Melano CC Cream vs Gel vs Milk: Which Melano CC Moisturizer?

Melano CC moisturizers are Rohto’s vitamin C moisturising step that comes after the Melano CC toner and serum. In Japan, Rohto makes three medicated moisturisers: a brightening milk (美白乳液), a moisture cream (保湿クリーム) and a brightening gel (美白ジェル). All three are quasi-drugs (医薬部外品) with a vitamin C derivative as their whitening active, which Rohto says suppresses melanin production to prevent dark spots and freckles. It also makes a Deep Day Care UV Milk with SPF50+ PA++++ for the morning, and a Men gel.

Rohto puts the gel, cream and milk in the same step of its routine, so you choose one of them, or layer milk and cream. This guide compares all of them, based on Rohto’s official Japanese product pages, online shop and FAQ.

What you’ll learn in this article:

• Every Melano CC moisturiser sold in Japan, with prices and sizes
• The full ingredient list of the Melano CC cream, Rohto’s only fragrance-free Melano CC product
• How the gel, milk and UV milk differ, including mineral oil and fragrance
• Which Melano CC moisturiser to choose
• How to use them with the Melano CC toner and serum

Melano CC Moisturizers at a Glance

Rohto’s Melano CC range has four moisturising products, the milk, cream, gel and UV milk, plus a Men gel in its Melano CC Men line. They cost ¥990 to ¥1,210 on Rohto’s official online shop. The milk, cream and gel are medicated quasi-drugs; the UV milk is a cosmetic sunscreen.

From Rohto’s official Japanese product pages and online shop (as of October 2026). All are sold at open prices, with no suggested retail price, so store prices in Japan vary.

Melano CC Cream (Moisture Cream, 保湿クリーム)

Melano CC cream (moisture cream) is a 23 g medicated cream that Rohto says combines dark-spot care and moisturising in one. It has four actives, including a vitamin C derivative and a vitamin E derivative, and it is the only Melano CC product with no fragrance. Rohto describes it as spreading well without stickiness, with a fresh, watery feel.

Japanese name	メラノCC 薬用しみ対策 保湿クリーム
English name	No official English name (retailers call it “Anti-Spot Moisture Cream” or “Vitamin C Moisture Cream”)
Registered name (販売名)	薬用ホワイトニングクリームC
Type	Quasi-drug (医薬部外品) cream
Price in Japan	¥1,210 on Rohto’s official online shop
Size	23 g tube
Texture	Spreads well, not sticky, fresh and watery (Rohto’s description)
Scent	Fragrance-free
How long a tube lasts	About 2 months, using a pearl-sized amount morning and night (Rohto)
Contains	Mineral oil (light liquid paraffin), plant oils
pH	Not published by Rohto

Specs from Rohto’s official Japanese product page, online shop and FAQ (as of October 2026). Rohto’s promotion page shows a new box design for the cream; Rohto hasn’t said whether the formula changed.

• Fragrance-free
• Preservative-free
• Menthol-free

Rohto’s FAQ states that the cream is the only Melano CC product without fragrance, that it contains no preservative, and that no Melano CC moisturiser contains menthol.

Its four actives are listed below. Rohto says they penetrate deep into the stratum corneum (the outer layer of skin), suppress melanin production to prevent dark spots and freckles, and help prevent pimples. Rohto also says it moisturises and conditions skin that is worried about acne marks, but it does not claim to fade them.

Melano CC Cream Ingredients: Full List

Melano CC moisture cream lists 24 ingredients on Rohto’s Japanese site: the four actives, highlighted in the table, plus plant extracts, jojoba and rosehip oils, humectants, mineral oil and thickeners. It contains salicylic acid as an ordinary ingredient, not as an active.

Ingredient list as published by Rohto Japan for メラノCC 薬用しみ対策 保湿クリーム (checked October 2026). Rohto does not publish an English ingredient list for it, so the English names are our translations of Rohto’s Japanese labelling names, and the roles are general descriptions except where Rohto states them. Formulas can change, so always check the package.

Melano CC Brightening Gel (美白ジェル)

Melano CC brightening gel is a 100 g medicated moisturising gel that Rohto describes as fresh and watery, sinking in without stickiness. It has three actives: a vitamin C derivative (ascorbyl glucoside) as its whitening active, a vitamin E derivative and dipotassium glycyrrhizate, and Rohto says it helps prevent dark spots, freckles and pimples. In Malaysia, Rohto-Mentholatum uses the English name Melano CC Vitamin C Brightening Gel; this guide covers the gel sold in Japan.

Rohto says you can use the gel in place of a milk or cream after toner or serum, and its FAQ says it also works as a 4-in-1 all-in-one gel (toner, milk, serum and mask). Rohto also recommends it for the body after sun exposure. It has a citrus scent. Besides its three actives, its current ingredient list includes vitamin C (ascorbic acid), Alpinia White (Alpinia katsumadai seed extract, which Rohto calls a moisturising ingredient), lemon extract, a silicone, light liquid isoparaffin (a mineral oil) and phenoxyethanol (a preservative).

The current ingredient list for the gel on Rohto’s Japanese product site has no paraben, but Rohto’s online shop still shows an older list, the same as Rohto’s 2022 list, that includes a paraben. Rohto hasn’t said whether the formula changed, so check the ingredient list on the box if you want to avoid parabens.

Melano CC Men Brightening Gel

Melano CC Men brightening gel (メラノCC Men 薬用しみ対策美白ジェル) has the same ingredient list as the regular gel; Rohto’s FAQ says only the scent differs, with a fresh lemon scent instead of citrus. Rohto describes it as a gel-type milk made with oily skin in mind, and its FAQ says women can use it too.

Melano CC Brightening Milk (Emulsion, 美白乳液)

Melano CC brightening milk is a 120 mL medicated milk with two actives: a long-lasting vitamin C derivative (ascorbyl glucoside) as its whitening active and dipotassium glycyrrhizate as an anti-inflammatory. Rohto says it soaks in smoothly and keeps skin moisturised, and that it can be used morning and night. In Malaysia, Rohto-Mentholatum uses the English name Melano CC Vitamin C Brightening Milk Moisturiser; this guide covers the milk sold in Japan.

It costs ¥990 on Rohto’s online shop, comes with a 120 mL refill pouch at ¥880, and has a citrus scent. Its ingredient list includes liquid paraffin (a mineral oil). Rohto’s mineral-oil FAQ names only the cream, gel and Men gel as containing mineral oil, but we go by the official ingredient list, so don’t treat the milk as mineral-oil-free. It contains no menthol.

Melano CC Deep Day Care UV Milk (UV乳液)

Melano CC Deep Day Care UV Milk is a 50 g morning sunscreen with SPF50+, PA++++ and water resistance rated ★★, which Rohto says also works as a makeup base. It is a cosmetic, not a quasi-drug, so it has no active ingredients: its vitamin C and E derivatives are moisturising ingredients, and Rohto’s dark-spot wording for it is about preventing spots caused by daytime sun exposure.

Rohto recommends using it as the last step of your morning skincare. For its UV filters, full ingredient list and how to use it as a makeup base, see our Melano CC sunscreen guide.

Which Melano CC Moisturizer Should You Choose?

Choose the cream if you want the only fragrance-free, preservative-free Melano CC moisturiser, with four actives including an antibacterial one; the gel if you want a 100 g jar that Rohto says can replace a milk or cream, work as an all-in-one or go on the body after sun; and the milk if you want a refill pouch or to layer it under the cream. Add the UV milk in the morning, because it is the only one with SPF. Rohto doesn’t match these moisturisers to skin types, so this is our reading of Rohto’s own descriptions; for oily skin, Rohto says only that the Men gel was made with it in mind.

From Rohto’s official Japanese product pages, ingredient lists, online shop and FAQ (as of October 2026). “Ethanol: No” means ethanol does not appear in Rohto’s ingredient list. None of these products contains menthol.

How to Use Melano CC Moisturizer

Use a Melano CC moisturiser after toner and serum, morning and night. Rohto’s routine runs: cleanser, lotion (toner), mask, serum (or Premium Essence), then gel, cream or milk, and finally UV milk in the morning.

1. After toner and serum, apply the gel, cream or milk.
2. For the cream, Rohto says to take a pearl-sized amount in your palm after toner or milk and smooth it over your whole face, focusing on areas of concern.
3. In the morning, finish with the Deep Day Care UV Milk or another sunscreen.

Rohto’s cream instructions say to apply it after toner or milk, so you can layer the milk and the cream. Rohto also says you don’t need to use the whole Melano CC line. Its FAQ recommends avoiding areas with active pimples, and says that results vary from person to person and to keep using Melano CC for 4 to 6 weeks, the length of the skin’s renewal cycle. Once opened, Rohto recommends using each product within about 6 months.

Where to Buy Melano CC Moisturizer

kachicollect is the simplest way to get Melano CC moisturisers from Japan. Our catalog has no proxy fees, and duties are shown in your total before you pay, so nothing extra is charged on delivery. Orders ship worldwide with tracking and usually arrive in about 7 to 14 days.

If you can’t find the one you want in our catalog, search Japanese stores or marketplaces for its Japanese name or JAN code: メラノCC 薬用しみ対策 保湿クリーム (4987241169696), メラノCC 薬用しみ対策美白ジェル (4987241169702), メラノCC 薬用しみ対策 美白乳液 (4987241188833) or メラノCC ディープデイケアUV乳液 (4987241191048). Paste the product URL into kachicollect and you get an instant quote that you can buy straight away. Rohto’s FAQ notes that none of these products is classed as dangerous goods for air transport.

On marketplaces such as eBay, listings use many retailer-made names, so check the Japanese name and the ingredient list.

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. With kachicollect, you can skip the proxy: paste the product URL from any Japanese store or marketplace and get an instant quote with no request fee, then buy it straight away in kachicollect, with duties shown before checkout.

Melano CC Cream and Moisturizer FAQ

Is Melano CC cream fragrance-free?

Yes. Rohto’s FAQ says the moisture cream is the only Melano CC product without fragrance. The gel, milk and UV milk have a citrus scent, and the Men gel has a lemon scent.

Does Melano CC moisturizer contain mineral oil?

The cream, the gel and the Men gel do, according to Rohto’s FAQ. The milk’s ingredient list also includes liquid paraffin. Rohto’s FAQ says the UV milk contains no mineral oil.

Melano CC cream or gel: which is better?

Rohto doesn’t compare them directly. The cream is fragrance-free and preservative-free with four actives, while the gel is a fresh, watery gel with three actives that Rohto says can replace a milk or cream or be used as an all-in-one.

Melano CC cream or essence: which do I need?

They are different steps, not alternatives. Rohto’s routine puts the serum (essence) after toner and before the gel, cream or milk, and Rohto says you don’t need to use the whole Melano CC line. See our Melano CC serum guide.

Does Melano CC cream contain salicylic acid?

Yes, but not as an active. Salicylic acid is in the cream’s ingredient list as an ordinary ingredient; its four actives are a vitamin C derivative, a vitamin E derivative, dipotassium glycyrrhizate and isopropyl methylphenol.

Is Melano CC cream non-comedogenic?

Rohto says it has not run non-comedogenic tests on any Melano CC product, so it makes no non-comedogenic claim. Its FAQ also recommends avoiding areas with active pimples.

Can I use Melano CC milk and cream together?

Yes. Rohto’s instructions for the cream say to apply it after toner or milk.

Is Melano CC moisturizer good for oily skin?

Rohto doesn’t name skin types for the regular moisturisers. It describes the gel as fresh and not sticky, and the Men gel as made with oily skin in mind.

Does the Melano CC UV milk prevent dark spots?

Rohto says it helps prevent dark spots caused by daytime sun exposure, through its SPF50+ PA++++ UV protection. It is a cosmetic, not a quasi-drug, so it has no whitening active.

Can I use Melano CC moisturizer in the morning?

Yes. Rohto recommends the cream and the gel morning and night, says the milk can be used morning and night, and has confirmed that no Melano CC product has a phototoxicity problem. Only the UV milk protects against UV, so use it or another sunscreen during the day.

Do Melano CC moisturizers fade acne scars?

No. Rohto doesn’t claim that any Melano CC moisturiser fades acne scars. It says the cream, gel and milk moisturise and condition skin that is worried about acne marks. Their actives help prevent dark spots and freckles; Rohto says the cream and gel also help prevent pimples, while the milk helps prevent rough skin.

Can men use Melano CC moisturizer?

Yes. Rohto’s FAQ says men can use the milk, cream, gel and UV milk, and there is also a Men gel with the same ingredients as the regular gel.

Can I use Melano CC moisturizer while pregnant?

Rohto’s FAQ says the milk, cream, gel and UV milk can be used during pregnancy, given their ingredients and amounts, and while breastfeeding. Because the body changes during pregnancy, Rohto says to stop if a sensitive reaction appears.

How long do Melano CC moisturizers last once opened?

Rohto recommends using each within about 6 months of opening. Unopened products have no set expiry date. The cream lasts about 2 months with morning and night use.

Conclusion: The Best Melano CC Moisturizer for You

If you want one Melano CC moisturiser to start with, we suggest the cream: it is the only fragrance-free, preservative-free one, with four actives. Choose the gel for an all-in-one that can also go on the body, the milk if you want a refill pouch or to layer it under the cream, and add the UV milk in the morning for SPF50+ PA++++. Pair any of them with the Melano CC toner and Melano CC serum.

For every Melano CC product in one place, see our Melano CC guide.

Buying from kachicollect gets you Melano CC shipped directly from Japan, with no proxy fees and duties shown before you pay.