Curel Skincare Guide: Every Curél Line and Which to Choose

Curel (Curél, キュレル) is Kao’s skincare brand for dry, sensitive skin, built around what Kao calls ceramide care: cleansing that protects the skin’s ceramides and moisturising that supports their work, using Kao’s own ceramide functioning ingredient. The range in Japan has more than 90 products for the face, body and scalp, and Kao says it doesn’t use fragrance in any of them. This guide explains every Curél line sold in Japan, which one to start with, and links to our detailed guide for each.

What you’ll learn in this article:

• What Curél is and what “ceramide care” means
• Every Curél line in Japan at a glance, from face care to shampoo
• Which Curél product to start with for your skin and concern
• A basic Curél skincare routine
• Whether babies, men and oily or atopic skin can use Curél, and where to buy it from Japan

What Is Curel (Curél)? Kao’s Ceramide Care Brand

Curél is a Japanese skincare brand made by Kao for dry, sensitive skin: skin that tends to be dry and easily irritated by things around it. Kao says this kind of skin tends to lack ceramide, an essential component of skin, which weakens the barrier that protects it from outside irritation and makes rough, flaky skin keep coming back. Curél’s answer is ceramide care, with two approaches: cleansers that wash while protecting ceramides, and moisturisers that support the work of ceramides and add moisture.

Many Curél products, from the face cream to the body lotion, contain Kao’s ceramide functioning ingredient, listed on Japanese labels as hexadecyloxy PG hydroxyethyl hexadecanamide or cetyl-PG hydroxyethyl palmitamide. Kao says every product is low-irritation designed for dry, sensitive skin and fragrance-free, and that Curél is for the whole family regardless of age or gender, from children to seniors.

Curél Lines at a Glance

Curél in Japan is organised into face care lines, base makeup, and body, hand and hair care. The table shows each line, what Kao makes it for, and our guide to it.

From Kao’s official Japanese Curél site and product pages (as of October 2026). Curél also makes lip care, body wash, a bath additive and a fabric softener, which this guide doesn’t cover.

Curél Face Care

Curél’s face care starts with the Intensive Moisture Care (潤浸保湿) line, which covers every step from makeup remover to cream, and adds lines for oily skin, dark spots and firmness.

Intensive Moisture Care: Cleansers

Curél has two face washes: the Foaming Facial Wash, a pump foam that Kao says cleanses while protecting ceramides, and the Rich Mousse Facial Wash, a carbonated foam that turns into a gel. Its three makeup removers are a rinse-off gel, a rinse-off oil that also removes waterproof mascara, and a wipe-off milk that needs no face wash afterwards. See our Curel face wash guide and Curel makeup remover guide.

Intensive Moisture Care: Toner, Milk and Cream

The core of Curél is its moisturising trio. The Moisture Facial Lotion (toner) comes in three types, I, II and III, from fresh to very moist; the Moisture Facial Milk is an emulsion that absorbs easily; and the Moisture Facial Cream is a rich face cream. All three are medicated quasi-drugs with allantoin to prevent rough skin. Read our Curel Lotion I vs II vs III guide, Curel face milk guide and Curel Intensive Moisture Cream guide.

Intensive Moisture Care: Special Care

For extra care, Curél has four serums (a barrier water serum, an oil serum, a mousse serum and a gel serum for fine lines from dryness), the Moisture Repair Sheet Mask, the Moisture Repair Eye Cream and the Deep Moisture Spray for face and body. Note that the Deep Moisture Spray, the Mousse Serum and the Rich Mousse Facial Wash are aerosols that Kao classes as dangerous goods for air transport. See our Curel serum guide, Curel face mask guide, Curel eye cream guide and Curel Deep Moisture Spray guide.

Curél Sunscreen and Base Makeup

Curél’s three sunscreens (UV Protection Essence SPF30 PA++, UV Protection Milk SPF50+ PA+++ and Skin Repair UV Protection Serum SPF50 PA+++) are all non-chemical, with no UV absorbers. Its base makeup includes a BB Cream (SPF30 PA+++), clear tone-up Base Milk and Base Cream, tinted Base Milks and a Barrier UV Primer. See our Curel sunscreen guide and Curel BB cream guide.

Sebum Trouble Care, Brightening and Aging Care

Three lines target specific concerns. Sebum Trouble Care (a foaming wash, toner and moisture gel) is for dry, sensitive skin that also gets oily, and helps prevent acne and rough skin. Brightening is a spot-prevention line whose active ingredients suppress melanin production to prevent dark spots and freckles. Aging Care (a lotion, face cream and gel-cream) is Kao’s firmness care, which it says makes fine lines from dryness less visible. See our Curel Sebum Trouble Care guide, Curel Brightening guide and Curel Aging Care guide.

Curél Body, Hand and Hair Care

Curél’s body lotion in Japan is the Lotion (Moisture Milk), a medicated milky lotion for face and body in 220 mL, 410 mL and 615 mL sizes, with a lighter Gel-Lotion that also prevents heat rash; Kao says both can be used on babies. For rough hands and heels, Curél makes overnight Hand Care and Heel Care Masks to wear over cream. Its scalp and hair care includes a liquid Shampoo and a Foaming Shampoo that prevent dandruff and itching, and a matching Hair Conditioner. See our Curel body lotion guide, Curel hand and heel mask guide and Curel shampoo guide.

Which Curél Product Should You Start With?

If you’re new to Curél, start with a toner (Lotion I, II or III) followed by the face milk or the face cream: Kao recommends milk or cream after toner, and cream if dryness bothers you. Then choose by your skin and concern:

Based on Kao’s official product descriptions and Curél FAQ (as of October 2026).

A Basic Curél Skincare Routine

A basic Curél routine follows the usual Japanese order, from cleansing to moisturising:

1. Remove makeup with the cleansing gel, oil or milk.
2. Wash with the Foaming Facial Wash.
3. Toner: Lotion I, II or III.
4. Serum (optional), after toner.
5. Milk or cream: Kao recommends milk or cream after toner, or cream over milk on dry areas. It says the face cream isn’t only for night and can be used in the morning or during the day.
6. In the morning, sunscreen or base: a Curél UV product, BB Cream or Base Milk.

Kao suggests trying a product on a small area, such as the soft inside of your arm, first if you’re worried it may not suit your skin.

Where to Buy Curél from Japan

The easiest way to get Curél from Japan is to order it shipped directly through kachicollect. Buy from the kachicollect catalog with no proxy fees, and if you can’t find a product there, search Japanese stores or marketplaces for its Japanese name (for example キュレル フェイスクリーム) and paste the product URL into kachicollect for an instant quote, with no request fee. Duties are shown in your total before you pay, and orders ship worldwide with tracking in about 7 to 14 days.

Most Curél products are not classed as dangerous goods for air transport, but the aerosols (Deep Moisture Spray, Mousse Serum and Rich Mousse Facial Wash) are, so ask us on WhatsApp before ordering them. On marketplaces such as eBay, check the Japanese name and the type (for example Lotion I, II or III) before you buy.

Proxy services that buy from Japanese stores on your behalf are another option, but the service fee they advertise is only the starting point, and various other charges are added on top by the time you check out.

Curél FAQ

Is Curél good?

Curél is designed for dry, sensitive skin: Kao says it is low-irritation designed and fragrance-free, and it works by protecting and supporting ceramides. It also has lines for oily skin, dark spots and firmness.

Is Curél a Japanese brand?

Yes. Curél is made by Kao, a Japanese company. Kao also sells Curél in other countries, where the lineup can differ.

Is Curél good for sensitive skin?

Curél is made for dry, sensitive skin: Kao says it is low-irritation designed, fragrance-free, and works by protecting and supporting ceramides to help the skin’s barrier. No product suits everyone, so Kao suggests testing a small amount first.

Can babies use Curél?

Kao lists these Curél products as suitable for babies’ delicate skin: the body washes, bath additive, Lotion, Gel-Lotion, Moisture Cream, Moisture Balm, skincare sheets, Shampoo and Foaming Shampoo, UV Protection Milk and UV Protection Essence.

Can men use Curél?

Yes. Kao says Curél can be used by the whole family regardless of gender or age, from children to seniors.

Can I use Curél on atopic skin?

Kao says not to use Curél while you have atopic symptoms, and to consult a dermatologist even when symptoms aren’t showing.

Is Curél good for oily or acne-prone skin?

Kao says Curél can be used on normal and oily skin, and recommends the oil-free Sebum Trouble Care line, whose active ingredient helps prevent acne and rough skin.

Does Curél contain alcohol or fragrance?

Kao says Curél face care products don’t contain alcohol, and that no Curél product uses fragrance, although some may smell of their raw materials.

Is Curél in Japan the same as in the US?

Not always. Kao USA sells its own Curél lineup, such as Daily Healing and Ultra Healing body lotions, and some products with similar names have different ingredient lists. Our face cream and body lotion guides compare them.

Conclusion: Where to Start With Curél

Curél is Kao’s ceramide care brand for dry, sensitive skin, with lines for every step from cleansing to sunscreen, plus body, hand and hair care, all fragrance-free and low-irritation designed. Start with Lotion I, II or III and the face milk or cream, add Sebum Trouble Care, Brightening or Aging Care for specific concerns, and use our guides above to compare each product.

The simplest way to get Curél outside Japan is kachicollect: buy from the catalog with no proxy fees, or paste a Japanese store URL for an instant quote. You pay the item price plus shipping, and duties are shown before you pay.