Tsujimoto Market: Our Guarantees
Description
IHADA Medicated Balm 20 g – Japanese Quasi-Drug Barrier Balm for Sensitive Skin
Overview
IHADA is Shiseido Pharmaceutical's line for skin that reacts to things, and this balm is the most stripped-back product in it. It is a quasi-drug (医薬部外品) built on high-purity petrolatum with one approved active: stearyl glycyrrhetinate, registered to prevent rough skin.
What is not in it is the point. No fragrance, no colourant, no alcohol, no parabens. Petrolatum does not feed the skin or repair anything; it sits on top and slows the water leaving. On skin that is flaking at the corners of the nose in February, or raw from a mask strap, or stinging from something else in the routine, that is usually the whole job.
See also our Japanese face creams and Japanese skincare.
Key Benefits
- ✓ Quasi-drug (医薬部外品) with stearyl glycyrrhetinate as the approved anti-roughness active
- ✓ Built on high-purity petrolatum — an occlusive that slows water loss rather than adding anything
- ✓ Fragrance-free, colourant-free, alcohol-free, paraben-free, as declared by Shiseido Pharmaceutical
- ✓ Sugar squalane alongside the petrolatum for a lighter finish than plain petroleum jelly
- ✓ 20 g in a squeeze tube; a balm this occlusive is used in rice-grain amounts
- ✓ Usable on the face, on lips and around the eyes — see the cautions for how
- ✓ Authentic Japanese tube, JAN 4909978204150, shipped from our own stock in Kobe
Product Details
| Brand | IHADA (イハダ) |
|---|---|
| Japanese name | イハダ 薬用バーム |
| Made by | Shiseido Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. |
| Japanese product class | Quasi-drug (医薬部外品) |
| Approved active (有効成分) | Stearyl glycyrrhetinate — prevents rough skin |
| Base | High-purity petrolatum |
| Size | 20 g |
| Fragrance / colourant | None added |
| Alcohol / parabens | None added |
| Notable ingredient | Titanium dioxide is declared in the formula |
| Country of origin | Japan |
| JAN code | 4909978204150 |
| Sold by | Tsujimoto Market, Kobe, Japan |
Who Is This For?
- Skin that is dry in patches rather than all over — around the nose, at the corners of the mouth, on the eyelids in winter.
- Anyone whose routine has become a problem: when in doubt, this is the product to use while everything else is paused.
- Rubbing and friction — a mask strap, a scarf, a child's cheek in a cold wind.
- As a last step over a moisturiser, to hold it in place. It is not a moisturiser itself: there is very little water in it and nothing to draw water in.
- Not for acne-prone areas. An occlusive film over a pore that is already blocked is not a good idea, whatever else it does.
How to Use
- Use it at the end of the routine, after anything watery has been absorbed.
- Take a rice-grain amount. A balm this occlusive does not need more, and more is what makes it feel heavy.
- Warm it between the fingertips until it turns clear, then press it onto the dry patches rather than spreading it.
- On lips, apply as often as needed. Around the eyes, keep to the orbital bone and do not go onto the lid margin.
- In cold weather it can go over a moisturiser; in summer most people use it only where the skin is actually rough.
Frequency: As often as the skin needs it — there is no limit on a petrolatum balm. Most people use it once or twice a day in winter and only on specific patches the rest of the year.
Full Ingredients
The complete declaration as published by Shiseido Pharmaceutical. INCI names are kept in Latin.
stearyl glycyrrhetinate (active), sugar squalane, petrolatum, pentaerythrityl tetra-2-ethylhexanoate, alpha-olefin oligomer, dextrin palmitate, heavy liquid isoparaffin, sorbitan sesquiisostearate, silicic anhydride, silicone resin, tetrahydrotetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane, tetradecene, titanium dioxide.
Thirteen entries, and no water in the list — which is why it behaves like an ointment rather than a cream, and why it goes on last. Titanium dioxide is in here as an opacifier and is worth knowing about if you are avoiding it.
Cautions
- For external use only. Avoid the eye area; if the product gets into the eyes, rinse at once with water or lukewarm water.
- Do not use on skin with wounds, swelling, eczema, sunburn or any other abnormality.
- Patch test before the first full-face use: apply a little to the inner forearm and leave it 24 hours.
- Stop using it and speak to a dermatologist if redness, swelling, itching, stinging or any other reaction appears during use or afterwards. Continuing can make it worse.
- Keep out of reach of children.
- Close the pack after use and store away from direct sunlight, heat and damp.
- A quasi-drug is not a medicine. The approved claim is preventing rough skin; it does not treat eczema, dermatitis or any diagnosed condition. If skin is broken or weeping, see a doctor rather than covering it.
- Do not use it on acne-prone areas or over an active blemish: an occlusive film over a blocked pore makes the blockage worse.
- Around the eyes, stay on the orbital bone. Petrolatum that migrates onto the lid margin can blur vision and irritate.
- It is greasy by design. Give it a minute before dressing or lying on a pillow.
Package Contents
One 20 g tube. Nothing else in the box.
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 does the active actually do?
Stearyl glycyrrhetinate is a derivative of glycyrrhetinic acid, from liquorice root, and in Japan it is approved as an anti-inflammatory for preventing rough skin. In a balm like this it is doing a small job alongside a large one: the petrolatum does the sealing, and the active is why the product may be sold as a quasi-drug rather than a cosmetic.
Is it just Vaseline in a nicer tube?
Not quite. The base is high-purity petrolatum, which is the same class of material, but it is cut with sugar squalane and light esters so it spreads and disappears rather than sitting as a film — and it carries an approved active that plain petroleum jelly does not. If you are happy with plain petrolatum, you do not need this. If plain petrolatum feels too heavy on your face, this is the reason the product exists.
Can I use it on my lips and my children?
On lips, yes, and it is one of the common uses in Japan. For children, the formula is unscented and free of alcohol and parabens, which is as much as we can usefully say — we are not able to advise on a specific child's skin, and a paediatrician or pharmacist can.
Does it contain titanium dioxide?
Yes, as an opacifier. It is a declared ingredient and a leave-on product, so if you are avoiding titanium dioxide in skincare, this one is on your list.
Is it authentic, and how long does delivery take?
It is bought in Japan for the Japanese market, JAN 4909978204150, and shipped from our own stock in Kobe. Processing takes two to six business days and a tracking number follows dispatch; transit depends on the shipping method you choose at checkout.
