I Tried Tatcha’s Best-Selling Water Cream on My Dry Skin

Our writer was given a complimentary sample of Tatcha The Water Cream to put to the test. Keep reading for our full product review.

Choosing a facial moisturizer requires careful consideration, with your skin type being one of the most important factors to think of while browsing the aisles. As someone with dry skin, I’ve learned that my skin craves a moisturizer that’s gentle, soothing, and packs in tons of hydration. I’ve come to rely on a handful of creams after years of trial and error, but I’m always itching to expand my list of dry skin-friendly products. That’s why I was game to test Tatcha’s The Water Cream, one of the brand’s best-selling formulas. Ahead, read my full review of the lightweight, pore-refining moisturizer.

About My Skin: Prone to dryness

Throughout my 20s, my skin has always leaned toward the drier side. My dry patches are most noticeable on my forehead, cheeks, and jawline. During the winter, my skin is at its worst, becoming irritated and dehydrated if I don’t adhere to a thorough routine. During the summer, my skin can skew a bit more combination, featuring oily spots along my T-zone. When it comes to moisturizers, I’m open to different formats and textures (whether thick and buttery or light and whipped) as long as they deliver the moisture I’m looking for.

The Feel: Airy, whipped cream

As one would expect from a product called The Water Cream, its texture is very lightweight. The cream has a slippery, whipped feel similar to a gel moisturizer. The water-based formula feels cooling as it’s applied and absorbs quickly into the skin, never leaving behind a tacky finish.

Ingredient Quality / Concentration: Hydrating and pore-refining blend

There are a few key ingredients powering The Water Cream. It contains Hadasei-3, a powerhouse complex of rice, green tea, and algae that helps reduce the appearance of pores and smooth your skin. Glycerin is present in the formula to help enhance hydration and strengthen your skin barrier. Last but not least, the brand infused Japanese wild rose and heartleaf into the moisturizer to tighten pores and soothe your skin. 

The Delivery Method / Packaging: Refillable packaging 

The Water Cream is housed in an ornate blue jar decorated with a purple and gold emblem and the Tatcha logo. It comes with a delicate gold spatula on the top of each jar to help you maintain a sanitary application experience with each use. The full-size jar contains 1.7 fluid ounces of product, which should last a while. Once you run out, you can purchase one of the brand’s new refill pods, which cost $62.

The Results: Plumper, hydrated skin

I’ve used The Water Cream for two weeks as my daytime and nighttime moisturizer. I stuck to an incredibly pared-back routine, consisting of a gentle cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen (only in the morning) to genuinely assess how the moisturizer worked. Each time I’ve applied the gel cream formula, I’ve been amazed by how my skin quickly goes from dull and dry to hydrated, glowy, and plump.

Since the moisturizer is so lightweight, I was worried about how long the hydrating benefits would last. However, even after I subjected my skin to stripping airplane air during back-to-back flights, my chronically dry skin still felt moisturized and looked dewy. One thing to note is that this product has a noticeable fragrance (likely due to the Japanese wild rose). This wasn’t a turn-off for me, but it may be for some. 

The Value: A luxury investment

Tatcha is a luxury skincare brand, so each product’s price points reflect that. The full-size jar costs $72, and the value-size jar (which contains 2.5 ounces of cream) costs $89. Though the moisturizer is a bit pricy, Tatcha prides itself on crafting every formula in Japan with leading scientists. Because of this, I feel I can use the product confidently, knowing that a lot of thought and care went into formulating the moisturizer. Plus, the results I’ve seen make it worth using daily. However, if you’re not ready to commit to one of the large moisturizers, you can purchase a mini 0.34-ounce jar for $23. 

Similar Products: You have options

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Water Cream: This fragrance-free gel water cream offers hydration, pore-refining, and redness-reducing benefits. The Magic Water Cream is enriched with balancing niacinamide, tone and texture-reducing biopeptides, and water-locking fusion technology—this ingredient blend will leave your skin with a dewy, glass-like finish.

Coola Refreshing Water Cream: This skin-soothing water-based moisturizer is formulated with SPF 50, providing hydration and sun protection. The Refreshing Water Cream is made with a dynamic blend of hyaluronic acid, organic aloe, and coconut water. 

Our Verdict: The secret to hydrated, glowy skin 

Tatcha’s The Water Cream delivers on its claims of providing balanced hydration and boosting radiance—and that’s saying a lot coming from someone with dry skin. The smooth, lightweight formula absorbs quickly into the skin, and soon after slathering it on, you notice a visible difference in your skin’s plumpness, dewiness, and glow.