Tsujimoto Market: Our Guarantees
Description
Rohto Mentholatum Refrea Deodorant Cream, 55 g — Japanese Quasi-Drug Antiperspirant for Underarms
Overview
Rohto's deodorant cream for the underarm, a Japanese quasi-drug with three approved actives working on two different problems at once. Benzalkonium chloride and isopropyl methylphenol are antibacterial: body odour comes from skin bacteria breaking down sweat, not from the sweat itself. Aluminium chlorhydroxide is the antiperspirant part — it reduces how much sweat reaches the surface. The cream is fragrance-free and washes off with water.
An honest correction. The previous version of this page listed the ingredients as "ammonium bromide, glycerin, ethanol, menthol, etc." Ammonium bromide is a sedative salt and has no business in an antiperspirant; it appears to be a mistranslation of cetrimonium bromide solution, which is an ordinary supporting ingredient. The real actives, including the aluminium salt, were nowhere on the page — and the aluminium salt is the single thing most customers want to know about in this category. See also our Japanese deodorants and Japanese body care.
Key Benefits
- ✓ Japanese quasi-drug with three approved actives, not a scented cosmetic deodorant
- ✓ Two antibacterial actives target the cause of odour — bacteria breaking sweat down, rather than the sweat itself
- ✓ Aluminium chlorhydroxide reduces how much sweat reaches the surface, which a purely antibacterial stick does not
- ✓ Fragrance-free, so it does not fight with your perfume or add to the problem
- ✓ Cream format holds its place through movement and friction but still washes off with water
- ✓ Shipped from our base in Kobe, Japan with tracking, in the Japanese domestic packaging
Product Details
| Brand | Mentholatum Refrea (Rohto Pharmaceutical) |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Japan |
| Product type | Deodorant and antiperspirant cream for underarms |
| Volume / count | 55 g |
| Scent | Fragrance-free |
| JAN code | 4987241173112 |
| Regulatory status | Quasi-drug (iyakubugaihin) in Japan |
Who Is This For?
- Anyone for whom a scented cosmetic deodorant has not been enough
- People who sweat heavily and need the antiperspirant action, not only odour control
- Anyone who prefers no fragrance, either because of sensitivity or because they wear perfume
- Long days, hot and humid climates and situations where reapplying is not an option
- Not for you if you avoid aluminium salts in deodorants, or if your underarm skin is broken or freshly shaved
How to Use
- Wash the underarm and dry it completely. The cream needs dry skin to stay where you put it.
- Apply a small amount to each underarm and spread it thinly. More does not last longer.
- Let it settle for a moment before dressing.
- Apply it at night if you sweat a great deal: aluminium salts work best when applied to skin that is not actively sweating, which is why the overnight application is standard advice for antiperspirants.
- Do not apply immediately after shaving, or to broken skin.
- Wash it off with soap and water at the end of the day.
Frequency: Once a day. If odour returns before the end of the day, wash the area before reapplying — putting more cream over bacteria does not help.
Full Ingredients
Approved actives (as declared by Rohto): benzalkonium chloride, isopropyl methylphenol, aluminium chlorhydroxide.
Other declared ingredients: erythritol, cetrimonium bromide solution, cyclopentasiloxane, alkyl polyacrylate, concentrated glycerin, POE·POP dimethicone copolymer, sorbitan isostearate, ethanol, menthol, silylated silica, isononyl isononanoate, polyglyceryl laurate.
This replaces the ingredient line that was on this page before, which read "ammonium bromide, glycerin, ethanol, menthol, etc." Ammonium bromide is a sedative salt with no role in an antiperspirant, and the most likely explanation is a mistranslation of the cetrimonium bromide solution above. If you have avoided this product because you could not tell what was in it, this is what is in it — including the aluminium salt, which the old list did not mention at all.
Cautions
- Contains an aluminium salt (aluminium chlorhydroxide). This is what makes it an antiperspirant rather than only a deodorant — worth knowing if you prefer aluminium-free products.
- Do not apply to broken, irritated or freshly shaved skin, or immediately after hair removal. Wait until the following day.
- Contains ethanol (alcohol), which can sting dry or reactive skin — patch test first if your barrier is compromised.
- Contains menthol or mint oil, which can sting reactive skin — patch test first if your skin is easily irritated.
- 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.
- For the underarm only. Do not use on the face, on mucous membranes or in the genital area.
- Persistent, sudden or one-sided excessive sweating is worth mentioning to a doctor rather than managing with a stronger deodorant.
Package Contents
One 55 g tube.
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
Why do the ingredients here differ from what the page used to say?
Because what the page used to say was wrong. The old list opened with ammonium bromide, which is a sedative salt and has no antiperspirant function; it looks like a translation error for cetrimonium bromide solution, an ordinary supporting ingredient in the real formula. More importantly, the old list omitted all three approved actives, including the aluminium salt. We have replaced it with what Rohto declares. If a corrected ingredient list changes your mind about buying, that is exactly why it belongs on the page.
Are aluminium salts in deodorants safe?
The regulators that have reviewed the question — in the EU, the US and Japan — permit aluminium salts in antiperspirants at defined concentrations, and the repeatedly investigated links to breast cancer and Alzheimer's disease have not been established. That is where the evidence stands, and it is not the same as a guarantee, which is why we would rather set out the facts than reassure you. Some people prefer to avoid aluminium regardless, which is a reasonable personal choice: in that case this is not your product, and an antibacterial-only deodorant is. If you have kidney disease, ask your doctor.
Will it really last 24 hours?
The manufacturer's claim is a full day of protection, and the formula is designed to resist moisture and rubbing. In practice how long it lasts depends on you: how much you sweat, how hot it is, whether you exercise, what you wear and how well you dried the skin before applying. Applying it at night to clean, completely dry skin gets the most out of the aluminium salt. Rather than promise a number, we would say this: it lasts longer than a scented cosmetic deodorant, and if it does not last your day, wash and reapply rather than layering more on.
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.
