Can a cream make a significant difference in the appearance of one’s skin? Is it worth it to pay what is effectively equivalent to a week’s worth of grocery bill on a face cream? I attempt to answer some of these questions in this review of the Tatcha Water Cream!
Background
I have extremely oily, sensitive skin. My skin is very acne-prone and scars easily. My skincare routine consisted of the Kiehl’s Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash and the Kiehl’s Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner. Then I applied the Tatcha Water Cream.
How to use the Tatcha Water Cream
The Tatcha Water Cream can be applied daytime and night-time. A little goes a long way! Take a nickel-sized amount of cream with the fancy gold spoon that comes with the cream and massage onto the face and the neck.
How to use the Tatcha Water Cream in your skincare routine:
- Cleansing Oil (PM only)
- Cleanser (optional in the morning)
- Toner (optional)
- Serum
- Tatcha Water Cream
- SPF (AM only)
Need help sorting out your skincare routine? Take our skincare routine quiz to get one recommended for you.
What is the ingredient list like?
The Tatcha Water Cream contains 29 ingredients. Let’s take a closer look at the major ingredients in the formulation:
Hero ingredients in the Tatcha Water Cream:
- Japanese Wild Rose
Supports natural circulation, balances skin, and improves the look of pores.
- Japanese Leopard Lily
Reduces oil production, calms problem skin, and supports natural turnover of the skin.
- Tatcha’s Signature Hadasei-3
Restores a healthy-looking, youthful radiance with nourishing green tea, rice, and algae.
In addition, the ingredient safety breaks down as such (according to EWG ingredient ratings):
Full Ingredient List
Water, Saccharomyces/Camellia Sinensis Leaf/Cladosiphon Okamuranus/Rice Ferment Filtrate*, Dimethicone, Propanediol, Glycerin, Diglycerin, Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone, Gold, Belamcanda Chinensis Root Extract, Rosa Multiflora Fruit Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lecithin, Pistacia Lentiscus (Mastic) Gum, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Citrate, Mica, Peg-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Dimethicone/Peg-10/15 Crosspolymer, Dimethicone/Phenyl Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Disodium Edta, Tin Oxide, Titanium Dioxide, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum/Fragrance, Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol. *Hadasei-3.
Week 1 Thoughts
My initial thought when I applied the cream to my face was that it is extremely lightweight. When I rubbed the cream into my skin, it felt as though I had rubbed water into my face! The cream was absorbed by my skin in seconds.
As a person that doesn’t wear makeup often because I dislike the feeling of it on my face, I really liked that the cream completely dissolved into my skin with no noticeable residue or film.
I also noticed that the cream had a scent to it. Although the scent was clean and flowery, I was nervous about how my skin would react to a moisturizer with fragrance. However, to my relief, the fragrance of the cream did not irritate my skin at all!
At the end of the my first week using the cream, I did not see an extreme difference in my skin’s appearance. However, I did feel a difference in my skin’s texture. I couldn’t help but marvel that the bumpiness of my skin was improving when I would wash my face and apply the cream.
Week Two Thoughts
At the two week mark, I began to notice a difference in my skin tone. As a result of having acne-prone skin, I also deal with a lot of scarring and hyperpigmentation. Although the appearance of my uneven skin tone did not dramatically improve, I did notice that the marks were slightly faded and blurred.
Tatcha Water Cream: Before and After Pictures
The most noticeable difference in my skin before and after using the cream was in my skin tone. In my first picture before using the cream, it looks like I’m wearing blush because my skin tone is THAT uneven.
In my last picture after two weeks of consistent usage, the redness of my face is much less apparent. The texture of my skin also appears smoother and softer when compared to my first picture.
Final Thoughts on the Tatcha Water Cream Review
Overall, I thought the cream delivered on what it claimed to do. For someone with problematic skin like mine, this oil-free, non-comedogenic, non-irritating cream will not only hydrate your skin without making you feel like you could fry an egg on your face, but also improve your skin’s texture and tone.
Although I can’t say that the appearance of my skin drastically transformed over the course of the two weeks, I did notice a difference in both texture and appearance in my skin. With consistent use over a longer period of time, I think results could be a lot more noticeable.
Additionally, only a “pearl-sized amount” of cream is needed for the entire face, making this a long-lasting product. That makes the price easier to stomach for a budget conscious person like myself.
Would I recommend the Tatcha Water Cream?
Well, yes and no. While I would recommend this product to others, I would add that this product is “worth it” depending on the type of skin that you have – especially given the price point of this product.
For someone with stubborn issues like uneven skin tone and texture, I would consider this product worth it because it noticeably improved these problems within a two week period. This is one cream that has worked very well for my oily, sensitive, and acne-prone skin.
However, if I were talking to someone with oily skin that doesn’t struggle with any major issues aside from controlling oil levels, I could not bring myself to say that the product is “worth it” because there are so many budget friendlier alternatives on the market that would work to control oil levels like this product does.
Ultimately, this is a great product with a hefty price tag. If you have problematic skin like mine, this product delivers on what it claims to do and more. If you simply have oily skin, I would recommend you to continue your search for a cheaper moisturizer that will be able to control your oil levels without breaking the bank.
