This review was originally posted on Reddit (now deleted) on October 9, 2019. I’ve replaced links with archive links if necessary (and available) and made minor formatting changes and corrections, but otherwise haven’t done any editing or updating. I don’t think the product itself has changed at all since, though, so the review should still be relevant.

There are more chemical exfoliants available in Japan today than there were in 2019, but I believe Bigansui is still the most readily available and affordable option. Current product page here; this is the version that I had at the time and have continued to repurchase since.

It later occurred to me that maybe the homosulfamine is doing more for me than the salicylic acid, but either way, I still use it when I have acne or feel it coming along.

[Review] Japanese BHA product: Meishoku Bigansui Medicated Skin Lotion

Small blue glass bottle with dark brown plastic cap. There is a label on the front with a design that looks kind of like an art nouveau-style window frame, with Momotanijuntenkan’s logo, text in Japanese with “Bigansui” in a Taisho era-style font, and “SKIN LOTION,” “BIGANSUI,” and “MEISHOKU” in English toward the bottom.
The bottle on the right and the outer box on the left. The box basically looks similar to the label on the bottle, with a much more contemporary-looking plastic label on the top that reminds you we’re in the 21st century. The label on the bottle has a slightly different design from the other image, with “明色 SINCE 1885” instead of “MEISHOKU” on the bottom.

Tentative rave: Meishoku Bigansui Medicated Skin Lotion (RatzillaCosme)

TL;DR – Affordable legacy product containing salicylic acid that smells truly awful (to me) but otherwise seems pretty solid. Already repurchased. Would probably recommend, except I have little experience with chemical exfoliants and have no idea how it compares with non-AB BHA products.

Skin type and concerns: Dry/combination, dehydrated, sometimes sensitive, sun allergy, mild hormonal acne, PIH, large pores, redness.

Climate: Moderate humidity; early fall. (I live in Japan.)

I started looking for good chemical exfoliants in Japan this spring/summer and grew more and more discouraged. Figuring that I might as well as shell out for a trusted non-AB product, I ordered the 2% BHA Liquid from Paula’s Choice, only to find out after the fact that the Korean version (which is what’s sent over if you order the product in Japan) actually contains betaine salicylate in spite of including “salicylic acid” in the ingredients list. For AHAs, I bought the (Japanese) Tunemakers Peeling Lotion. I’m almost finished with the former and have already finished the latter. Both are extremely gentle products and honestly didn’t seem to do anything for me.

After this I was wary of trying anything that costs more than 2000 JPY without seeing rave reviews that sound real, but hardly any Japanese products are mentioned here, and Japanese reviews are usually written by people with different expectations (chemical exfoliants aren’t as much of a thing here—which of course is also why there isn’t as much of a selection).

And then I happened to notice this product at the drugstore. The classic blue bottle drew my attention, and it includes salicylic acid as an active ingredient. I looked it up and found out that it’s a legacy product with a 130-year history. I don’t know what percentage the salicylic acid is, but with the short list of ingredients and affordable price (about 900 JPY for 90 ml), I figured I’d give it a try.

First of all, it smells just as foul as the reviews say. I definitely prefer strange-smelling products to heavily fragranced ones, but wow. I’m pretty sure this is the foulest-smelling product I’ve ever used, not counting artificial fragrances that I hated. If that fragrance in the ingredients is actually masking some of the smell at all (assuming they aren’t making it smell like this on purpose), I shudder to think what it would be like without it.

(It’s a leave-on product, so you’re stuck with the smell for a while. You do kind of get used to it.)

Edit: I’ve learned from the comments that most English-speaking users actually like the smell. I’m under the impression that most of the @cosme reviews that discuss the smell mention it in a negative light—not all but most—so maybe there are also cultural differences involved to some degree? I’m not originally from Japan, but I grew up in a bicultural environment and could be on the Japanese side here.

When I started using this product, I think I had a few active pimples on my jawline. It seemed to do a good job of calming them down and eventually getting rid of them, so I started using it more frequently than I probably should (up from maybe once every three days to practically every day). I know now that this is a typical rookie mistake. My acne temporarily stopped (not notable because I often don’t have any active pimples, just PIH), and then it started up again, with a mild breakout spreading to my chin and one pimple on the marionette line area.

At first I suspected some other products I’ve been using, but I now think it may have been my skin purging from the Bigansui. I stopped using it for a while when my skin got slightly peely, and the breakout gradually stopped too. I now have one almost-done pimple on my jawline and just PIH from everything else. If anything this suggests to me that the product probably does contain a meaningful amount of salicylic acid.

I started my second bottle lately and am trying to restrain myself to stick to using it once every 2–3 days at the most. So yes I’ve already repurchased, and at this price point (and widespread availability), I probably will continue to do so, at least as long as I’m living alone and don’t have to worry about how my face smells at night. It hasn’t done much for my nose (sebaceous filaments/pore issues) yet, but I’ll keep trying.

I’m tempted to recommend this when people are asking about AB chemical exfoliants now, but the problem is that I personally don’t have much experience with chemical exfoliants and don’t know how this compares with other products. I also don’t know for sure that I was purging (though it does seem like it) and again, I don’t know what percentage the salicylic acid is. So basically I’m not informed enough to feel comfortable recommending the product. But if you live in Japan and are looking for something that’s available locally (and, importantly, don’t mind foul strong-smelling products), maybe you could give it a try. At least it’s cheap!

Active ingredients: Salicylic Acid, Homosulfamine

Other ingredients: Geraniol Denatured Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Fragrance

If you’ve used this product before and know how it compares with non-AB products (or other AB products), please leave a comment!! I was initially going to post this in the rave/rant/mini-review thread but decided to make it a post to ask for comments from people who know better.

The Bigansui line also has a “men’s version” with a couple of different ingredients, as well as a solid face wash, both containing salicylic acid. Comments from anyone who’s used those are welcome too!