Tatcha The Essence hydrates, plumps, and brightens all skin types.
Tatcha is one of those skincare brands that has earned a cult-like following among beauty experts and enthusiasts alike. And while the Japanese-inspired brand is responsible for the mist that quenches Kim Kardashian’s skin and the exfoliating powder that gives Meghan Markle her glow, it isn’t just here to care for your complexion.
“What we’ve learned from Japanese rituals of well-being is that care of our skin is care of the mind,” says Rose Sparacino, vice president of product innovation for Tatcha, which produces and formulates its products in Japan. As such, the brand has doubled down on its commitment to skincare that treats the whole person (not just the skin). Japanese superfoods, hand-harvested algae, and mineral-rich clay have long been part of the Tatcha’s formulas. But, the brand also incorporates multifunctional ingredients clinically proven to uplift mood.
While so many of Tatcha’s products are noteworthy, our pick for most universal is The Essence. This skin-boosting elixir supercharges the rest of your skincare routine, ultimately making all of your products perform better while simultaneously softening and plumping the skin. Best of all: It’s suitable for all skin types. But The Essence is just one of 12 Tatcha products that are truly exceptional. Whether you’re just discovering Tatcha or have been a fan for years, keep scrolling for the brand’s top offerings.
Most Universal: Tatcha The Essence
A name like “The Essence” has a mysterious vibe, and so does the product’s packaging. The plumping skin treatment comes in a ghostly white bottle that’s nearly all opaque, offering just a peek of the translucent liquid inside. The secret it’s hiding: A proprietary blend of rice, green tea, and algae called Hadasei-3.
The double-fermented complex contains essential amino acids and gentle AHAs, which help with hydration and gentle exfoliation. According to Sparacino, its ingredients work in tandem to deliver “plump, petal-soft skin at any age.”
We love that anyone can incorporate The Essence into their skincare routine because it’s suitable for all skin types. Best applied after cleansing and exfoliating and before any other skincare products, the skincare-boosting treatment softens skin and allows other products — including serums and moisturizers — to penetrate more easily. With continued use you’ll find that all of. your skincare products perform better, ultimately resulting in skin that appears softer, smoother, and more radiant.
Best Cleanser: Tatcha The Rice Wash Soft Cream Cleanser
Tatcha The Rice Wash is inspired by a time-tested ritual: For centuries, people in Japan have soaked their rice in water before cooking it. Then, they use the leftover water to cleanse their skin. Filled with skin-nourishing vitamins, the milky and moisturizing rice water makes complexions feel silky and boosts radiance.
Tatcha’s take on the rice-infused water is gentle enough for daily use and designed for combination and dry skin. The cleanser has a pH-neutral, amino-acid base that removes impurities but leaves essential oils intact, and also contains Japanese rice powder to soften the skin and boost luminosity. Finally, a proprietary blend of red algae and hyaluronic acid plumps the skin with hydration.
I’ve been squeezing the teeniest pea-sized bit onto my finger to cleanse for years. Mixing it with water creates a rich foam that seamlessly washes away the dirt and debris of the day, and leaves my skin feeling softer after every wash. While I enjoy the subtle citrusy scent, those who prefer fragrance-free skincare might find it to be a bit strong.
Best Makeup Remover: Tatcha Camellia Cleansing Oil
If the idea of cleansing with oil seems counterintuitive, hear me out: This oil glides on like gossamer and washes off like a dream. It also packs a two-in-one punch, gently removing makeup as it cleanses. As an added bonus it has a soothing, lightly botanical scent to make the makeup removal process much more enjoyable.
Suited for all skin types, the makeup remover contains Japanese camellia oil (also known as Tsubaki). The lightweight botanical oil is packed with ingredients that nourish the skin, including vitamins A, B, and D, omega fatty acids, and the anti-inflammatory oleic acid, so skin is left feeling silky rather than stripped post cleansing. To apply it, massage one or two pumps onto a dry face. (If you’re removing a glam makeup look, you may need three to five pumps to adequately remove everything.) It will take on a milky substance as it melts away stubborn makeup, and leaves a more supple complexion in its wake.
Best Exfoliator: Tatcha The Rice Polish Classic Foaming Enzyme Powder
Exfoliation is key for a soft, smooth, radiant complexion, and Tatcha’s classic rice polish is one exfoliator I fall back to again and again. Using the product is like a mini science experiment: A teaspoon of the fine powder needs to be mixed with water before it transforms into a cloud-like foam that can be massaged over the face and neck. After 15 seconds, rinse it away to reveal bright, baby-soft skin.
Made with Japanese rice bran, silk, and papaya enzymes, the powder gently sloughs off dead skin while also boosting moisture so you won’t feel dry or raw after exfoliating with this. Note that if you have extremely sensitive skin this may be too harsh. Luckily Tatcha also has The Rice Polish: Calming, which was developed specially for reactive skin.
Best Mask: Tatcha The Clarifying Clay Mask Exfoliating Pore Treatment
This powerhouse mask promises to deliver smoother, clearer skin in just three minutes — and it does just that. Best suited for combination or oily skin, the creamy mask absorbs oil using Okinawa Kucha clay harvested from the seas of Japan. The root vegetable konjac works in tandem with the clay to exfoliate dead skin and relieve pore congestion, while Japanese volcanic ash opens up the pores to release excess oil and dirt. (This also gives the mask a delightful warming sensation.)
After cleansing, I apply a thin layer of the mask and watch the color-changing magic unfold: While it looks sage-green in the jar, it takes on a purplish-red hue as it sets on the skin. After rinsing it off, my face feels smoother, softer, and squeaky clean — but be sure not to use your favorite towel to rinse this off as it’s prone to staining.
A little bit of this stuff goes a long way, too. So even though the $70 price tag might seem steep, the jar will last you several months if you use it two-to-three times a week as directed.
Best Serum: Tatcha Violet-C Brightening Serum 20% Vitamin C + 10% AHA
Vitamin C serums are hailed for their ability to deliver clear, glowing skin, and Tatcha’s iteration is no exception. With 20 percent vitamin C, the product also contains Japanese beautyberry — an antioxidant-rich berry that helps stabilize the vitamin C, making it work more effectively to support cell turnover, hydrate and plump the skin, and protect it from free-radical damage. (Pro tip: Pair the serum with Tatcha the Silk Sunscreen or any SPF to ramp up the free-radical protection.)
As if that wasn’t impressive enough, the serum also contains a 10 percent mild fruit AHA complex that gently removes dead skin cells. Finally, Japanese angelica root helps diffuse excess melanin and even the skin tone.
With a watery texture, the serum can work on any skin type, though it may be a bit harsh on very sensitive skin. We recommend using it in tandem with The Essence so your skin can absorb it more readily.
Best Moisturizer: Tatcha The Dewy Skin Cream
No moisturizer lives up to its name quite like The Dewy Skin Cream. After first incorporating it into my routine, my skin had a just-came-back-from-a-tropical-climate glow. (And this was during a gray January in Chicago.)
Best suited for dry or mature skin, the purple cream has a luxuriously thick texture. Within the formula you’ll find hydrating botanical extracts that help plump the skin, and a blend of red algae and hyaluronic acid that aid in replenishing moisture. The cream also contains Japanese purple rice, which helps protect the skin from stress, pollution, and UV damage.
Massage a pearl-sized amount of this onto your face morning and night to get a bouncy, dewy complexion. If you have oily skin, this may feel too heavy for you, though, so we recommend trying The Water Cream instead.
Best Eye Cream: Tatcha The Silk Peony Melting Eye Cream
This buttery balm swipes on with a silky finish and feels ultra-hydrating on the delicate eye area. As it melts into skin, the creamy formula releases a double shield of hydration thanks to the liquid silk (which offers weightless hydration and smooths out the under-eye area) and Japanese white peony extract, which, according to Sparacino, creates a “seal” over the skin, helping it lock in moisture.
Suitable for all skin types, the cream also contains Tatcha’s Hadasei-3 Complex: A trio of Japanese superfoods that includes essential amino acids and gentle AHAs to resurface and hydrate the skin.
Though the eye cream can be applied day and night, we recommend it for nightly use because it can sometimes cause makeup to pill when applied in the morning.
Best Night Cream: Tatcha Indigo Overnight Repair Serum in Cream Treatment
Japanese indigo extract is the star of this serum-in-cream-treatment. In Japan, indigo has been used for centuries to treat a host of ailments — samurais even used it to keep excessive bleeding at bay. But in this overnight cream, indigo’s main job is to reduce redness while you sleep.
In addition to indigo extract, the treatment contains ceramides to strengthen the skin barrier and help prevent water loss, as well as Mondo grass root, which helps balance the skin’s microbiome by cultivating good bacteria.
A little of this cream goes a long way: It has a pudding-like texture that easily spreads across the face (but it may be a bit too thick for those with oily skin). The brand recommends using this as the last piece of a nighttime skincare routine — and taking a moment to enjoy its cushiony texture as you massage it in. “If you’re taking care of your skin, respecting it, and appreciating [your skincare routine] as a moment for yourself, it shows,” says Sparacino.
Best Skin Mist: Tatcha The Luminous Dewy Skin Mist
If you could spritz on humidifier mist, it would feel like this. The spray-on moisturizer — which is Kim-Kardashian-approved — has a concentrated formula of 20 percent botanical oils and humectants that rehydrate and rejuvenate the skin with just a spritz. It’s also infused with Okinawa algae, hyaluronic acid, and squalene, which, according to the brand, make skin a “moisture magnet.”
You can use the mist anytime, anywhere, over or under makeup. I’ve taken to misting my face midday to refresh my glow. Though the brand suggests spritzing your face two to three times, I’m more of a four-spritz kind of girl. Afterwards, I feel like I’m emerging from a walk through a misty forest.
Best Lip Treatment: Tatcha The Kissu Lip Mask
This petal-pink lip jelly is the prettiest antidote to dry, cracked lips. I keep mine at my desk and apply it daily. (OK: multiple times a day.) As opposed to lip balms, which are preventative treatments, lip masks actually heal and restore dry or cracked lips. This one contains Japanese peach extract, which has been used for centuries to repair damaged lips. It also has orange extract to calm irritation, and Japanese camellia oil to moisten skin. Squalene, a weightless emollient, also locks in moisture.
Unlike the pink-tinted Plum Kissu Lip Mask (a favorite of Jennifer Aniston’s), the peach version has a sheer and glossy finish. It’s long-lasting on the lips, and has a smooth texture that’s surprisingly silky for such a thick jelly. That said, because it’s so thick it does take a bit of time to sink in (but it does leave a pretty sheen in its wake, so I don’t mind too much).
Best for Body: Tatcha The Hinoki Hydrating Body Oil
In 2022, Tatcha branched out into body care with its Forest Awakening Collection. Inspired by the stress-relieving practice of Forest Bathing, the line comprises three products: A body milk, body wash, and body oil. With a calming, woodsy scent, each of the products make me feel like I’m at a spa in an enchanted forest. But if there’s one I’m afraid to run out of, it’s the Hinoki Body Oil. It has a light, silky texture, and I’m addicted to applying it liberally, all over my body.
The oil has a quick-dry formula that seals in moisture, smooths out rough patches, and gives skin a dewy glow. Made with a blend of essential oils clinically proven to relieve stress and lift the mood, the intoxicating oil softens the body and calms the mind as its rubbed in. Close your eyes, breathe it in, and get transported to a mental spa day amid the trees. Pro tip: If you have extremely dry skin, try pairing the oil with the Hinoki Body Milk Lotion for deeper moisturization.
Your Questions, Answered
Is Tatcha cruelty-free?
Yes. Tatcha is certified cruelty-free by PETA. The brand does not test finished products or ingredients on animals; neither do its suppliers.
Is Tatcha vegan?
The brand does offer some vegan products, including its Clarifying Clay Mask. However, it’s not an entirely vegan brand.
What celebrities use Tatcha skincare?
Selena Gomez, Meghan Markle, and Hailey Bieber are among the brand’s many famous fans. Jennifer Aniston has also signed off on the Kissu Lip Mask.
