Tsujimoto Market: Our Guarantees
Description
Mentholatum Exiv W Kiwa Care Gel, 15 g
Overview
Exiv W Kiwa Care Gel is a Japanese antifungal gel from Rohto Pharmaceutical. Its active is terbinafine hydrochloride at 1 g per 100 g, and the gel base is meant for the awkward places a cream skips: the skin along the nail edge, between the toes, and in the folds of the sole. Four further actives handle the symptoms that come with tinea — inflammation, itching and odour.
In Japan it is a designated class 2 over-the-counter medicine (指定第2類医薬品). That classification is the thing the previous version of this page never told you, and it is the reason the cautions below are longer than usual.
See also: Japanese Foot Care.
Key Benefits
- ✓ Terbinafine hydrochloride 1 g per 100 g — the antifungal that carries the approval
- ✓ Gel base rather than cream: reaches the skin along the nail edge and between the toes
- ✓ Lidocaine 2 g and diphenhydramine hydrochloride 1 g per 100 g for the itching
- ✓ Glycyrrhetinic acid 0.1 g per 100 g for the inflammation and redness
- ✓ Isopropyl methylphenol 1 g per 100 g, bactericidal against the bacteria behind the smell
- ✓ Once a day, on washed and dried skin — the whole dosing regimen is one line
- ✓ Japanese designated class 2 medicine, bought in a Japanese pharmacy and shipped from Kobe
Product Details
| Brand | Mentholatum Exiv (Rohto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.) |
|---|---|
| Product name (JP) | メンソレータム エクシブ Wきわケアジェル |
| Product type | Topical antifungal gel |
| Regulatory class (Japan) | Designated class 2 OTC medicine (指定第2類医薬品) |
| Net content | 15 g tube |
| Format | Gel |
| Country of origin | Japan |
| JAN code | 4987241142590 |
| Vendor record | Our Shopify vendor field reads Hisamitsu; the maker is Rohto Pharmaceutical and this is being corrected |
Who Is This For?
- Adults treating tinea of the skin — athlete's foot between the toes, on the sole, or on the skin around the nail
- People who have found creams hard to work into the nail fold and the toe clefts
- Anyone who wants the itch and the smell addressed at the same time as the fungus
- Not for fungus inside the nail plate: onychomycosis needs a doctor, not a topical gel
- Not for children, and not for the face, mucous membranes or the genital area
How to Use
- Wash the affected area and dry it thoroughly — fungus likes the damp that a hurried towel leaves behind.
- Squeeze out a small amount of gel.
- Spread a thin film over the affected skin and a little of the healthy skin around it.
- Work it gently into the nail fold or the toe cleft, wherever the affected skin actually is.
- Wash your hands afterwards, and keep using it for the period stated on the Japanese insert — tinea comes back when treatment stops at the point the itching does.
Frequency: Once a day.
Full Ingredients
Declared amounts per daily serving of 100 g of gel:
| Terbinafine hydrochloride | 1.0 g |
|---|---|
| Isopropyl methylphenol | 1.0 g |
| Lidocaine | 2.0 g |
| Diphenhydramine hydrochloride | 1.0 g |
| Glycyrrhetinic acid | 0.1 g |
Excipients: ethanol, lactic acid, polymerised castor oil, polysorbate 80, fragrance.
The previous version of this page listed the anti-inflammatory as glycyrrhizic acid. Rohto declares glycyrrhetinic acid, which is a different substance; the table above follows the maker.
Composition and specification as declared by Rohto Pharmaceutical on the Japanese-market pack and the manufacturer's official product page.
Cautions
- This is a Japanese over-the-counter medicine, not a cosmetic or a supplement. The box and the package insert are in Japanese only. It has not been assessed by the FDA, EMA, MHRA or any regulator outside Japan, and many countries restrict or prohibit the personal import of medicines. Check your own country's rules before you order — a parcel stopped by customs cannot be refunded.
- Do not use on eczema, badly cracked or weeping skin, purulent lesions, mucous membranes, the face or the genital area.
- Do not use if you are sensitive to terbinafine, lidocaine, diphenhydramine or any other listed ingredient.
- Fungus inside the nail plate is not treated by a topical gel. If the nail itself is thickened or discoloured, see a doctor.
- If you are pregnant, may be pregnant, breastfeeding, under treatment, or already taking other medicines, ask a doctor or pharmacist before use.
- Do not give to children without medical advice.
- Stop use and seek advice if a rash, redness, swelling, itching or any other reaction appears.
- Read the Japanese package insert before use and follow the dose printed on it. If symptoms do not improve within the period stated on the pack, stop and see a doctor or pharmacist.
- Contains ethanol and is flammable: keep away from fire and high temperature. Store cool and dry, out of reach of children.
Package Contents
One 15 g tube in its Japanese carton, with the Japanese package insert. Expiry is printed on the crimp and the carton.
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
- Japanese OTC medicine: personal import is restricted in some countries, and opened medicines cannot be returned
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 cure a fungal nail?
No, and we would rather say so before you order. Terbinafine applied to the surface reaches the skin, not the inside of the nail plate. This gel is approved for tinea of the skin, including the skin at the nail edge. A thickened, crumbling or discoloured nail is onychomycosis and needs a doctor.
How is it different from the Exiv cream or spray?
Same family, different base. The gel is thinner and stays where you put it, which is why Rohto markets it for the nail edge and the toe clefts. If your affected area is a broad patch on the sole, the cream spreads more easily.
What does designated class 2 mean?
It is a Japanese OTC category for medicines that carry a particular need for care in use. In Japan the pharmacy has to make the guidance available; outside Japan it simply means you should read the insert and not treat this like a cosmetic.
Can I use it while it still itches, then stop?
That is how tinea comes back. The itching settles well before the fungus does. Follow the period printed on the Japanese insert rather than your symptoms.
Is the insert in English?
No. The carton and the insert are Japanese only. The composition and the dosing are reproduced above so you can read them before ordering, but we cannot supply an English insert.
