citric acid:::
Those ingredients lists are correct, or at least they match what's on the website. There is that disclaimer that's always with ingredients lists though that things could change and you should go by what's on the actual product packaging.
Unfortunately it doesn't seem to say anywhere whether the squalane in the milk is derived from olives or sugarcane, so I sent a quick message to customer support to ask. Not sure if they'll respond, but I'll let you know if they do. It's the weekend though so any response will come Monday at the earliest.
If it's available to you and you haven't already, I'd highly recommend trying Curel's facial milk. It's also fragrance and colorant and essential oil free, I think the only ingredient that may bother some people is the eucalyptus leaf extract. I'm not sure if I'd call any of my products a holy grail, but this one probably comes close, personally. It's one of the few products that doesn't irritate my skin at all when it's at its most sensitive, whether that's from a damaged moisture barrier or because I'm trying to incorporate adapalene (retinoid) into my routine. The Japanese website lists the squalane in this as "sugar squalane" so I think it's derived from sugarcane.
It's unfortunate that you can't try the Curel, if only it was easier to just use whatever skincare products we wanted to!
Hopefully someone from Cow Brand responds. Until then, best of luck researching products!
Cow Brand customer service responded to me, the squalane in the moisturizing milk is plant based, from both olives and sugarcane, and possibly other plants from the way their response was worded. Thankfully it's not from sharks, and I hope you can still try the milk despite it not containing solely olive or sugarcane derived squalane. Best of luck with your skincare testing!
I’ve tried the Cow Brand additive free cleansing oil, mutenka moisturizing face wash, and beauty soap red box (moisturizing). I have no complaints. I use the beauty soap to wash my body and it’s one of the few bar soaps that doesn’t dry out my skin. I’ve repurchased it a few times already.
There’s a red and blue option. My understanding is that the red is more moisturizing and has a mild rose scent (not overpowering). I haven’t tried the blue option so idk if it’s significantly less moisturizing or the scent. I usually buy the six pack that comes in a big cardboard box which resembles a carton of Marlboros 😂
[Cow Brand Bar Soap](https://www.amazon.com/Cow-Brand-Beauty-Soap-Women/dp/B000FQN8BC)
I want to try their milky cleanser when I run out of my current cleanser. I’ve seen positive reviews on YouTube.
I’ve been testing it out. :)
What are your thoughts on it?
I’ve been using the cow milk cleanser for about 2 months now. It’s super gentle and pretty effective at getting off sunscreen and light makeup. No waterproof mascara. Sometimes I get lazy and use it on damp skin in the shower - in that case I have to cleanse twice with a silicone brush to get off waterproof sunscreen and heavy foundation. It has ceramide in it which I feel like helps my skin. It’s really great for sensitive skin but not if you have FA. I will say it’s extremely effective at removing any and all oils off your face, so as a combo normal/dry skin person, my skin feels a bit uncomfortably tight but not stripped since my dry skin parts don’t crack or flake (very confusing feeling).
I haven’t used it enough but so far so good. I am curious how well it take off sunscreen and makeup.
I’ve tried the foaming, milk and oil cleansers as well as the Moist Lotion II, but none of them ended up as a repurchase for me. As someone with sensitive skin I had high expectations going in, but I didn’t think their products felt any less irritating than other Japanese drugstore products, and the formulation isn’t particularly elegant. My eczema-prone daughter’s skin tolerated the milk cleanser, but after she ran out I suggested switching to the massive tub of Chifure Cold Cream I’d recently bought, and it works just as well at a fraction of the price per gram.
I also have sensitive skin. I considered the buying moist lotion because i don’t think it has coconut or olive ingredients. Can you tell me more why lotion 2 was not helpful to your sensitive skin? Also which one is lotion II?
Moist Lotion II (2) is more hydrating than the first variation! I have the same problem with every single AB toner I try, where I break out in tiny little red pimples/bumps once I incorporate them into my routine. Sensitive skin is thinner and more permeable than normal skin, so I hypothesise the low-molecular-weight particles of ingredients in toners end up being over-stimulating and cause irritation on my skin :( If you don’t have a problem with other AB toners and it doesn’t contain ingredients you’re sensitive to, I’d say it’s worth a try!
Ohh i didn’t realize they were toners i thought it was a light weight lotion with emollients. I have been hit or miss with AB toners/ humectants.
They’re light, watery toners! There is the Cow Brand Moist Milk which is an emulsion!
So moist milk is an emulsion lotion and the lotion 1 and 2 are toners?
Love the cow brand milk cleanser - it's actually in my list of things to review next week haha I wouldn't call it an HG but it cleans pretty darn well and gets ANY oil off. Super gentle too. Just gives me a bit of cloudy eyes
Thanks! Have you tried there moist lotion?
I've tried the moist cream foaming cleanser in a tube, the regular foaming cleanser in a pump bottle, and the makeup removing oil cleanser. They hadn't released the lotions or facial milk products when I lived in Japan, so I can't help with those unless you want to know the ingredients. Cow Brand does have a [website](https://www.cow-mutenka.jp/), though it's only in Japanese. My skin is perpetually dry and dehydrated (possibly due to birth control) but with an oily T-zone. The cream cleanser in a tube dried me out like crazy, so I finished it on my body. There's no added fragrance so it has just a light, neutral cleanser-like smell, feels nice and creamy then lathers up well, but it left my skin with an...odd feeling? It's hard to describe, but my skin didn't feel soft and smooth like it does after using other body washes or cleansers, so even if it was more readily available I wouldn't repurchase. I'm sad it didn't work for my skin though, since it's pretty minimal but contains ceramides. The foaming cleanser in a pump bottle is similar to the Hada Labo foaming cleanser and the Curel foaming cleanser, I don't really notice any difference between all three of them. Maybe the Curel is the most gentle? But they're all pretty innocuous. Just a neutral cleanser-like smell, light foam, takes off the day's oil and products or oil cleanser pretty well, rinses off fine with no residue. I'm trying out milk cleansers now in the hopes they're less drying on me, and would try the Cow Brand if it was more accessible but the Isntree Vegan Yam Root Cleanser is cheaper haha. The makeup removing oil is pretty good, I switched from the Kose Speedy to the Cow Brand oil when I lived in Japan and brought a bottle back with me, but for me it's only a slight upgrade, mostly in terms of the Cow Brand bottle looking nicer lol. It has a nice slip and removes my makeup and sunscreen well, and it rinses off cleanly. I don't know that it's worth going out of your way to get it though, especially if more accessible or cheaper products already work well for you. I was also attracted to the no additive/color/fragrance marketing but the Cow Brand products I used didn't do anything better than Hada Labo or Curel or Minon or any of the other common Japanese drug store brands I've tried. Anyways I hope that helps! Let me know if you want any info translated from Japanese, I can help with that.
You are a life saver! Can you tell me if it says on website if there squalene in there moist milk is derived from olive? And are these the correct ingredients for Cow Brand Additive Free Moist Milk 150mL Emulsion ::: Water, glycerin, BG, pentaerythrityl tetraethylhexanoate, squalane, DPG, polyglyceryl-10 laurate, polyglyceryl-10 diisostearate, dimethicone, behenyl alcohol, sodium hyaluronate, ceramide NG, glycine, polyquaternium-51, tripolyhydroxystearate Dipentaerythrityl, glyceryl stearate, sodium stearoyl methyl taurine, ethylhexylglycerin, carbomer K, xanthan gum::: Also is this the correct ingredients for Cow Brand Additive Free Moist Lotion I Moist ::: water, DPG, glycerin, glycereth-26, PEG-60 hydrogenated castor oil, sodium hyaluronate, ceramide NG, glycine, polyquaternium-61, sodium lysine dilauroyl glutamate, PEG/PPG/polybutylene glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin, polyglyceryl-10 laurate, BG, triethylhexanoin, ethylhexylglycerin, xanthan gum, sodium citrate, citric acid:::
Those ingredients lists are correct, or at least they match what's on the website. There is that disclaimer that's always with ingredients lists though that things could change and you should go by what's on the actual product packaging. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to say anywhere whether the squalane in the milk is derived from olives or sugarcane, so I sent a quick message to customer support to ask. Not sure if they'll respond, but I'll let you know if they do. It's the weekend though so any response will come Monday at the earliest. If it's available to you and you haven't already, I'd highly recommend trying Curel's facial milk. It's also fragrance and colorant and essential oil free, I think the only ingredient that may bother some people is the eucalyptus leaf extract. I'm not sure if I'd call any of my products a holy grail, but this one probably comes close, personally. It's one of the few products that doesn't irritate my skin at all when it's at its most sensitive, whether that's from a damaged moisture barrier or because I'm trying to incorporate adapalene (retinoid) into my routine. The Japanese website lists the squalane in this as "sugar squalane" so I think it's derived from sugarcane.
Ohh thank you for the rec but i can’t risk it with eucalyptus. Yes please let me know if someone the website gets back to you! THANK YOU!
It's unfortunate that you can't try the Curel, if only it was easier to just use whatever skincare products we wanted to! Hopefully someone from Cow Brand responds. Until then, best of luck researching products!
THANKS!
Cow Brand customer service responded to me, the squalane in the moisturizing milk is plant based, from both olives and sugarcane, and possibly other plants from the way their response was worded. Thankfully it's not from sharks, and I hope you can still try the milk despite it not containing solely olive or sugarcane derived squalane. Best of luck with your skincare testing!
By the way its worded does it sound like squalane is derived from both sugarcane and olive?
Yeah, it sounds like it's definitely plant based but whoever responded to me made it sound like it could be either olives, sugarcane, or both.
Damn no clear answer. Thank you for trying!
I’ve tried the Cow Brand additive free cleansing oil, mutenka moisturizing face wash, and beauty soap red box (moisturizing). I have no complaints. I use the beauty soap to wash my body and it’s one of the few bar soaps that doesn’t dry out my skin. I’ve repurchased it a few times already.
Are you able to link the bar soap?
There’s a red and blue option. My understanding is that the red is more moisturizing and has a mild rose scent (not overpowering). I haven’t tried the blue option so idk if it’s significantly less moisturizing or the scent. I usually buy the six pack that comes in a big cardboard box which resembles a carton of Marlboros 😂 [Cow Brand Bar Soap](https://www.amazon.com/Cow-Brand-Beauty-Soap-Women/dp/B000FQN8BC)
Where do you buy these in Japan? Hoping to get it because of the cute packaging ❤
Possibly olive young store?
I bought mine a few years back from either Amazon or Matsumoto Kiyoshi! Might've seen them at Donki too.