Tatcha is a Japanese beauty brand that offers a simplified approach to skin care. They combine natural ingredients with Japanese traditions and the latest technology to create luxurious skin care products. The foundation of the Tatcha skin care line is Hadasei-3, the brand’s proprietary blend of three anti-aging superfoods.
So is Hadasei-3 truly the secret to beautiful, youthful skin? To answer this question, we’ll have to evaluate the research behind Hadasei-3, as well as the supporting key ingredients in Tatcha skin care products. We’ll also share Tatcha reviews so that you can get an idea of what customers really think of these products.
OUR TOP SKINCARE PICKS
| Rank | Brand | Link | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carrot & Stick | Review | |||||
| 2 | Formulyst | Review | |||||
| 3 | Skinceuticals | Review | |||||
| - | Tatcha Skincare |
What Are The Top 10 Best Tatcha Skin Care Products?
Tatcha’s first product was the Original Aburatorigami Japanese Beauty Papers, which are the same blotting papers used by geisha. This was followed by the development of cleansers, moisturizers, serums, masks, essences, and more.
Today, Tatcha Water Cream is the brand’s most popular product. Below we’ll give you the details on Tatcha Water Cream and the other best selling Tatcha skin care products.
Tatcha Water Cream
One of the first things you’ll notice if you try out Tatcha Water Cream is the beautiful gel-cream texture that feels super luxe. It absorbs into the skin quickly without leaving a greasy or sticky feeling behind. Rather, skin feels instantly softer, smoother, and better hydrated.
The formula includes antioxidant-rich Hadasei-3, as well as Japanese Wild Rose and Japanese Leopard Lily as key ingredients.
According to the brand, Japanese Wild Rose can balance skin and diminish the look of pores, while Japanese Leopard Lily can help minimize excess oil production, calm problem skin, and promote turnover of the skin.
Unfortunately, the fact that Tatcha Water Cream is packaged in a jar means that these delicate ingredients will lose their potency over time due to repeated exposure to light and air when you open the jar.
And another problem: there are a couple of irritants in this moisturizer, including fragrance and gold.
Bottom Line: A lightweight moisturizer that helps to instantly smooth and hydrate skin, but the inclusion of potential irritants (like fragrance and gold) prevents us from recommending this product.
ALTERNATIVES: Carrot & Stick The Moisturizer. It’s overflowing with potent plant proteins, vitamins, peptides and amino-collagen.
Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream
Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream has a thick, balm-like texture that’s ideal for those with dry skin, combination skin, or anyone that prefers a moisturizer with a richer texture.
There’s plenty of emollients in this formula, including a high concentration of squalane, one of our favorite emollients. Squalane is super-light, non-greasy, and sinks into the skin fast, yet it helps the skin to instantly feel soft and moisturized.
There’s also plenty of antioxidants and botanical extracts in this formula, including Hadasei-3, mallow flower, and ginseng root extract.
But similar to the Tatcha Water Cream, there’s a couple problems with this product. One is the jar packaging, which isn’t ideal for products that contain antioxidants.
And the second problem is the inclusion of fragrance and gold, which both can lead to skin sensitivity.
Bottom Line: Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream is a rich moisturizer that includes skin-softening emollients, antioxidants, and soothing botanicals, but the inclusion of potential irritants (like fragrance and gold) prevent us from recommending this product.
Tatcha Silk Canvas Primer
This Tatcha primer has a silky, balm-like texture that glides onto skin very easily, creating a soft matte finish.
The highest concentration ingredient in this primer is cyclopentasiloxane, a type of volatile silicone. It helps the primer to spread nicely onto the skin, creating a silky smooth feel. The term “volatile” means that this ingredient does not stay on the skin, but rather evaporates shortly after application.
If your skin tone is medium to dark, you may be hesitant to try this Tatcha primer due to the light pink color of this primer, but don’t worry, it sheers out completely once blended.
As for performance, this Tatcha primer is the real deal. It effectively blurs the look of pores, lines, and minor blemishes, creating the appearance of smooth, even skin. Many Tatcha reviews mention being able to wear just this primer — no makeup needed!
Bottom Line: A silky primer that blurs pores, lines, and minor blemishes, creating a soft matte finish.
Tatcha Deep Cleanse
Tatcha Deep Cleanser is a daily gel cleanser that lathers into a creamy foam to lift away dirt and oil without over-drying.
Like most cleansers, the formula includes surfactants, such as sodium cocoyl glutamate and coco-betaine.
A surfactant molecule contains one end that is hydrophilic (attracted to water) and one end that is lipophilic (attracted to oil). This allows surfactants to attract and suspend oils, dirt, and other impurities that have accumulated on the skin and wash them away.
These surfactants are combined with Japanese luffa fruit, a natural ingredient that’s been used by Japanese women for centuries. The ground fibers from this fruit buff away dead skin cells and decongest pores, while the fruit extract conditions skin.
Unfortunately, there’s a pretty high concentration of fragrance in this cleanser — it’s the eighth ingredient on the list! While fragrance certainly creates a pleasant experience when using this cleanser, keep in mind that fragrance isn’t doing your skin any good.
Bottom Line: A lathering gel cleanser that combines surfactants and Japanese luffa fruit to cleanse, exfoliate, and decongest pores.
Tatcha Essence
One of the few Tatcha skin care products that’s fragrance-free is The Essence, a lightweight liquid that’s meant to be used after cleansing and before any other skincare products.
The only key ingredient in this formula is the brand’s proprietary Hadasei-3. We’ll get into the details on Hadasei-3 in the Key Ingredients section below.
For now, just know that using this highly concentrated dose of Hadasei-3 is said to boost the effects of other skin care products, resurface, and hydrate for primed, plump, soft skin.
Bottom Line: A fragrance-free liquid essence that contains only Hadasei-3 and is claimed to help other skin care products work better.
ALTERNATIVES: Carrot & Stick The Repair Serum. It contains 7 peptides for smoother, firmer looking skin.
Tatcha Silk Peony Eye Cream
This Tatcha eye cream has a cushiony balm texture that melts upon application, instantly helping to smooth and blur the look of fine lines and wrinkles.
Just as the name implies, silk is one of the key ingredients in this eye cream. Silk consists of two main proteins — sericin and fibroin — that are similar to the amino acid structure of human skin. Silk helps to improve moisture balance while adding a very smooth feel to the skin.
There’s also Japanese white peony extract, which, according to the brand, helps strengthen the skin barrier function, providing a “seal” that enables the thinnest skin around the eye area to retain moisture for reduced dryness and sensitivity.
Once again, we’re disappointed to find fragrance in the formula, especially since this is an eye cream!
Bottom Line: Tatcha Silk Peony Eye Cream combines silk extract with Japanese white peony extract to promote moisturized, supple skin.
ALTERNATIVES: If you are concerned about aging around the eyes including bags, one product we recommend is Carrot & Stick The Eye Cream.
Tatcha Rice Polish
Tatcha Rice Polish is a water-activated exfoliant that begins as a powder and transforms to a creamy foam in order to gently exfoliate skin.
The formula contains microcrystalline cellulose and rice powder, which are both gentle abrasives that exfoliate the top layers of skin, removing dead skin cells that can often build up and leave our skin looking dull.
There’s also surfactants to cleanse the skin and hydrolyzed silk to condition and nourish skin, thereby preventing dryness and flaking.
And this is one of the few Tatcha skin care products that’s fragrance free!
Bottom Line: Tatcha Rice Polish includes the gentle abrasives microcrystalline cellulose and rice powder to exfoliate skin, leaving it brighter and smoother.
Tatcha Camellia Cleansing Oil
This 2-in-1 makeup remover and cleanser is formulated with rice bran oil and camellia oil to nourish the skin, gently melt away oils, and remove waterproof makeup.
When you use oils to remove oily makeup and sebum, you’re employing the chemical principle called “like dissolves like.” Basically, oils will dissolve other materials that have a similar chemical structure.
There’s a small amount of fragrance in this product, but since it’s a rinse-off product there’s a lower risk of irritation.
Bottom Line: A 2-in-1 makeup remover and cleanser that uses rice bran oil and camellia oil to dissolve excess oil and makeup.
Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist
While not a necessity in your skin care routine, a face mist can definitely perk up your skin when it’s looking a little tired and dull in the afternoon. Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist is a silky fast-absorbing spray-on moisturizer that’s specifically formulated to leave your face feeling soft, dewy, and refreshed.
The formula contains antioxidant-rich Hadasei-3, as well as nourishing camellia oil and skin-soothing licorice and ginseng extracts.
The brand claims that hyaluronic acid is a key ingredient in this mist, but if you look at the ingredient list, sodium hyaluronate (the salt form of hyaluronic acid) is almost last on the list. That means a very low concentration of this ingredient is in the formula.
In fact, there’s more fragrance in this formula than sodium hyaluronate! And while your senses may enjoy the fragrance in this mist, keep in mind that it’s not doing your skin any good!
Bottom Line: A silky fast-absorbing spray-on moisturizer that combines Hadasei-3 with soothing and hydrating ingredients in order to create a dewy, luminous glow.
Tatcha Rice Wash
Tatcha Rice Wash is a cream cleanser that’s formulated to wash away impurities without stripping skin.
The formula contains similar ingredients as the Tatcha Rice Polish, such as microcrystalline cellulose, rice powder, and surfactants. Together, these ingredients help to buff away dead skin cells and wash away excess oil and impurities.
Unfortunately, there’s a very high concentration of fragrance in this Tatcha Cleanser. In fact, there’s more fragrance in this formula than there is Hadasei-3!
Bottom Line: A heavily fragranced cleanser that contains microcrystalline cellulose, rice powder, and surfactants.
Is Tatcha Water Cream Right For You?
By now you know that the brand’s most buzzed-about product is Tatcha Water Cream. But just because a product is popular doesn’t mean it’s right for you. Before splurging on this moisturizer, here’s a summary of the most important factors to consider:
- Key ingredients? Hadasei-3, Japanese wild rose, and Japanese Leopard Lily
- Skin type? Normal, oily, combination
- Texture? Lightweight gel-cream
- Fragrance? Yes
- Cruelty free? Yes (However,parent company Unilever is not)
- Cost? $68 USD for 1.7 oz
- EWG Rating? 6
How to Apply Tatcha Water Cream?
Scoop a pearl-sized amount of Tatcha Water Cream with the gold spoon. Massage onto face, neck and décolletage in upward strokes. Use daily, both morning and night.
What’s Inside Tatcha Skincare?
Hadasei-3 is the signature ingredient that you’ll find throughout the Tatcha skin care collection. It’s a combination of three Japanese anti-aging superfoods:
- Okinawa red algae
- Uji green tea
- Japanese rice bran
Since these are unique ingredients that you probably won’t find in any other skin care product, we’re going to explain each one in detail below.
Okinawa Red Algae
Okinawa red algae is rich in natural polysaccharides, which are sugar molecules that can absorb a high amount of moisture. This natural algae also provides beneficial nutrients such as fatty acids, proteins, and nearly all essential vitamins. Research has found that Okinawa Red Algae may enhance water retention and barrier function when topically applied to the skin.
Uji Green Tea
Uji green tea is the next key ingredient in Hadasei-3. In order to isolate the essential actives from Uji green tea without the use of heat or chemicals, Tatcha uses a patented sonic-extraction process. According to the brand, this yields an extract that is 12 times more potent than conventional extraction methods.
Green tea is a rich source of epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG, a type of polyphenol that is widely regarded as one of the most powerful antioxidants available. EGCG reduces skin irritation and redness, and targets free radicals, particularly those caused by UV-induced oxidative damage.
According to a publication in the journal Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces, “Catechin molecules such as epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) are capable of attenuating the biomolecular damage induced by UV radiation, possibly through molecular mechanisms involving the cell membranes.”
Japanese Rice Bran
The final ingredient that makes up the Hadasei-3 Anti-Aging Complex is Japanese rice bran, also known as komenuka. This rice is known as the finest rice in Japan for its superior taste and quality.
Komenuka is rich in inositol and gamma oryzanol, which are both antioxidants and nourishing moisturizers. It is a vital source of vitamins A, B2, B12 and E, as well as naturally moisturizing proteins.
Lastly, Japanese rice bran contains a high concentration of the antioxidant anthocyanin. Anthocyanin is known to help skin recover from and protect against stress, pollution, and UV damage, thereby promoting healthier-looking skin.
How Much Do Tatcha Skin Care Products Cost?
Tatcha skin care products are mid-range in terms of cost; they aren’t cheap but they are ridiculously expensive. For example, both the Tatcha Water Cream and Dewy Skin Cream cost $68 USD for 1.7 oz, while Tatcha Rich Polish costs $65 for 2.1 oz.
Where to Buy Tatcha Skin Care Products?
Tatcha skin care products are sold on the brand’s website, as well as many third party online sellers such as Sephora, QVC, Amazon, and more. Tatcha skin care products are also sold at many different physical locations around the world. You can check the brand’s website to find a store near you that sells Tatcha skin care products.
What is The Tatcha Return Policy?
Tatcha’s return policy states that you can receive a full refund within 90 days for domestic orders on Tatcha.com.
Is Tatcha Cruelty Free?
Tatcha is cruelty free. None of their products or ingredients are tested on animals. However, Tatcha is owned by Unilever, a parent company that does test on animals when required by law.
Is Tatcha Vegan?
Tatcha may offer some products that are suitable for vegans, but this is not a 100% vegan brand since they use animal-derived ingredients like beeswax, honey, carmine, royal jelly, pearl, and silk derivatives in some of their products.
Our Verdict
Overall, we think that Tatcha Skin Care products are formulated well, although we wish the brand would formulate their products without fragrance.
Pros
- Products contain beneficial ingredients (squalane, camellia oil, ginseng, and other botanical extracts)
- Products have luxurious textures
- Many positive Tatcha reviews
- Tatcha is cruelty free
Cons
- Nearly all Tatcha skin care products contain fragrance
- Jar packaging means that delicate ingredients (such as antioxidants) will degrade over time due to exposure to light and air
What Are Some Alternatives to Tatcha Products?
If you’re looking for skincare products to address the signs of aging, we recommend Carrot & Stick. Carrot & Stick maximizes the use of powerful ingredients and minimizes the use of superficial ones, resulting in advanced skincare solutions that help promote healthy, more youthful-looking skin.
References:
Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2019 Jan 1;173:312-319.
de Groot AC, Schmidt E. Essential Oils, Part IV: Contact Allergy. Dermatitis. 2016;27(4):170-175. doi:10.1097/DER.0000000000000197
