Japanese Skin Care Archives

If you have been following this blog for more than 5 minutes then you already know that I love Tatcha skin care products.

Tatcha uses ancient Japanese beauty secrets and time tested ingredients found in Japan’s oldest beauty book to create one of the most spectacular skin care lines in the world. Tatcha products are incredibly high performance – you see immediate results in your skin. They also are exquisitely luxurious, and make glorious gifts both for others and for yourself.

I like to buy their gift sets as gits for others and also for myself. Their packaging is beautiful, and the story of each product comes on a vellum scroll, telling you the history behind the ingredients and what makes this product so special. I have bought myself Tatcha Gift Sets for years, they are just so incredibly lovely.

There are plenty of gift sets to choose from, and although I am not allowed to tell the specifics of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions until they launch, I would suggest checking everything out now and then hitting the buy now button on Monday…

Here is the Tatcha Gift Set page. One of the selections I want to highlight is the new Obon Gift Sets. You choose from normal to oily skin, normal to dry skin, dry skin and sensitive skin types, and your four full sized product set comes with a custom tray coated in 22.5 carat gold leaf.

Get the NEW Obon Tray Nourishing Ritual Gift Set (normal to dry skin) for ONLY $335 ($420 value) at Tatcha.com! No code required at checkout. While quantities last!

At a lower price point the award winning Tatcha Camellia Gold Spun Lip Balm, infused with 23 carat gold flakes is paired with a mirror coated in 23 carat gold leaf and a keepsake box that makes a gorgeous gift.

Get the Kissed With Gold Gift Set for ONLY $32 ($42 value) at Tatcha.com! While quantities last!

You can see the full list of Tatcha gift sets here

Tatcha Travel Sizes

Tatcha Travel Sized products make fabulous stocking stuffers. (They also give you a chance to try out new products.)I have traveled back and forth across the world with Tatcha travel sized products for years. I never get on a plane without Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist in my carry on bag!

Not sure where to start? These are the travel sized Tatcha products that I take on all my overseas trips:

One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil

Tatcha One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil is a super gentle cleanser that dissolves makeup, even waterproof mascara and eyeliner, and the deepest, darkest lip stain you may want to wear. The camellia oil leaves your skin residue free and super soft.

Gentle Rice Enzyme Powder

Gentle Rice Enzyme Powder uses rice enzymes to exfoliate and polish your skin. Instead of a rough scrub the enzymes in this product dissolve away dead skin cells and debris on the surface of the skin. At only $15 it is super affordable!

Related Post: Tatcha Gentle Rice Enzyme Powder

Tatcha The Essence

Tatcha The Essence is a multi purpose product that softens the skin after cleansing, enhancing the absorption of the rest of your skin care, while at the same time increasing cell turnover, plumping and moisturizing. It instantly doubles your skin’s moisture content and softens fine lines and wrinkles. This is a product that everyone can benefit from using.

Tatcha Deep Hydration Firming Serum

For years I have been calling the Tatcha Deep Hydration Firming Serum the holy grail of serums. I have never seen or used anything quite like it. It is super hydrating, does deep skin repair work and contains 23 carat gold to give the skin a lit from within (but not sparkly) look. This is my favorite serum ever.

I once had a student with the most violent eczema on her face and hands. She bought this serum, started using it on a Friday and came to class on Monday with clear skin! Even the cracking and bleeding on her hands was healed. Tatcha doesn’t classify this as an eczema or dermatitis healing product, but I tell everyone about it!

Tatcha Camellia Beauty Oil

I have traveled with Tatcha Camellia Beauty Oil for several years. This is a dry finish oil, so your skin doesn’t feel slimy. When you travel your skin loses so much moisture both from flying and unless you are going somewhere humid it also loses moisture from the dry or just different air and the change in water. This luxurious oil both nourishes and seals in moisture, and has 23 carat gold flakes that make your skin look lit from within.

Tatcha The Silk Cream

I have tried all of the Tatcha moisturizers and have loved each one. Your choice of moisturizer has to be based on your skin type and it’s needs. At the moment I am using this one, The Silk Cream. What I am loving about it is that it is a weightless gel-cream, so your skin doesn’t feel weighed down, and it contains silk protein which makes your skin look gorgeous. (It does all kinds of scientific stuff, but really all I care about is how my skin looks and feels)

Tatcha Luminous Dewy Mist

I absolutely love this product! I spritz Tatcha Luminous Dewy Mist on my skin during long flights to stop it drying out. I also like to spritz it on after rinsing my face in the mornings, and any time I want to refresh my makeup or just make my skin feel nice. I have friends who work in offices in front of computer screens all day, who swear by spritzing a little of this mist during the day to combat the drying effect of whatever it is that eminates from the screen. It is just a lovely, lovely product.

Don’t forget Tatcha on Cyber Monday. Happy shopping!

Build your own custom set of 3 Travel Sizes and get a FREE Limited-Edition Cosmetic Pouch at Tatcha.com! No code required at checkout. While quantities last!

This post contains affiliate links. See disclosure page.

image courtesy of Brad Olson Photography

We all know that the key to a glowing complexion is to keep the skin exfoliated. Dry, dead skin cells cluttering up the surface of the skin leave our complexions looking dull, drab, and uneven, and cause our makeup to look chunky and unflattering. They even cause blackheads and breakouts!

Now that spring is here we are all thinking about exfoliating winter away and prepping our skin for the days of sunshine ahead. We need to smooth out the skin both on our faces and on our bodies too.

One of the most well know exfoliators, St Ives Apricot Scrub, is facing a class action lawsuit. Claims state that the crushed walnut shells in the popular scrub actually cause microscopic tears in the skin, can damage the skin, and in fact state that the product is “unfit to be sold or used as a facial scrub”

Read the article about the St Ives Apricot Scrub Class Action Lawsuit on Today.com here

Personally I am not a fan of facial scrubs, and if you have been reading this blog for a while you will have heard me say this already many times! I am a makeup artist, not a scientist or dermatologist, so anything I say is my opinion only, but my personal feeling is that scrubs are like coarse sandpaper on the face. Yes they may definitely scour off the dead cells like a brillo pad, but I am convinced they also scratch up the baby skin underneath, creating a perpetual cycle of rough skin.

If you have been using St Ives Apricot Scrub you may want to do a little research on the lawsuit, and get some more information on what they claim the product does to your skin. In the mean time lets look at some other options you can use to clear away the dead cells and get the glowing complexion that you deserve.

This post contains affiliate links

My favorite facial exfoliators are enzyme masks and enzyme products. The enzymes act like pac man on your face, eating away the dead cells and leaving you with the most gorgeous, glowing skin. The mostly are made up of fruit enzymes, and are a lovely, refreshing way to find your new skin.

I have a variety of them in my bathroom cabinet. My most recent is Tatcha’s Gentle Rice Enzyme Powder. A full sized jar of it was in my Spring 2017 Zoe Report Box Of Style. I had forgotten how much I love this product! I is so gentle, yet gives you sensational results.

From Memebox, my favorite supplier of magical Korean skin care I buy peeling gels. I don’t have a specific favorite, just whatever they have in stock for my skin type. In all the years that I have been using Korean Skin Care I have not had one product from Memebox that I haven’t totally loved. (and everything they sell is incredibly affordable!)

For Body Exfoliating I don’t mind using scrubs. In the past I went through spells of making my own, but now I always seem to buy them.

There’s something a little bit luxurious about opening up a jar of Body Scrub that someone else has made!

image by Kelly Cappelli, makeup by Corinna Cooke, hair by Will Zecco

I hold on to summer until the last possible minute. I live in sunshine drenched Phoenix, which definitely makes it easier, but even out here eventually fall arrives.

Wherever it is that you are living, the transition from summer to fall to winter can be really taxing on your skin.
Your skin dries out, gets sensitive (and sometimes raw and red), it loses it’s glow and become lifeless and dull as well as pale and almost grey.
Before you get crazy trying to infuse vibrancy back into your complexion with highlighters and bronzers, before you smother your skin in heavy foundation, check out these six simple steps to sensational skin for fall.

1. Change Your Cleanser.

If you use a foaming or lathering “face wash” style cleanser try changing it to a gentle cleansing milk, or even better try my personal favorite, an oil cleanser.

Try Malin and Goetz Facial Cleansing Oil from SpaceNK

Malin and Goetz Facial Cleansing Oil

2. Exfoliate

With the hot months well behind us it’s time for a gentle exfoliation to get rid of all of the debris summer left on the surface of your skin, and to clear away the lingering dead cells.
Personally I am not a fan of scrub type products. I always think they create a cycle of scratched, rough skin, so instead I use enzyme peels to exfoliate and give my skin an absolutely unbelievable glow. One of my favorites is Philosophy‘s incredibly affordable The Microdelivery one minute purifying enzyme peel.

The Microdelivery by Philosophy

3. Add A Serum

Serums are a super important step in the road to glorious, youthful, radiant skin. You apply serum after cleansing and before moisturizing. They tend to be very concentrated so you only need a very small amount.
Think of serum as being a super sonic skin booster that goes extra deep and works at the ultimate performance level.
My favorite serum, the absolute Holy Grail of serums, is Japanese luxury brand Tatcha‘s amazing Radiant Brightening Serum. My movie star clients’ eyes light up the moment they see it on my makeup table because they know their skin is going to look like magic.

Tatcha’s magnificent Radiant Deep Brightening Serum

4. Add Daytime Protection

At night we replenish and rejuvenate the skin, but during the day we need to focus on protecting the skin both from dehydration and from the ravages of exposure to environmental pollutants. One of the ways to do this is by adding an ampoule.
Ampoules can be used at night in conjunction with your serum, and they can be used during the day underneath your moisturizer.
The Cosrx Propolis Light Ampule contains bee propolis which super hydrates and protects your skin. It also acts like a natural antibiotic, clearing up skin irritation.

Cosrx Propolis Light Ampule

5. Layer Your Hydration Products

I love the K Beauty concept of layering multiple skin care products, especially hydration products. If your skin is starting to feel the drying effects of winter weather try the Korean skin care routine of layering your first night time moisturizer, an emulsion, over your serum and then sealing it all in with a sleeping pack.
I have been using the Holika Holika Black Caviar Emulsion as my moisturizer and then layer over top the SNP Gold Collagen Sleeping Pack (both available online at Memebox), which seals all the skin care products in.
Sounds like a lot? Check out my post about How To Layer Your Skin Care Korean Style. Sleeping packs don’t feel heavy. They just feel like a regular night cream.

Holika Holika Black Caviar Emulsion

SNP Gold Collagen Sleeping Pack

6. Add In A Brightening Mask

Sheet masks are a quick an effective way to brighten dull skin.
Every week or two use a sheet mask like the Elisha Coy Natural pearl Mask available online at Memebox

Elisha Coy Natural Pearl Mask

Black Friday Cyber Monday Deals Tatcha