If you guys haven't heard, Tatcha Skincare has finally landed in Australia. The hype was definitely real as Mecca Cosmetica stores plastered the beautiful Geisha inspired brand across the country. Anxiously anticipating their long-awaited arrival, I, like many Aussie skincare junkies, made a mental list of the first products to test and try.

The Philosophy

Tatcha is a beauty brand greatly inspired by the Japanese skincare routine of the Geisha woman. It's rituals and products are based on the ingredients and methods Geisha would use throughout the ages. Usually, such rituals would be passed on through word of mouth, but there was a record of it written down. This ancient beauty book is the cornerstone of Tatcha's philosophy and why you'll find all the products are simple, multi purpose, and gentle to the skin. Let's face it, we all want perfect Geisha skin.

The Product

I tested both the Camellia Oil and Gentle Enzyme polish to truly adopt the double cleansing technique that Victoria (the founder) so lovingly snaps about. Just have a look at the packaging. It's beautiful. That little disc on each of the products represents the same disc that Geisha's have to wear in their Obi (which is like their belt). The strip is Japanese paper (my personal fave kind of paper), you can tell there's a lot of care and thought put into these products. 

The Application

This oil cleanser as a beautiful texture and removed all my makeup without leaving a super oily residue - something I've been thoroughly struggling with for the past few weeks.

I particularly enjoyed how it made my skin feel soft but not dry, smooth and not tight. Lately, my oil cleanser has been stripping my skin, I'm am so glad I switched.

 This one I was a bit sceptical, mainly because I rarely double cleanse (I know, shock horror). I guess I never found the right products. Fast track to present day and you'll find me double cleansing with the enzyme powder and cleansing oil every day.

The powder is meant to polish the skin, not scrub it. It's ultra gentle and forms a really nice frothy consistency. The enzymes are water activated, so when I started to lather the product I was surprised at how my skin felt despite such a frothy consistency.

The Result

After trying both these products for almost 2 weeks, its safe to say my skin can survive the double cleanse. I know I'm being super dramatic but I know my skin. I was trying these products around my 'girl time' and, to my surprise, it kept those hormonal breakouts at bay. My usual routine around that time is exfoliating an extra day when my period comes. The thought of this gentle buffing enzymatic cleanse preventing my acne just made sense.

The Rundown

Camellia Cleansing Oil 

Cetyl Ethylhexanoate,  Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil, Polyglyceryl-10 Dioleate, Polyglyceryl-2 Sesquicaprylate,  Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Glyceryl Behenate/eicosadioate, Water,  Algae Extract,  Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Alcohol, Fragrance (Natural), Phenoxyethanol.

Gentle Rice Enzyme Powder

Oryza Sativa (rice) Powder, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Potassium Myristate, Camellia Sinensis (green Tea) Leaf Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate (licorice Extract), Oryza Sativa (rice) Bran, Algae Extract, Papain (papaya Extract), Glycerin, Dextrin, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Iron Oxides (cl 77491), Ultramarines, Mica, Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol

What a great ingredients list. So short, explicit, and to the point. Every Tatcha product has 3 key ingredients:

The foundation  is Hadasei-3™, a trinity of anti-aging superfoods born from the Japanese diet, and the basis for the original geisha beauty rituals: green tea, rice and algae.

From <https://www.tatcha.com/get-tatcha/new-our-story>

These are amazing superfoods that have great benefits for the skin, including red algae; a rich source of polysaccharides that help with skin barrier function and moisture retention.

The first ingredient in the cleansing oil is an emollient which is a lot more light weight than the rice bran oil. Then you've got a mix of emulsifiers for water-in-oil combinations. This allows you to remove the oil cleanser with water later.

Ever wondered why sake brewers have the youngest looking hands? They are constantly massaging and washing rice. You've got amazing benefits from rice powder. It gently buffs and polishes the skin, leaving it soft and supple. They tossed in a few more brightening ingredients like the licorice extract and papain for added enzymatic exfoliation and brightness.

I highly recommend Tatcha. If you've never double cleansed before, I would ease into the routine as your skin is not used to such a deep cleanse (just like when you first use a Clarisonic).