Cosmetics

Cosmetics generally. Japan's full-ingredient-disclosure rule works in the buyer's favour.

Full ingredient lists as a tool

Japanese cosmetics must list every ingredient, in descending order of quantity (below 1%, order is free). That is a strong source of information: you can check whether a product is plausibly vegan, and what is actually doing the work, independently of the marketing.

What to check

The first five ingredients
Animal-derived ingredients
Which body issued any certification mark
Cosmetic or quasi-drug classification
The basis for any “organic” claim — Japan has no legal definition for cosmetics