While Japanese beauty brand Tatcha is most well known for their iconic moisturizer The Water Cream, their Dewy Skin Cream is a close runner up.

Formulated to give you a dewy, healthy glow, The Dewy Skin Cream has a thick, balm-like texture that’s ideal for those with dry skin, combination skin, or anyone that prefers a moisturizer with a richer texture. 

But is Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream right for you? To help you decide, we’ll give you all the details on the key ingredients in this formula, as well as the research that supports (or doesn’t support) their use in skin care.

We’ll also share some Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream reviews so that you can get an idea of what customers really think of this product. 

What are the Best Skin Care Products of 2023?

Is Tatcha Skincare Worth The Money?

A common question about this brand is if the products are worth the cost.

In our opinion, Tatcha products are worth the money, but there are other brands that deliver greater value.

One brand is Carrot & Stick, a clean skincare brand that perfectly balances the gentle nurturing of plants with the powerful results of innovative science.

Carrot & Stick intro bundles deliver great value for money because you can bundle 3 full-size products worth up to $240 for $88.

What’s Inside Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream?

In order to determine how well Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream performs, we’ll have to evaluate the key ingredients in this formula. Let’s get started.

Hadasei-3
Hadasei-3 is the signature ingredient that you’ll find throughout the Tatcha skin care collection, including The Dewy Skin Cream. It’s a combination of three Japanese anti-aging superfoods:

• Okinawa red algae
• Uji green tea
• Japanese rice bran

Okinawa red algae is rich in natural polysaccharides, which are sugar molecules that can absorb a high amount of moisture. This natural algae also provides beneficial nutrients such as fatty acids, proteins, and nearly all essential vitamins. Research has found that Okinawa Red Algae may enhance water retention and barrier function when topically applied to the skin. 

Uji green tea provides epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG, a type of polyphenol that is widely regarded as one of the most powerful antioxidants available. EGCG reduces skin irritation and redness, and targets free radicals, particularly those caused by UV-induced oxidative damage.

Japanese rice bran, also known as komenuka, is rich in inositol and gamma oryzanol, which are both antioxidants and nourishing moisturizers. It also contains a high concentration of the antioxidant anthocyanin. Anthocyanin is known to help skin recover from and protect against stress, pollution, and UV damage, thereby promoting healthier-looking skin.

Here’s an antioxidant-rich moisturizer that we recommend. It’s packed with potent plant proteins, vitamins, peptides and amino-collagen, plus a plant-based stem cell extract from hardy alpine roses. 

Squalane
There’s a decent amount of the emollient squalane in Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream. Squalane ​​is super-light, non-greasy, and sinks into the skin fast, yet it helps the skin to instantly feel soft and moisturized. It’s great for replenishing the natural squalene (note the e) that’s present in your skin. 

We recommend Carrot & Stick The Moisturizer because it combines squalane with sodium hyaluronate and plant-based ingredients that are gentle on skin, leaving it softer and smoother. 

Mallow Flower Extract 

Mallow flower extract is very soothing and is known to help calm inflammation, particularly inflammatory skin conditions such as acne and eczema. 

Skin conditions like dryness, eczema, and acne are often the result of a microbiome that has become imbalanced. That’s why we recommend products that contain probiotics, such as Carrot & Stick The Repair Cream. 

Ginseng Root Extract
Ginseng root extract is included in Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream because it has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and skin-brightening properties. 

According to the Journal of Ginseng Research, the underlying mechanisms of ginseng’s ability to reduce the appearance of dark spots include the direct inhibition of key enzymes of melanogenesis, inhibition of transcription factors or signaling pathways involved in melanogenesis, decreasing production of inducers of melanogenesis, and enhancing production of anti melanogenic factor.

Ginseng has also been shown to stimulate the production of collagen. Collagen is a protein found within skin that is responsible for maintaining strength and firmness. Thus, ginseng’s ability to boost collagen production can give the skin a more youthful appearance.

Is Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream Right For You?

Before we get into the details, here’s the TL;DR if you just want to know whether or not Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream is right for you.

• Key ingredients? Hadasei-3, Squalane, Mallow, Ginseng
• Skin type? Ideal fo dry or combination skin
• Texture? Thick balm-like cream
• Fragrance? Yes
• Cruelty free? Yes. Parent company (Unilever) is not cruelty free
• Cost? $68 USD for 1.7 fl oz

Problems with Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream

While Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream is formulated with beneficial key ingredients, we noticed a couple problems with this product, starting with the jar packaging. 

Each time you open the jar to use this cream you expose the formula to light and air, which causes delicate ingredients like antioxidants and botanical extracts to begin deteriorating, becoming less and less effective with each use.

Another problem with Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream is the inclusion of fragrance. All fragrance ingredients (whether natural or synthetic) impart scent through a volatile reaction, and this natural reaction almost always causes a sensitizing reaction on skin. 

In fact, according to a 2016 publication in the scholarly journal Dermatitis, nearly 80 essential oils have caused contact allergy. 

Even if you don’t have a full blown reaction to the ingredient, the damage may still be occurring every day. Ultimately, this can cause mild problems for your skin in the short term and worse problems in the long term.

Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream vs Tatcha Water Cream

Tatcha’s most popular products are The Dewy Skin Cream and The Water Cream, but what’s the difference between these two moisturizers?

The main difference is the texture; The Dewy Skin Cream is a thick, balm-like cream that’s ideal for dry and combination skin types, while The Water Cream has a light gel-cream texture that’s ideal for normal, oily, and combination skin types. 

Both of these moisturizers include Hadasei-3 as the key ingredient, but The Water Cream also features Japanese Wild Rose and Japanese Leopard Lily. Unfortunately, these ingredients will lose effectiveness over time due to the jar packaging. 

How to Use Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream?

Scoop a pearl-sized amount of Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream with the gold spoon. Then, massage onto face, neck, and décolletage in upward strokes. It is recommended to use Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream twice daily (morning and night).

Where to Buy Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream?

Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream and other Tatcha skin care products are sold on the brand’s website, as well many third party online sellers such as Sephora, QVC, Amazon, and more. Tatcha Skin Care is also sold at many different physical locations around the world. You can check the brand’s website to find a store near you that sells Tatcha Skin Care products. 

How Much is Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream?

Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream costs $68 USD for 1.7 fl oz.

What is The  Tatcha Return Policy?

Tatcha’s return policy states that you can receive a full refund within 90 days for domestic orders on Tatcha.com.

Is Tatcha Cruelty Free?

Tatcha is cruelty free. None of their products or ingredients are tested on animals. However, Tatcha is owned by Unilever, a parent company that tests on animals when required by law.

Is Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream Vegan?

Yes, Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream is vegan.

Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream Reviews

Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream reviews on the brand’s website are mostly very positive, with the product receiving an average rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars after more than 2,000 customer reviews. 

There are many 5-star reviews for Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream from customers who love that it moisturizes well, leaving skin soft, smooth, and hydrated. 

For example, one review says, “This moisturizer is by far the best I’ve ever tried. Sure, I’ve tried my fair share, but they’ve never left my skin feeling so hydrated and soft throughout the entire day. My skin is dry and sensitive, so usually at some point, my older moisturizers would give up. It’s a little pricey, but using a dime size amount (which is unbelievable to me) stretches it so much. One jar usually lasts me between 3 to 3.5 months.”

And another 5-star review says, “I don’t think I can ever NOT use this moisturizer! It is amazing and I feel like my skin is actually getting the proper moisture it needs. I wish it wasn’t so pricey because it’s 100% worth it and now I’ll never go back!”

However, there are a handful of negative reviews for the Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream from customers who found it to be too greasy, and others mention that it caused breakouts. 

For example, one review says, “I thought this would be very moisturizing but instead was just greasy on my skin, and the fragrance as not my favorite, would prefer fragrance free.”

And another 1-star review says, “I NEVER break out from skin care products, and I think the dewy skin cream was too much for my skin. I kept breaking out. I have some dry patches so I thought a change from Tatcha Water Cream would help. This was too much.”

Our Verdict

Overall, we think that Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream contains several beneficial ingredients, but we wouldn’t recommend this product due to the jar packaging and the inclusion of fragrance in the formula. 

Pros

• Nice texture
• Beneficial key ingredients
• Many positive Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream reviews

Cons

• Jar packaging will lead to degradation of delicate ingredients
• Formula contains fragrance

What Are Some Alternatives to  Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream?

If you’re looking for skincare products to address the signs of aging, we recommend Carrot & Stick. Carrot & Stick maximizes the use of powerful ingredients and minimizes the use of superficial ones, resulting in advanced skincare solutions that help promote healthy, more youthful-looking skin. We recommend this cream.

References:
Adv Food Nutr Res 2012;65:223-33.
J Ginseng Res. 2015 Jan; 39(1): 1–6.
de Groot AC, Schmidt E. Essential Oils, Part IV: Contact Allergy. Dermatitis. 2016;27(4):170-175. doi:10.1097/DER.0000000000000197