POLA Wrinkle Shot Medical Serum N 20g | Japan's First MHLW-Approved Anti-Wrinkle Serum

POLA Wrinkle Shot Medical Serum N, 20 g

Overview

In 2016 POLA became the first company in Japan to win quasi-drug approval for a wrinkle-improvement claim, on the strength of an active it developed in-house and named NEI-L1. That approval is why this serum is allowed to say something Japanese cosmetics otherwise cannot, and it is the reason the product has stayed a prestige-counter fixture for a decade. The N is the reformulated version.

It is a spot-application product with a balm-like body, meant for the specific lines you are watching rather than the whole face. See our Japanese serums for the rest of the category.

Key Benefits

• NEI-L1, the approved active, chemically a sodium salt of a trifluoromethyl-benzoyl aminoacetate compound developed by POLA — the first ingredient in Japan approved for a wrinkle-improvement claim rather than a moisture claim
• Reformulated N version, in which POLA names IC Unit 1, Eight Liquid and NERE Liquid as the supporting conditioning complexes
• Dense balm-melt texture that stays where you place it instead of migrating into the eye
• Spot application means a 20 g jar lasts around four months of twice-daily use, which changes how the price reads per month
• Quasi-drug status: the active and the claim wording went through Japanese health-ministry review rather than marketing sign-off
• Japan domestic SKU with Japanese labelling, sourced through our Kobe supplier network

Product Details

Brand	POLA
Country of origin	Japan
Product type	Medicated anti-wrinkle serum
Format	Balm-textured serum, tube
Volume / count	20 g
Manufacturer	POLA Inc., Japan
JAN code	See package label
Regulatory status	Quasi-drug (iyakubugaihin) in Japan
Scent	No synthetic fragrance
Sales channel	Japanese prestige counter line

Who Is This For?

• Late thirties onward, with lines that are visible when the face is at rest rather than only when you smile
• People who already have a working moisturiser routine and want to add one targeted step, not replace everything
• Anyone who prefers a spot treatment to a whole-face serum for cost reasons
• Not a substitute for sunscreen, and not a match for someone expecting a change within a fortnight
• Not for use on the eyelid itself or on broken skin

How to Use

1. Use after toner and serum, before your moisturiser, morning and evening.
2. Dispense a rice-grain amount onto a fingertip.
3. Place it directly along the line — forehead, crow's feet, nasolabial fold, mouth corners — without spreading it across the surrounding skin.
4. Follow with your usual moisturiser or eye cream over the top.
5. Photograph the area in consistent light at the start so you have a baseline you can trust.

Frequency: Twice daily. POLA's own data points to visible change from around eight weeks; treat anything faster as skepticism-worthy.

Full Ingredients

Approved active: NEI-L1 — chemically, sodium N-[3-(3-trifluoromethylbenzoyl)-benzyl]-N-methylaminoacetate. This is the ingredient the approval rests on.

Support complexes named by POLA for the N formulation: IC Unit 1, Eight Liquid, NERE Liquid.

POLA does not print a full ingredient list on the carton in the usual way — it directs buyers to a web pamphlet via a QR code on the box. An earlier version of this page listed ceramide-NP and niacinamide-supporting peptides here. POLA does not publish either for this product, and we have removed them.

The manufacturer publishes the actives and the headline ingredients but not the complete INCI list online. What is shown above is what is disclosed; the full list is 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.
• Approved for improving the appearance of wrinkles. It is not a filler, not a substitute for a medical procedure, and results vary.
• Apply around the eye but not on the eyelid or lash line. If it enters the eye, rinse with water.
• Introduce it on its own for a week before adding another new active, so you can tell what is causing what.
• 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 POLA Wrinkle Shot Medical Serum N, 20 g

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

What is NEI-L1 and why does the approval matter?

NEI-L1 is a synthetic compound POLA developed and had approved in 2016 as Japan's first quasi-drug active for wrinkle improvement. The significance is regulatory rather than mystical: to get that approval, POLA had to submit data to the health ministry showing the ingredient did what the claim says, at the concentration used. Ordinary Japanese cosmetics may only claim to make dryness lines less noticeable. This one may say more, and the reason it may is documentation.

Why is the ingredient list incomplete on this page?

Because POLA distributes the full list through a QR-code web pamphlet rather than printing it conventionally, and we would rather show you the approved active and the named complexes than fill the gap with guesses. A previous version of this page did fill it with guesses — ceramide-NP and peptides that POLA does not claim — and we have taken them out. If you need the full list before ordering, ask and we will retrieve it from the pamphlet for a unit in stock.

Can I use it with retinol or vitamin C?

Generally yes, and many Japanese routines do. Two practical notes: apply this one directly on the line and the other active more broadly, so you are not layering two irritants on the same square centimetre; and introduce them a week or two apart, because if your skin reacts you want to know to what. If your skin is already reactive, alternate evenings rather than stacking.

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.