Tatcha blends timeless Japanese beauty rituals with modern skincare to create gentle, effective formulas that honor both skin and soul.
Founder of Tatcha, Vicky Tsai set out to share the transformative beauty rituals she discovered in Kyoto.
A research hub dedicated to advancing the science of skin health through Japanese botanicals.
One purchase. One child. One community, served.
Thoughtfully sourced Japanese botanicals — rice, green tea, and algae — to nourish skin gently.
The Ritual Finder
How to Double Cleanse Without Stripping Your Skin Barrier
Mini Aloe Firming Serum: Lightweight Hydration That Visibly Firms
Rosehip Oil: The Antioxidant Your Skin Has Been Missing
Patch Testing 101: Why One Small Swatch Can Save Your Skin
Uji Matcha: The Superfood Behind Tatcha's Most-Loved Formulas
Serums vs. Moisturizers: Understanding What Each One Actually Does
The Right Way to Layer Your Skincare for Maximum Absorption
Green Algae: The Ocean Ingredient Redefining Deep Hydration
What Makes a Great Gel: Texture, Hydration, and the Science Behind It
Face Oils Demystified: How to Find the Right One for Your Skin Type
Tremella Mushroom: The Ancient Beauty Secret Behind Dewy Skin
Inside the Lab: How Tatcha Formulates With Fermented Botanicals
Cold-Climate Botanicals: Why Japan's Harshest Seasons Yield the Richest Ingredients
Aloe Vera: The Soothing Plant That Balances Every Skin Type
Sea Buckthorn: The Japanese Superfruit Packed With Skin-Renewing Vitamins
The Tea Ritual: How Japan's Centuries-Old Ceremony Shaped Tatcha's Philosophy
The Art of the Cleanse: Why How You Wash Your Face Changes Everything
What Makes a Great Moisturizer: The Ingredients That Lock In Lasting Hydration
Brightens and evens skin tone
Rich in skin-nourishing vitamins
Strengthens skin's natural barrier
Smooths and refines skin texture
Natural exfoliant, clears pores
Calms and soothes sensitive skin
Deeply moisturizes without clogging
Brightens and visibly softens skin
Boosts radiance and skin elasticity
Powerful antioxidant, fights aging
Detoxifies and energizes tired skin
Fades dark spots naturally
Soothes dry, irritated skin
Polishes for a luminous complexion
Calms redness and inflammation
Brightens for a dewy glow
Illuminates with subtle luminosity
Smooths skin for soft texture
Locks in deep moisture
Our Story
A Ritual Born in Kyoto, Carried Around the World
Tatcha was founded on a single transformative encounter — the discovery of an ancient Japanese beauty manuscript that had guided geisha skincare rituals for centuries. What began as a personal healing journey became a mission to share the art of Japanese simplicity with the world.
In 2008, Victoria Tsai was a burned-out executive traveling through Kyoto when she stumbled upon a beauty ritual that changed everything. Suffering from a skin condition that conventional medicine couldn't resolve, she turned to the centuries-old regimens practiced by Kyoto's geisha — women renowned for maintaining luminous, ageless skin through the most disciplined of skincare arts.
The geisha had long used a simple cleanser made from rice bran, green tea, and silk — the same three ingredients that form the foundation of every Tatcha formula to this day. Victoria returned home, worked closely with biochemists and Japanese beauty experts, and in 2009 launched Tatcha with a single product: the Polished Classic Rice Enzyme Powder.
"I wanted to create something that honored the wisdom of the past while meeting the needs of the present."
— Victoria Tsai, Founder
Every Tatcha product is developed through the Tatcha Institute — a dedicated research team based in Tokyo that bridges traditional Japanese botanical knowledge with modern dermatological science. Ingredients are sourced from the same regions that supplied Japan's imperial court for generations: rice from the Niigata plains, green tea from Uji, and hadasei-3™, Tatcha's proprietary complex of fermented rice, green tea, and algae.
Tatcha's commitment extends beyond the skin. Since 2014, the brand has partnered with Room to Read through its Beautiful Faces, Beautiful Futures initiative — donating a day of school for girls in need with every purchase. To date, over 3 million days of school have been funded.
Today, Tatcha is carried in over 30 countries. The collection spans cleansers, serums, moisturizers, and treatments — each one traceable to the same foundational philosophy: that the best skincare is simple, intentional, and deeply respectful of the skin it serves.
Vicky Tsai
A Founder Who Chose Simplicity Over Everything
Victoria Tsai was not looking to build a beauty brand. She was looking to heal. Burned out and traveling through Kyoto in 2008, she stumbled across a centuries-old manuscript — the same guide that had shaped the skincare rituals of Kyoto's geisha for generations.
What she found was radical in its simplicity: three ingredients, applied with intention, every day. Rice bran. Green tea. Silk. The results transformed her skin and, ultimately, her life's work.
"The geisha didn't have a 12-step routine. They had three ingredients and a lifetime of discipline."
— Victoria Tsai, Founder
Vicky returned home and spent two years working with biochemists in Japan to translate these ancient rituals into modern formulas — without compromising their integrity. In 2009, Tatcha launched with a single product. The rest followed naturally.
Today, Vicky remains deeply involved in every aspect of the brand — from ingredient sourcing trips to Kyoto to the language used on every product label. For her, Tatcha has never been about skincare. It's been about the belief that how you care for yourself matters.
Tatcha Institute
Where Ancient Botany Meets Modern Dermatology
The Tatcha Institute is the research engine behind every formula. Based in Tokyo, it is home to a team of biochemists, ethnobotanists, and skincare specialists united by a single obsession: understanding what Japanese botanicals can do for the skin.
The Institute's work begins not in a lab but in the field — tracing ingredients to their origins. Rice from the Niigata plains. Green tea from the ancient gardens of Uji. Wild algae harvested from the Sea of Japan. Each source is chosen for purity, efficacy, and continuity with centuries of tradition.
Every Tatcha formula undergoes extensive clinical testing — both in Japan and in the US — before it reaches a customer. The Institute measures results not just in weeks but across months of continued use, studying how skin responds, adapts, and improves over time.
"We don't formulate to trend. We formulate to last."
— Tatcha Institute
The result is hadasei-3™ — Tatcha's proprietary complex of fermented rice, green tea, and algae that forms the foundation of the entire collection. It is the Institute's most significant contribution: a single complex that delivers hydration, antioxidant protection, and cellular renewal simultaneously.
Giving Back
One Purchase. One Child. One Community.
Since 2014, every Tatcha purchase has funded a day of school for a girl in need through our partnership with Room to Read. To date, over 3 million days of education have been provided to girls across Asia and Africa.
The initiative — Beautiful Faces, Beautiful Futures — was born from the same belief that drives every Tatcha formula: that when women are given the tools to care for themselves, they change the world around them.
"An educated girl doesn't just change her own life. She changes the lives of everyone around her."
— Victoria Tsai, Founder
Room to Read focuses on literacy and gender equality in education, working in communities where girls face significant barriers to schooling. Tatcha's funding supports not just attendance, but the infrastructure, training, and materials that make learning sustainable long-term.
It is, Vicky has always said, the part of Tatcha she is most proud of. Not the products. Not the shelves. The days of school.