Tsujimoto Market: Our Guarantees
Description
Kokando LCE — Japanese L-Cysteine and Vitamin C Medicine for Pigmentation Care, 240 Tablets
Overview
Kokando's L-cysteine and vitamin C tablets belong to a category of Japanese 第3類医薬品 — Class 3 over-the-counter medicines taken for the alleviation of pigmentation caused by spots, freckles and sun exposure. Our listing previously sold this as a supplement. It is a medicine, and the difference shows up in what may be claimed for it.
The approved wording is alleviation. Not elimination, not removal, not solving. The maker's stated mechanism is that vitamin C inhibits formation of the melanin behind spots and freckles and promotes decolourisation of melanin already deposited, that L-cysteine activates skin metabolism in support of it, and that vitamin E improves circulation. That is the whole claim, and this page does not go past it. Browse the rest of our Japanese vitamins and supplements.
One thing we have to be straight about. We have not been able to match the daily amounts printed on this pack to a currently published Kokando product, so this page reports them as what is printed on the box we ship rather than as verified manufacturer data. The details are in the ingredients section.
This product is a Japanese Class 3 over-the-counter medicine (第3類医薬品), not a food supplement. That distinction carries real consequences: it has an officially approved list of indications and may not be presented as doing anything beyond them, it has a maximum daily dose, it has a minimum age, and its labelling tells you to stop and consult a doctor or pharmacist if your symptoms have not improved within about a month. Where this page describes what the product is for, it states the approved indications and nothing wider.
Key Benefits
- ✓ A Class 3 OTC medicine (第3類医薬品), not a beauty supplement — with an approved indication, a fixed dose and a stop rule
- ✓ Approved for alleviation of pigmentation caused by spots, freckles, sunburn and post-inflammatory darkening
- ✓ Also approved for vitamin C replacement and for prevention of bleeding gums and nosebleeds — a genuine part of the indication set, not a stray line
- ✓ L-cysteine with vitamin C and vitamin E, the combination this whole Japanese category is built on
- ✓ 240 tablets — a 40-day course at the stated dose of six a day
- ✓ Honest about what we could not verify — the daily amounts are reported as printed on the pack, not asserted as maker-published figures
- ✓ Paired with sun protection, not instead of it — this page says so, because UV is what causes the pigmentation in the first place
Product Details
| Brand | Kokando (皇漢堂製薬), Amagasaki, Japan |
|---|---|
| Regulatory class | 第3類医薬品 — Class 3 over-the-counter medicine (Japan) |
| Product type | Oral tablet |
| Pack size | 240 tablets (40 days at 6 a day) |
| Daily dose | 6 tablets — 2 tablets three times daily |
| Key ingredients | L-cysteine, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamins B2 and B6 |
| Amounts | As printed on the pack — see the note in Ingredients, we could not verify these against a published maker SKU |
| Country of origin | Japan |
| JAN code | Not recorded on our side — we have not invented one |
Who Is This For?
- Adults working on sun-related pigmentation — freckles, sun spots, and darkening left behind after a rash or a spot healed
- People already using sunscreen daily, because that is the half of the job this product cannot do and does not replace
- People who prefer a registered medicine to a beauty supplement for this purpose — the approval is what distinguishes the two
- Anyone who wants vitamin C at a therapeutic rather than a nutritional dose, including for the approved gum-bleeding and nosebleed indications
- Not for: children, pregnancy or breastfeeding without medical advice, anyone expecting pigmentation to disappear, or anyone whose pigmentation is new, changing shape or changing colour — that needs a doctor, not a pigmentation tablet
How to Use
- Take 2 tablets per dose, three times a day — six tablets in total.
- Swallow with water. Taking them after meals is easier on the stomach at this vitamin C dose.
- Keep using sunscreen and shade throughout. This is the step that decides whether the course achieves anything.
- Judge it over a course, not a week. Melanin already deposited in the skin clears as the skin turns over, which takes weeks.
- If there is no improvement after about a month, or if anything worsens, stop and consult a doctor or pharmacist.
Frequency: Three times a day, six tablets in total. 240 tablets is a 40-day course.
Full Ingredients
Daily amounts as printed on the pack we ship (6 tablets): vitamin C 1000 mg, L-cysteine 240 mg, vitamin E 50 mg, vitamin B2 6 mg, vitamin B6 12 mg.
Why that is phrased so carefully. We could not match this combination to a product Kokando currently publishes. The nearest ones differ: their Neo Vita White C Plus declares vitamin C 600 mg and B2 12 mg per six tablets, and their vitamin E and C preparation declares vitamin E 300 mg. Ours matches neither. Rather than present our figures as manufacturer-verified, or quietly substitute a different product's panel, this page reports what is on our box and tells you we could not corroborate it. Read the 成分・分量 panel on the pack you receive; if it disagrees with anything here, the pack is right and we want to know.
What each component is there for, per the maker's stated mechanism for this category: vitamin C inhibits the formation of melanin and promotes decolourisation of melanin already deposited; L-cysteine activates skin metabolism in support of vitamin C; vitamin E improves peripheral circulation; B2 and B6 are included for their role in normal skin and mucous-membrane turnover.
Cautions
- This is a medicine. Do not take it alongside another L-cysteine or high-dose vitamin C preparation without asking a pharmacist — doubling up is easy in this category
- Stop and consult a doctor or pharmacist if there is no improvement after about a month, which is the review point built into this class of medicine
- Nothing taken by mouth replaces sun protection — keep using sunscreen, shade and a hat, because UV exposure is what drives the pigmentation in the first place
- See a doctor about any pigmented patch that is new, growing, changing shape, changing colour or bleeding. A pigmentation tablet is for freckles and sun spots, not for diagnosing skin lesions
- Not for children. Not during pregnancy or breastfeeding without medical advice
- High-dose vitamin C can upset the stomach and, in people prone to them, is associated with kidney stones — talk to a doctor first if you have had one
- Stop and seek advice if a rash, itching, nausea or stomach pain appears
- Store sealed in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight
- Do not transfer the tablets to another container
- Keep out of reach of children
Package Contents
One bottle of 240 tablets in its printed carton with the Japanese package insert. At six tablets a day that is a 40-day course, which is what the product name refers to.
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 medicines cannot be returned for hygiene and safety reasons
- This is a Japanese over-the-counter medicine. Some countries limit how much medicine an individual may import, and a few require a declaration — please check your own country's rules before ordering
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
Will this remove my pigmentation?
No, and the approved wording is careful about this: it is registered for the alleviation of pigmentation, not its removal. Our previous page said "elimination" and "get rid of", which went beyond what any Japanese maker in this category is permitted to claim. What it can do is inhibit new melanin formation and support the fading of melanin already deposited as skin turns over.
Why does the page say you could not verify the ingredient amounts?
Because we could not. The daily amounts on our pack do not match any Kokando product we can find published — their nearest products declare different vitamin C and vitamin E figures. Rather than present our numbers as maker-confirmed or substitute another product's panel, we tell you what is printed on our box and that we could not corroborate it. The pack you receive is the authority.
Do I still need sunscreen while taking it?
Yes, and this is the single most important sentence on the page. UV exposure is what produces the pigmentation in the first place. Taking a pigmentation preparation while skipping sun protection is working against yourself, and every Japanese maker in this category says so.
Why does it mention bleeding gums and nosebleeds?
Because prevention of gum bleeding and nosebleeds is a genuine part of the approved indication set for high-dose vitamin C preparations in Japan. On our previous page it appeared with no explanation, stranded between two pigmentation sentences, and read like an error. It is not one.
How long until I see a difference?
Judge it over the 40-day course rather than a week. Melanin already in the skin clears as the skin renews itself, which takes weeks. If nothing has changed after about a month, the labelling for this class of medicine says to stop and consult a doctor or pharmacist.
