Hunting for a LUNASOL gel wash dupe? A viral infographic says Bioré’s $7 Pore Massage Wash Gel and LUNASOL’s $32 Smoothing Gel Wash share Mannitol, Trehalose, and Arginine.
Both come from the Kao family, which makes the claim sound plausible. So we pulled both INCI lists from CosDNA and checked line by line.
The overlap is real, and bigger than the graphic says. There’s fine print, though, and it’s worth reading before you buy.
The Price Gap & The Corporate Secret
Here’s the price tag on each:
- LUNASOL Smoothing Gel Wash: ~$32 USD for 150ml
- Bioré Pore Massage Wash Gel: ~$7 USD for 150g
Both bottles hold 150, so there’s no volume trick this time. The gap is a straight 4.5x: about $0.21 per ml vs. about $0.05 per g. (One is sold by volume and the other by weight, so treat that as a close estimate.)
Now the corporate angle. Bioré is a Kao brand. LUNASOL belongs to Kanebo, which Kao bought in 2006 and which still makes LUNASOL as a Kao subsidiary.
Same parent, same chemistry playbook. That doesn’t prove the formulas match, so we checked.
The At-a-Glance Comparison
| Product | Price (USD) & Volume | The Shared Cleansing/Hydration Engine | Unique Additions | Formulation Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LUNASOL Smoothing Gel Wash | ~$32 / 150ml | Mannitol, Trehalose, Arginine, Myristic Acid, Laureth-21 | Hibiscus, Perilla Leaf, Soluble Collagen, Laureth-6 Carboxylic Acid | Low-foam gel with botanical extras |
| Bioré Pore Massage Wash Gel | ~$7 / 150g | Mannitol, Trehalose, Arginine, Myristic Acid, Laureth-21 | Laureth-4 Carboxylic Acid, no botanicals | Stripped-back, pore-focused gel |
The Identical Core: INCI Confirmed
Good news for the dupe crowd. The core is shared. Both lists open with Water, Mannitol, Trehalose, and Arginine, though in a slightly different order.
The cleansing side matches too:
- Myristic Acid, a fatty acid that Arginine can neutralize into a mild soap-like cleanser
- Laureth-21, a gentle non-ionic ingredient that helps the gel mix with oils
- A Laureth carboxylic acid, the third cleansing piece
The thickening and preservative system is the same as well. Both use Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Hydroxyethylcellulose, EDTA, and Phenoxyethanol.
Here’s the fine print the infographic skipped. The carboxylic acid isn’t identical: LUNASOL uses Laureth-6, while Bioré uses Laureth-4. It’s a small difference in chain length, but it means these are close cousins, not clones.
Also, an INCI list shows ingredient order, not percentages, so we can’t confirm how strong either cleansing system is.
LUNASOL’s Botanical & Collagen Extras
So what does $32 buy? A longer ingredient list.
LUNASOL adds three extras Bioré doesn’t have:
- Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract
- Perilla Leaf Extract
- Soluble Collagen
They’re listed ahead of the cleansing ingredients, which looks impressive. But below about 1% the order isn’t guaranteed, and this is a rinse-off product with seconds of skin contact.
Soluble collagen is a hydrating ingredient, not a way to rebuild your own collagen. Think of these extras as a softer-feeling touch, not a treatment.
A flag if your skin runs reactive: CosDNA rates Perilla Leaf Extract’s safety on the higher-concern side. Both formulas also end with Parfum, so the fragrance is the same in both bottles.
Bioré’s Stripped-Back Efficiency
Bioré keeps the same core and drops the extras. No botanicals, no collagen.
What’s left is a purely functional gel built around that shared Mannitol, Trehalose, and Arginine base. The humectants help the wash feel less drying, and the fatty acid system does the cleaning.
Will a gel wash really dissolve blackheads? Kao markets these gels as pore-focused, but an INCI list can’t prove that, and a wash-off product has limited contact time. Expect a clean, soft feel and a decent massage, not extractions.
One more flag: CosDNA scores Myristic Acid at 3 on its acne scale in both products. It’s a rough guide for a rinse-off formula, but worth knowing if you break out easily.
The Verdict: Is Bioré a Real LUNASOL Gel Wash Dupe?
Yes, as a LUNASOL gel wash dupe it’s one of the closest we’ve checked. Same core ingredients, same cleansing system, same thickener and preservatives. One carboxylic acid differs by a few carbons.
Get LUNASOL if you want the botanical and collagen extras, the department-store feel, and the ritual that comes with it. That’s what the extra $25 pays for.
Get Bioré if you just want the pore-focused gel for a fraction of the price. For most people, it’s the smarter buy.
Both contain fragrance and a fatty acid, so patch-test if your skin is sensitive or breakout-prone.
So, are you paying for the formula or the extras? Tell us in the comments, and check current prices through our links before you buy.
Disclaimer: The information and ingredient analysis provided in this article are for educational and informational purposes only. Everyone’s skin type and condition are different; readers should carefully assess their own individual needs and conduct a patch test before purchasing or using any new skincare. Every product has its unique formulation and characteristics. For specific product inquiries or claims, please contact the respective brand directly. For professional dermatological advice, diagnoses, or skin concerns, always consult a board-certified dermatologist or qualified healthcare professional.
