A Review of Luxury Skincare Brand Tatcha

*Please note: this post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase something through them, you do not pay anything extra; I just might receive a small commission. All opinions are my own.*

If you’re a skincare fanatic then you’ve surely heard of Tatcha. Known as being one of the top Clean brands at Sephora, this geisha-inspired line is known for its extra luxe formulations and drool worthy packaging. The company prides itself on it’s Japanese roots and donating to the organization Room to Read, which benefits girls education in Asia and Africa, with every purchase. Owner, Vicky Tsai, started the company because she saw a void of brands that provided holistic alternatives to skincare concerns and felt the wisdom of the geisha’s could help. The philosophy to provide what the skin is lacking while making it a beautiful canvas for or without makeup.

The first time I had heard of Tatcha was in a Youtube video by Brianna Fox. She was doing a makeup tutorial and talking about the gorgeous line of products and how they’re sold on QVC a lot. This particular tidbit had perked up my ears because, as a self respecting twenty nine year old woman, I loooooove watching QVC beauty bits. I love hearing about the benefits, research, and the low-low-low-price-only-offered-today deals. So I decided to investigate and found myself down a rabbit hole of Tatcha/QVC videos displaying the water cream, silk cream, gold Camellia beauty oil, and rice polish. Plus, it’s entirely too easy to be lured in by Vicky Tsai and brand ambassador Janipher Hur. Fast forward two years later and a vast majority of my skincare routine has been Tatcha-fied. Due to the high price tag of the products, I began with their Starter Kit. The Starter Kits are formulated around your particular skin concerns. There are four categories: normal to dry, normal to oily, ultra hydrating for dry, and sensitive. I started with the normal to oily for my combination skin leaning oily. For $64 the set includes trial sizes of the Camellia cleansing oil, rice polish, essence, water cream, and the silk peony eye cream. Just this little taste of the brand launched me into exploring it more and more. My favorite products after this long relationship are:

The Camellia Cleansing Oil ($48)

This cult favorite cleansing oil is #1 with many beauty enthusiasts for a reason. You apply a couple pumps of this to dry skin and gently massage to remove makeup and dirt. Then add a small amount of water to emulsify it and you’ll notice the oil turns to a thinner milky substance. Once your makeup has been cleansed just rinse and move on to your next step. This oil cleanser is the perfect first step in a double cleanse ritual. If I have stubborn mascara or eyeliner on, I’ll put this on my face and let it sit for a few seconds to start breaking everything down and then gently massage it and rinse. I’ve tried other cleansing oils and balms and this is the best for me. The super smooth texture is lovely because it easily glides over your skin and breaks makeup down. Also, this oil comes with a pump that makes contaminating the source a nonissue, unlike with some balms that are on the market. This was one of the first products I tried from Tatcha and it continues to be a necessary part of my everyday ritual. I love it so much I bought their Gratitude sized bottle ($75) so I can have plenty on hand. 

The Water Cream ($68)

Best moisturizer all around. Period. When I tried the water cream in the starter ritual I was shocked by the consistency and fast absorption. I’ve struggled with moisturizers in the past. Sometimes they’re too greasy for daytime use and cause my makeup to slip and slide. Other times, the moisturizers aren’t moisturizing or hydrating enough and I find my skin gets flakey (Ahhhh the struggles of having combination skin). However, the water cream has helped solve my problems. The light texture instantly absorbs into the skin when applied and leaves it feeling like it had a big drink of water. Even my husband raves about it. He used to lean toward very minimal (AKA nonexistent) in his skincare routine but one day after trying this water cream he was hooked. He actually just bought the Gratitude size ($80) on his own because we ran out and he was devastated. If you’re looking for a moisturizer that does what it says and doesn’t leave you looking super shiny all day, then this is it. 

The Rice Polish in Deep ($65)

If you’re anything like I was B.T. (before Tatcha) then you’ve probably never heard of rice polish, enzyme powders, or chemical exfoliants. I for sure had only thought exfoliating involved physical scrubs like the St. Ives Apricot Scrub (RIP my poor teenaged-skin). Then, the rice polish walked into my life (well it was really delivered by FedEx but still). This product is recommended for use after the oil cleanse and serves as the second step in Tatcha’s recommended double cleanse. In order to use, you apply a nickel-sized amount of powder into your palm, add some water, and foam up by rubbing your hands together then apply to a damp face. At first this foam doesn’t feel like it’s doing much other than just cleansing the skin but the magic doesn’t happen until your face is rinsed and patted dry. For me, that’s when I notice the big difference. After using the rice polish my skin feels so smooth and soft but it’s amazingly not red from harsh scrubbing and rubbing either. It’s pure **MAGIC**. 

The Silk Canvas ($52)

Worth the hype. Have you seen this little beauty gracing the many instagram posts? Or the webages of Sephora with 159,000 Loves? This product was one that really stood out to me when I watched those early QVC segments. I was fascinated by the skin perfecting benefits that applying a small amount of this can do to your face. Even on clean skin the Silk Canvas helps fill in pores and gives a touch of mattifying without drying. Plus, if you’ve ever watched Janipher demonstrate how this product holds and amplifies pigment on the skin while also acting as a barrier from pollutants then you must understand why it didn’t take much to sell me. The Silk Canvas is a smoothing, pore filling primer that happens to be in a bourgeois container and make the wielder feel superrrr fancy. Not gonna lie, totally love it. The only thing I will warn with this product is that a little does indeed go a long way. There have been times where I overshoot how much I use (and typically this is when I don’t use the applicator that comes with the packaging) and then find my makeup slides around. So overall, amazing primer, especially for drier skin, but less is more. 

Honorable Mentions

• The Deep Cleanse ($38) – gentle exfoliating cleanser 
• The Dewy Skin Cream ($68) – ultra hydrating moisturizer for under makeup when you want a dewy finish
• Ageless Enriching Renewal Cream ($185) – heavier moisturizer for mature skin or nighttime use
• Gold Camellia Beauty Oil ($95) – face oil for topping skincare routine to seal it in overnight or to thin out heavier foundations
• Ageless Revitalizing Eye Cream ($135) – intense eye cream for extreme moisturizing and to help plump under eye area before makeup application 

The formulation for all the products that I’ve mentioned have done wonders for my skin. They’re tried and true in my experience. There have definitely been products that have been swapped out for other brands to see which is superior, and I still come back to Tatcha. I also think my skin loves the cleaner formulations that are used exclusively with this line. Plus, the fancy-pants side of me loves all this gorgeous packaging 😉