Tsujimoto Market: Our Guarantees
Description
SOFINA iP Pore Clearing Gel Wash 30 g – Japanese Charcoal Pore Care by Kao
Overview
A black gel from Kao's SOFINA iP line, sold in a small 30 g tube because it is not a daily cleanser. Kao positions it as a 週1・2回の集中ケア — a once- or twice-weekly intensive step used after your normal wash, not instead of it.
The work is done by two solids: charcoal and kaolin. Both adsorb — oil and loosened debris stick to their surface and leave with the rinse water. Kao's claim for the product is specific and modest: it removes the darkened dirt in pores and surface roughness. Alongside them the formula carries three ingredients Kao names as keeping moisture in place while that happens — Phellodendron amurense bark extract, mannitol and trehalose.
See also our Japanese facial cleansers and Japanese skincare.
Key Benefits
- ✓ Charcoal and kaolin adsorb oil and loosened debris and rinse away with it
- ✓ Kao's own claim: removes darkened dirt in pores and surface roughness
- ✓ Phellodendron bark extract, mannitol and trehalose named by Kao as the moisture-keeping ingredients
- ✓ A weekly step, not a daily cleanser — 30 g lasts because it is used once or twice a week
- ✓ A cosmetic (化粧品) from Kao's SOFINA iP line, made in Japan, JAN 4901301398505
- ✓ Authentic Japanese tube, shipped from our own stock in Kobe
Product Details
| Brand | SOFINA iP (Kao) |
|---|---|
| Japanese name | ソフィーナ iP ポア クリアリング ジェル ウォッシュ |
| Made by | Kao Corporation |
| Japanese product class | Cosmetic (化粧品) |
| Approved active (有効成分) | None — a cosmetic holds no approved active |
| Size | 30 g |
| Form | Black gel, rinse-off |
| Frequency | Once or twice a week, after your usual cleanser |
| Fragrance | Yes — 香料 is declared. Not a fragrance-free product |
| Colourants | Iron oxides and titanium dioxide are declared |
| Country of origin | Japan |
| JAN code | 4901301398505 |
| Sold by | Tsujimoto Market, Kobe, Japan |
Who Is This For?
- Skin with visible pores on the nose and chin, blackheads, or the rough texture that comes with them — especially in humid weather, when sebum output rises.
- People who already have a cleanser they like and want one extra weekly step rather than a replacement.
- Normal, oily and combination skin. Dry skin can use it, but on the nose only and not weekly.
- Not for anyone avoiding fragrance: 香料 is in the formula and this page is not going to bury that at the bottom of an ingredient list.
- Not a treatment for acne. It is a wash: it removes what is on the surface and in the mouth of the pore, and it does not act on inflammation.
How to Use
- Wash your face as usual first. This goes on clean skin, not over the day's make-up.
- Squeeze out about a two-centimetre length onto slightly damp skin.
- Work it over the pore-prone areas only — the nose, between the brows, the chin. There is no reason to put it on the cheeks.
- Massage in small circles for a few seconds. Do not scrub: the point is adsorption, not abrasion.
- Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water and follow with your usual toner and moisturiser. It is a deep clean, so the skin wants something back afterwards.
Frequency: Once or twice a week, as Kao specifies. More often than that strips skin that has just been cleaned twice.
Full Ingredients
The complete declaration as published by Kao, in order. INCI names are kept in Latin.
water, sorbitol, tromethamine, trehalose, mannitol, PG, arginine, kaolin, charcoal, Phellodendron amurense bark extract, BG, hydroxyethylcellulose, (acrylates/C10-30 alkyl acrylate) crosspolymer, palmitic acid, steareth-13, laureth-6 carboxylic acid, laureth-21, potassium hydroxide, aluminium hydroxide, iron oxides, titanium dioxide, disodium EDTA, phenoxyethanol, fragrance.
Our previous version of this page stopped after hydroxyethylcellulose and finished the sentence with "and supporting cleansing and conditioning agents". Everything from the crosspolymer onwards — the surfactants, the colourants, the preservative and the fragrance — was on the other side of that phrase. It is all here now. Charcoal is declared as 炭; Kao does not say it is bamboo charcoal, so neither do we.
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.
- Contains fragrance (香料). If you avoid fragrance for sensitivity reasons, this is not the cleanser for you.
- Contains titanium dioxide and iron oxides as colourants. This is a rinse-off product, so neither stays on the skin.
- Do not use more than twice a week, and do not use it as your only cleanser.
- Not for use on inflamed or broken-out skin, and not on active blemishes.
Package Contents
One 30 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
Does it really clear blackheads?
It removes the darkened material sitting in the mouth of the pore, which is what Kao claims and what charcoal and kaolin can do. It does not empty a pore that has been full for years, and nothing rinse-off does. Expect the nose to feel smoother and look cleaner, not for the pores to disappear.
Can I use it every day?
No. Kao specifies once or twice a week, and the 30 g tube is sized for that. Used daily it strips skin that has already been cleaned twice, and the usual answer to stripped skin is more oil.
Is it fragrance-free?
No. 香料 is the last ingredient in Kao's declaration. Our previous description of this product left the end of the list off, which meant the fragrance never appeared on the page — that has been corrected.
Is the charcoal bamboo charcoal?
Kao declares 炭, charcoal, without specifying the source. Our earlier page said bamboo-charcoal complex; that was our addition and it is gone.
Is it authentic, and how long does delivery take?
It is bought in Japan for the Japanese market, JAN 4901301398505, 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 pick at checkout.
