Japanese Beauty: Kracie Ichikami

Treatment, Shampoo, Conditioner, Hair Treatment Water

I thought it would be interesting if I featured more Japanese and other foreign products on here since I do buy quite a few of them!

First up is the popular Ichikami line of hair care by Kracie. I was introduced to this brand about 3 years ago, when I was given some samples outside of the Shinjuku station in Tokyo.  I was immediately attracted to the scent which smells sweet, floral and super girly. Much like the Shiseido Tsubaki line, Ichikami also contains Camelia (tsubaki) oil, which is a popular ingredient in Japan. The other ingredients include Rice Premium EX, Sakura (cherry blossom) essence, Black Rice essence, Chinese Soapberry and Blackberry Lily. I have no idea what all of those things are supposed to do!

I wasn't a huge fan of the shampoo. For some reason I couldn't get it to lather up very well so because of that I felt like it wasn't doing much for my hair. The conditioner is good, but the hair mask/treatment is even better! I love this mask because you only need to leave it on for 2 minutes instead of 20. I just leave it on for the duration of my shower and my hair is super soft afterwards. I'm not entirely sure what the treatment water is supposed to do. From what I can make out on the back with my 2nd grade level Japanese reading skills is that it helps with damage and makes hair smooth. I can't really say I've seen any results except for a nice smell. The other annoying thing is that the spray nozzle squirts a stream of water at your head so I had to transfer it to another spray bottle so that I get a mist instead. 

You can purchase Ichikami at Japanese grocery stores (Marukai, Mitsuwa) as well as online. I got the shampoo and conditioner as a set for $18-20. These bottles are pretty big at 550 ml and I feel like I've been using them for most of the year. I believe the treatment and water were $10-12. You can also buy eco-friendly refills in a bag for slightly cheaper. If you're looking for a good hair mask, I would highly recommend the treatment!