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Description
Hada Labo Shirojun Medicated Whitening Lotion 170 ml
Overview
Shirojun is the brightening branch of Rohto's Hada Labo range: the same watery, no-fragrance texture that made Gokujyun a fixture in Japanese bathrooms, built around tranexamic acid instead of a stack of hyaluronic acids. It is a quasi-drug, which in Japan means the actives and the wording used for them were reviewed by the health ministry rather than chosen by a copywriter.
What that approval actually covers is prevention — keeping new spots and freckles from forming after sun exposure. It is a slower, quieter proposition than most brightening marketing suggests, and it works best as the toner step of a routine you already keep. See also our Japanese toners and brightening skincare collections.
Key Benefits
- Tranexamic acid as the approved whitening active — it works on the inflammatory plasmin pathway that follows UV exposure, which is why it is favoured for the diffuse, hormonally-influenced discolouration that responds poorly to acids
- Allantoin as the second active, approved for calming rough, irritated skin — useful because irritation itself drives pigmentation
- Two hyaluronic acids plus a vitamin C derivative and vitamin E as conditioning ingredients, so the toner still does the hydration job of a toner
- Job's tears (hatomugi) ferment and extract, a long-standing Japanese ingredient for skin that looks bumpy or uneven in texture
- No ethanol, fragrance, colourant, mineral oil or paraben in the declared list — a short, low-drama formula for daily use
- Sugarcane-derived squalane rather than shark-derived, so nothing in the declared formula comes from an animal
Product Details
| Brand | Hada Labo (Rohto Pharmaceutical) |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Japan |
| Product type | Medicated whitening toner |
| Format | Watery liquid, moist type |
| Volume / count | 170 ml (refill and 400 ml pump also produced) |
| Manufacturer | Rohto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. |
| JAN code | 4987241157549 |
| Regulatory status | Quasi-drug (iyakubugaihin) in Japan |
| Scent | Fragrance-free |
| Sales channel | Japanese drugstore line |
Who Is This For?
- Skin with sun-related discolouration, post-acne marks or a melasma-type pattern across the cheeks
- Anyone who wants a brightening step that does not sting — no acids, no ethanol, no fragrance
- People whose skin reacts badly to vitamin C serums but who still want to work on tone
- Those already using a daily sunscreen, which is the condition under which this product makes sense
- Not for you if you want visible removal of an established, well-defined age spot — that is a dermatology conversation
How to Use
- Cleanse, then pour a 500-yen-coin amount (roughly 2 ml) into your palm.
- Press it over the whole face with your palms rather than wiping it with a cotton pad.
- Go back over the areas that concern you with a second, thinner pass.
- Follow with your emulsion or cream while the skin is still damp.
- In the morning, finish with a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher — without it the routine works against itself.
Frequency: Morning and evening, every day. Judge results at eight to twelve weeks, not at two.
Full Ingredients
Active ingredients (quasi-drug): tranexamic acid, allantoin.
Other ingredients: hydrolysed hyaluronic acid (nano hyaluronic acid), sodium hyaluronate-2, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate (vitamin C derivative), vitamin E, Job's tears (hatomugi) fermented filtrate, Job's tears (yokuinin) extract, BG, DPG, tri(caprylic/capric) glyceryl, sugarcane-derived squalane, PEG hydrogenated castor oil, EDTA salt, citric acid, sodium citrate, anhydrous citric acid, benzoate salt, phenoxyethanol.
No ethanol, no fragrance, no colourant, no mineral oil and no paraben appear in the list. The squalane here is fermented from sugarcane rather than shark liver, so the declared formula contains no animal-derived ingredient.
Ingredient list as declared by the manufacturer. Formulations are occasionally revised, so always read the list printed on the package you receive.
Cautions
- This is a Japanese quasi-drug (iyakubugaihin): the active ingredients and the effect claimed for them have been reviewed by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Outside Japan it is sold as an ordinary cosmetic.
- This product contains no sun filters and does not protect skin from UV — apply your sunscreen separately.
- The approved claim is prevention of spots and freckles caused by sun exposure. It is not approved to remove pigmentation that is already there.
- Stop and see a dermatologist if unusual redness, swelling, itching or a change in pigmentation appears during or after sun exposure.
- Patch test on the inner forearm before first use, especially if your skin is reactive.
- Discontinue use and consult a doctor if redness, itching, swelling or persistent stinging occurs.
- Avoid contact with the eyes. If the product enters the eyes, rinse immediately with plenty of water.
- Do not apply to broken, sunburned or actively inflamed skin.
- Keep out of reach of children. Store away from direct sunlight and high temperatures.
Package Contents
- 1 x Hada Labo Shirojun Medicated Whitening Lotion, 170 ml bottle
Shipping & Store Notes
- Ships directly from Japan
- Processing time: 2–6 business days
- Tracking number provided after dispatch
- Import duties and taxes may apply depending on destination country
- Opened cosmetics cannot be returned for hygiene and safety reasons
Authenticity Guarantee
Every product at Tsujimoto Market is sourced directly from Japan and verified for authenticity. We never sell fakes or grey-market goods. Each order is carefully packed in Kobe, Japan and dispatched with full tracking.
FAQ
Does tranexamic acid block tyrosinase?
No, and this is worth getting right because the mechanism explains who it suits. Tyrosinase inhibitors such as arbutin or kojic acid interrupt the enzyme that builds melanin. Tranexamic acid works one step earlier, on the plasmin-driven inflammatory signalling that tells pigment cells to switch on after UV exposure. That is why it is associated with diffuse, blotchy discolouration and melasma rather than with a single sharp-edged sun spot.
Is this the Premium version?
No. This page covers the standard Shirojun medicated whitening lotion, JAN 4987241157549. Shirojun Premium is a separate, differently formulated line that adds dipotassium glycyrrhizate as a second active — we list the Premium cream and emulsion separately. If a listing title anywhere on our site says Premium next to this JAN code, the JAN code is the one to trust and we would be grateful if you told us.
How long before I see anything, and will dark spots disappear?
Give it eight to twelve weeks of uninterrupted twice-daily use before you judge it, and photograph your face in the same light at the start so you have something to compare against. What products in this category realistically do is make marks look lighter and stop new ones from darkening — they do not erase established pigmentation, and neither melasma nor a deep sun spot is a skincare problem alone. If nothing has shifted after three months, a dermatologist has options a toner does not.
The packaging is in Japanese — how do I know what I am using?
The carton and bottle carry Japanese-language labelling, because this is stock made for the Japanese domestic market. Where an ingredient list appears on this page, it is translated from that labelling or from the manufacturer's own published data; where the manufacturer does not publish one, the ingredients section says so rather than filling the gap. Either way, send us a photo of anything unclear on the box after delivery and we will translate it, and ask us before ordering if you need the full label list first.
Will I pay customs duty or import VAT?
That depends on your country and on the declared value of the parcel, not on us. We ship from Japan with a correct customs declaration and full tracking; any duty or import VAT your country charges is collected by your local carrier or customs office on delivery. Check your national de-minimis threshold before ordering if you want to avoid a surprise.
