(Kanebo Freeplus)(image from www.kanebo-cosmetics.jp/freeplus/)
Very early on (in my post Japanese vs. Western), I have mentioned that even though I have a passion for Japanese makeup products, I don’t particularly prefer Japanese skincare products over western ones. My biggest complaint is that many Japanese toners and moisturizers have alcohol and that some have way too much of it. This is why Kanebo‘s Freeplus seems like a welcome breath of fresh air to me.
Freeplus is a mid-range skincare line sold at the Kanebo counter (in Japan and some other Asian regions), alongside many other skincare lines targeted at different needs and age groups. The line appeals to people with sensitive skin which reacts negatively to common irritants.
(Shiseido’s equivalent (skincare line for sensitive skin) is d program.) The line also features base makeup products.
According to the brand’s website, the name “Freeplus” represents the two major aspects of the products:
“FREE“:
All products are free from parabens, fragrance, and chemical sunscreen ingredients, and most (skincare) products are free from alcohol, colourants, and mineral oil. (The four products that still have alcohol are Fresh Soap Bar, Acne Spots, UV Day Protector, and UV Body Protector.)
“PLUS“:
The products are formulated with six oriental herbal extracts (Chinese date (jujube), citrus unshiu peel, cape jasmine (gardenia jasminoides, also known as gardenia florida)), Japanese honeysuckle, peach kernel, and job’s tears). They are supposed to moisturize the skin and support its protective barrier. (These claims are mainly for your reference, since beauty companies make all kinds of claims, some of which have no scientific backup. But a brief mention of cape jasmine follows below.)
The item I have tried from Freeplus is Comfortable Lotion 1, which is a toner for combination and oily skin. It is colorless and has a near-water consistency which is very mildly emollient. It is one of the most calming and soothing toners I have used ever since I started using skincare products (along with Lancôme Tonique Douceur, Shu Uemura Refreshing Lotion (discontunued), and AYURA Balancing Primer AF1 (also discontinued)).
One thing worth mentioning is that the fragrance in the herbal extracts mentioned above seems to have been removed during the manufacturing process, as the toner doesn’t have any scent. This is good for people with sensitive skin, as fragrance (artificial or natural, such as that in fragrant plant oils like lavender oil) can be a possible skin irritant. (According to Paula Begoun, gardenia florida extract can be an antioxidant but its fragrant component can be irritating for some. Based on the (lack of) perceivable scent, it seems to me that most of the fragrant components in the plant extracts in the products have been removed.)
The Comfortable Loiton 1 is now called Barrier Repair Lotion 1 and the packaging differs very slightly. I have not tried this, but I believe it should be virtually the same product. The main traits and the plant extracts used remain the same.
For the past few years, in terms of skincare, I try to use what is available here in the UK. (It is much easier to keep everything in stock. Plus I get to earn Boots points.) But when I go to Japan next time, I think I will definitely pick up Barrier Lotion 1 and perhaps some other Freeplus products.
Updated on July 14th, 2008:
You can read a review of Freeplus’ loose powder on Autumn Masquerade.
Updated on November 16th, 2011:
Information on Freeplus’ skincare renewal.
Recent Beauty Focus Posts:
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
hi PJ,
i’m wondering if you think Fancl and Freeplus are similar products, since Fancl claims that it’s made in a germ free environment and no preservatives and such. thanks!
millie
Hi Millie,
Thank you very much for reading my blog. :)
There are quite a few skincare lines in Japan that are paraben-free and free from other common irritants (I think only in this sense are the two brands similar), and I wouldn’t say Fancl and Freeplus products are more similar to each other than they are to products of other brands that target people with sensitive skin.
(As you know, Fancl is perhaps one of the best-known brands in this skincare category. Many of the others are non-mainstream brands that are considerably less known.)
Personally, I have tried a few Fancl products several years ago (including one of the toners). They worked decently well for me, but I didn’t re-purchase at the time. The Freeplus toner I mentioned, on the other hand, suited me better and is something I would probably consider using again.
Thank you for posting your question. Hope to hear from you again! :)
Yay for no alcohol! I won’t even use Listerine for mouthwash because it has so much of it and I hate the burning and everything. (Crest has mouthwash without alcohol.)
Hi Jessica,
My skin can’t really tolerate skincare products with alcohol, so alcohol-free products are definitely things I look into. Alcohol really isn’t good as a skincare product ingredient, and I do hope there will be more and more skincare products with no alcohol.
Thank you for posting your comment again! :)
hi, do you know any japanese skincare or sunscreen brands or lines or specific pdts without parabens?
or foundation without parabens?
thanks!
ham sandwich
Hi Ham Sandwich,
Thank you for visiting my blog and for your question.
I am sure there are other Japanese skincare lines that have paraben-free products, but Kanebo Freeplus, Shiseido d program, FANCL, and HABA are the ones on the top of my head.
(There are other little known mail-order beauty brands in Japan that carry paraben-free products, but I am not really able to evaluate how reputable they are.)
On a related note, I have heard that certain Bobbi Brown makeup products are paraben-free, but I haven’t had a chance to check the ingredient lists myself.
Hope it helps. :)
Thank you very much for stopping by my blog, and hope to hear from you again! :)
Do you know if Kanebo Freeplus products are sold in any countries other than Japan?
Hi Ming,
I know that Kanebo Freeplus is also sold in Taiwan. It might be available in Hong Kong as well, but I am not entirely sure.
You can also purchase Freeplus products on-line from http://www.adambeauty.com and ichibankao.com.
Hope it helps, and thank you for your question! :)
Hi,
Following your advise, I actually went to ichibankao's website and have a look.. they seem to stock a lot of stuff. I also got recommended the brand arouge and NOV because their UV products don't have alcohol in them. I managed to find their ingredient list – however only in japanese. I am just wondering, how do you read the ingredient list of japanese products? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks heaps.
Hi Ming,
I see. As you might know, most official websites of Japanese beauty brands (especially the major brands) don't feature ingredient lists of their products. With the ones that do, the ingredient lists are usually in Japanese.
To read the ingredient lists, you might want to consider learning katakana, which is one element of the Japanese writing system that is usually used to transcribe loan words from foreign languages. As most of the chemical ingredients in Japanese are loan words, you should be able to make out what many of them are by learning katakana (and by knowing some of the common skincare ingredients in English).
(Notice that it is the word "ethanol" that is usually used for the ingredient lists of Japanese beauty products, not "alcohol".)
Hope it helps a little. Do let me know if you have any other question. :)
Hi,
I have been using freeplus for more than a year now and I am very happy with it! I use different products depending if it is summer or winter , but I have not tried such a comfort in my skin with western brands ( and I tried a lot because I never found one that would 100% suit me)!
Hi Julia,
I am really pleased that Freeplus has been working well for you. The toner that I tried from this range worked very well for me too. I haven’t tried other products from the range but I am definitely considering that.
Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts! :)
Do you know if Freeplus is available in Hong Kong? If yes, where?
Hi Anne,
I am not sure if Freeplus is available in Hong Kong. In case you are interested in purchasing items from Freeplus on-line, do please have a look at my FAQ page.
Thank you for your question!
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