Mochi Skin Starts With Great Skincare. Here Is the Routine You Need

Mochi skin is trending: skin that looks soft, plump and bouncy, like the Japanese rice cake. It is not a product or a treatment. It is the result of a simple, hydration-first routine, and our gurus have been talking about it for a while. The routine below has five steps, each with a product our experts approve. It starts with DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, which all 9 of its experts said yes to, for a Guru Score of 89%.

Below: what the term means, how it differs from glass skin, the five steps with the product our experts rate for each one, and why the viral "mochi" cleanser is not on the list.

At a glance

What is mochi skin?

Mochi is a Japanese treat made from sticky rice: soft, chewy and springy when you press it. "Mochi skin" borrows the word for skin that feels the same way, soft and plump with a little bounce, rather than matte or tight.

Dr. Jenny Liu, a board-certified dermatologist, explained it in her review of viral Japanese skincare: "the goal with Japanese skincare is really trying to achieve this Mochi Skin." On skin, she says, it means a "bouncy" look, "kind of like plump baby like skin."

It comes down to hydration. In her Hada Labo video, she calls the brand's lotion its core hydrator for anyone after glass skin or mochi skin, and describes the look as "bouncy juicy skin because of the hydration."

How is mochi skin different from glass skin?

The two are cousins. Dr. Jenny Liu puts the difference down to routine: the Korean ideal of glass skin is a smooth, "perfected" finish built from a long routine, while Japanese skincare "really is less complicated" and focuses on fewer steps.

So where glass skin is about shine, mochi skin is about feel: skin that is well hydrated, soft to the touch and springy. You do not need ten steps for it. You need the right five, used every day.

What is the mochi skin routine?

The mochi skin routine is the classic Japanese skincare routine in five steps, as Dr. Jenny Liu describes it, in the order you use them, with the product our experts rate for each. Every pick has a Guru Score of 75% or more. Under each you will find what it does, how the experts voted and the catch, in an expert's own words.

Which step matters most for mochi skin?

We would say the hydrating lotion. In Japanese skincare, a "lotion" is not a body lotion. It is a light layer you pat into damp skin after cleansing, somewhere between a toner and an essence, and hydration is what Dr. Jenny Liu ties mochi skin to.

Our pick is Hada Labo Gokujyun Premium Lotion (84%), the richer gold-bottle version. Gothamista reaches for the premium formula because "it's really really intense," and says it works well on flaky skin. If your skin is less dry, the lighter Hada Labo Gokujyun Hyaluronic Acid Lotion has a Guru Score of 88%, and all 7 of its experts said yes. Both lean on hyaluronic acid, and our hyaluronic acid guide covers how the experts use it. For lighter hydrators, see the best mists and essences for dry skin.

Do you need the viral mochi cleanser?

No. Arencia's chewy green Mochi Cleanser went viral for its texture, and it shares the name, but it is not what makes mochi skin. Our experts are split on it: of its 5 experts, 3 were mixed and 1 said no, for a Guru Score of 62%. Gothamista found it could not replace her oil cleanser for stubborn makeup. A cleansing oil followed by a gentle cleanser does the job better.

The bottom line

Mochi skin is soft, plump, well-hydrated skin, and the routine behind it is short: an oil cleanse, a gentle second cleanse, a hydrating lotion, a moisturiser and sunscreen every morning. The products matter less than doing all five every day, and the hydrating lotion is the step not to skip. If you want to swap a step, our rankings of the best moisturizers for dry skin and the sunscreen guide show what else the experts rate.