Choosing between a regular and pocket-size UNA? Compare New UNA Kowa Cool with Petit UNA Kowa. Their active ingredients and concentrations are the same: the former comes in 30/55 mL sponge-tip bottles, the latter in a 12 mL roll-on. The corn-shaped applicator in older Cool Punch photos belongs to a product Kowa now marks as discontinued.
I’m Irene, a pharmacist from Taiwan working in Japan. Some of the fun in Japanese drugstores starts when you take the cap off: a sponge, a tiny roller ball, or that memorable corn-shaped brush! Let’s look at how those details make applying medicine on the go more convenient, while checking whether the medicine itself suits you.
Three steps to narrow it down:
- Check the user’s age, whether the skin is broken, and the restrictions below first. Both products are labelled for itching and insect bites. Being steroid-free does not make them suitable for every rash.
- Prefer a familiar sponge tip and more liquid? Compare New UNA’s 30 and 55 mL bottles.
- Want less bulk in a small bag, on a walk or while travelling? Consider the 12 mL Petit format. This is a choice about carrying and applying it, not a stronger large bottle versus a weaker small one.
Two current products, the same concentration
Regular bottle｜Sponge tip
新ウナコーワクール
New UNA Kowa Cool｜30 mL / 55 mL
Look for 新 and クール in the full name, without α. The sponge lets you apply it directly without spreading it with your fingers. Choose the amount you prefer to carry: 30 mL or the larger 55 mL.
The “W” on the box refers to its antihistamine and local-anaesthetic combination. “New” is part of the product name; it does not mean the formula has just launched.
Pocket bottle｜Small roller ball
プチウナコーワ
Petit UNA Kowa｜12 mL
The slim bottle uses a “Petit Ball” roll-on tip for direct application. Kowa offers blue and pink versions with the same formula and instructions. The cheerful colours do not make it a children-only medicine.
The cap also has a place to thread a cord through. In a small bag or on a short outing, this easy-to-carry, ready-to-apply design is a genuinely useful little detail.
Both are Japanese Class 2 OTC medicines. Images help identify the packs and are not shown to scale. Packaging can vary with size or updates; check the full name and instructions on your own product.
What exactly is the same?
Current Japanese official information lists the same active ingredients, amounts per 1 mL and inactive ingredients for both. Petit UNA is a portable presentation of this formula. A smaller roller-ball bottle does not make it a children’s or lower-concentration version.
- Diphenhydramine hydrochloride 20 mg: an antihistamine that blocks the action of histamine involved in itching.
- Lidocaine 5 mg: a local anaesthetic that reduces transmission of the itch sensation.
- l-Menthol 30 mg and dl-camphor 20 mg: cooling ingredients that help relieve itching.
Inactive ingredients: disodium edetate, citric acid and ethanol. These are concentrations per 1 mL, not instructions to apply 1 mL each time.
Neither contains a steroid; both contain menthol, camphor and ethanol. If you dislike cooling sensations, have reacted to an ingredient before or feel uncomfortable after application, consider that alongside the steroid-free label. How cold a product feels is not a measure of its treatment effect.
A thought from Irene: Would you rather sweep a sponge across the area or apply it with a small roller ball? That is a practical preference. If redness or swelling is pronounced, keeps coming back or has no clear cause, have a pharmacist check it before switching medicines for an interesting bottle.
How to use each applicator
Both are for external skin use: apply an appropriate amount to the affected area several times a day. Children need a parent’s or guardian’s supervision. Keep the medicine out of the eyes and do not rub your eyes with medicine on your hands.
- New UNA sponge tip: remove the cap and turn the bottle upside down. Press the sponge gently against the affected area, let it become thoroughly wet with liquid, then apply evenly. Do not repeatedly rub with a dry sponge; the leaflet warns that an insufficiently wetted sponge can tear.
- Petit UNA roller ball: remove the cap, point the tip downwards and roll the ball over the affected area. Clean the area before use and keep it clean afterwards. Close either bottle firmly after use.
- Do not seal the treated area: avoid cling film or other poorly breathable coverings. Behind the knees or inside the elbows, avoid keeping treated skin pressed tightly against itself.
Before putting it in your bag
Keep it tightly closed in a cool place away from heat, direct sunlight and children. Do not leave it in a hot car: the container may deform, the applicator may come off or liquid may leak. Keep these ethanol-containing products away from fire. Do not decant or refill another bottle, and do not use after the expiry date on the packaging or bottle. Kowa advises using opened products promptly; it does not promise a fixed number of usable months after opening.
The corn-shaped head belongs to old Cool Punch
The little corn-shaped “Morokoshi Head” was a feature of ウナコーワクールパンチ (UNA Kowa Cool Punch). Kowa designed its fine brush tips to target small affected areas such as an insect bite. That attention to the actual movement of applying medicine made it memorable.
Kowa now labels Cool Punch “生産終了”, meaning production has ended. This does not establish that all shops have sold their remaining stock. It came in 30 and 50 mL sizes. If you find an old pack, check the expiry date and that product’s own leaflet.
Current New UNA and Petit UNA are not the same Cool Punch formula in new bottles. Cool Punch contained lidocaine 10 mg and l-menthol 40 mg per 1 mL; the current pair contain 5 mg and 30 mg respectively. Diphenhydramine hydrochloride and dl-camphor are each 20 mg in all three. The formula, inactive ingredients and applicators differ. A concentration number does not tell you how many times better a medicine will relieve itching.
A silver ball on a gel tube labelled クールジェル belongs to another old product: see the Cool Gel identification and discontinuation guide (Traditional Chinese). For boxes with α or Ace Premium, use the steroid-containing UNA guide: Cool α and Premium L/G/C. Their restrictions must be checked separately.
Age, face use and when to stop
Ask before use on a young child
Kowa’s FAQ sets no minimum age, but specifically says to consult a doctor or other medical professional before use on young children, whose delicate skin absorbs medicine more readily; amount and duration need care. The absence of a numeric limit does not mean it can go straight onto a baby.
Where not to use it, and when to ask first
- Do not use on wound surfaces, in or around the eyes, or on mucous membranes. If scratching has broken the skin, have a pharmacist check it first.
- Kowa says New UNA and Petit UNA may be used on the face, while those exclusions still apply. Point out the actual location if you are unsure.
- Consult before use if you are receiving medical treatment, have had an allergic reaction to medicine or other substances, or have severe weeping or erosion of the skin.
- Kowa’s FAQ allows these two products during pregnancy and breastfeeding. This is product-specific guidance, not permission for other UNA formulas containing steroids, and the remaining restrictions still apply.
Stop immediately if a rash, redness, itching or swelling develops: take the leaflet or Petit packaging card to a doctor, pharmacist or registered OTC medicine seller. Persistent irritation or worsening symptoms also calls for stopping and checking.
No improvement after 5–6 days? Stop and consult rather than repeatedly topping up or seeking a colder-feeling medicine.
Accidental eye contact: rinse immediately with water or lukewarm water. Seek medical care with the product if symptoms are severe or tearing or pain persists.
Bring the pack when you ask: your age, how long it has been itchy, the location, any broken skin and medicines you use will help the pharmacist. If portability matters, add that you want the 12 mL roller-ball bottle; that is much clearer than asking for “the blue UNA”.
What to ask at the drugstore
「プチウナコーワの12mLはありますか？」
“Do you have Petit UNA Kowa, 12 mL?”
「新ウナコーワクールの30mLはありますか？」
“Do you have New UNA Kowa Cool, 30 mL?” This is the name without α.
Six common questions
Do New UNA and Petit UNA have the same active ingredients?
The current Japanese official information lists the same four active ingredients, amounts per 1 mL and inactive ingredients. The main differences are the 30/55 mL sponge-tip bottle and the 12 mL roll-on format. The smaller bottle is not a lower concentration. Always check the pack in your hand.
Is blue Petit UNA different from pink?
Kowa offers two colours under the same product formula and instructions. Choose the colour you prefer; pink is not a weaker version, and blue is not a stronger one. Neither is a dedicated infant formula.
Can I still buy the corn-shaped Cool Punch?
Kowa marks Cool Punch as no longer in production. That does not establish that every retailer has sold out. If you find an old pack, check its full name, expiry date and own leaflet. New UNA and Petit UNA have different applicators and a different formula from Cool Punch.
Can steroid-free UNA go straight onto a young child or the face?
You still need to check the person and the application site. Kowa sets no minimum age in its FAQ but says to consult a doctor or other medical professional before use on a young child. New UNA and Petit UNA can be used on the face, but never in or around the eyes, on mucous membranes or on wound surfaces.
Can New UNA or Petit UNA be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding?
Kowa’s FAQ says these two steroid-free UNA products can be used during pregnancy and that use during breastfeeding is possible. This is product-specific guidance, not a rule for every UNA product. Application-site restrictions, directions and other reasons to consult still apply.
What if the itching has not improved after several days?
Stop and consult a doctor, pharmacist or registered OTC medicine seller if there is no improvement after 5–6 days, taking the leaflet or Petit UNA packaging card with you. Stop immediately if a rash, redness, itching or swelling suggests a side effect; do not wait until day five.
Sources and checks
- Kowa: New UNA Kowa Cool product details and sizes
- Kowa: Petit UNA Kowa, blue and pink versions
- Kowa: New UNA Kowa Cool Japanese package insert
- Kowa: New UNA Kowa Cool English leaflet
- Kowa: Petit UNA Kowa packaging instructions (Japanese)
- Kowa: UNA range and age, face-use and pregnancy FAQs
- Kowa: Petit roll-on and carrying design
- Kowa: discontinued Cool Punch product details
- Kowa: current and discontinued UNA products
