My Review: Tatcha The Water Cream (2023) – Is It Good Enough?

It’s time for my Tatcha The Water Cream review – which is an anti-aging cream with a water base.

And at this point – it’s one of the most popular anti-aging creams.

But are there any chances that it’s a scam?:

• doesn't have the best formula
• has a couple of complaints behind
• has a high price tag

So what’s the truth behind Tatcha The Water Cream?

I analyzed it in detail to give you the real facts about it.

Note: This review is based on my opinion + research on Tatcha The Water Cream.

Review Summary

Full Name: The Water Cream by Tatcha

Product Type: Anti-Aging Cream

Best Actual Prize: Around $68

Cheapest Place To Buy: Sephora

Designed For: Moisturizing the skin– it claims to:

• provide hydration
• clarify and refine skin
• deliver anti-aging benefits

My Rating: 7 out of 10

Recommended?: Not really. It’s not a bad product, but it's far from amazing:

• Product consistency will require you to use more
• Much better as a moisturizer than as an anti-aging cream
• Very expensive for a cream of this kind

I personally recommend a much better anti-aging product instead.

What I Liked About It

• Works well for hydration
• Nice consistency and smell
• Based on some unique ingredients

What I Didn’t Like About It

• Small quantity for the price
• You have to use a large quantity
• Lacks top anti-aging compounds
• Very expensive for its actual value
• Causes side effects quite often (skin irritation and headaches)

#1 – Claims & Producer

Here's what you should know about this product first of all:

• how exactly it works
• what skin issues it helps most
• who is its producer

1. Claims

This product claims to deliver “anti-aging Japanese superfoods.”

It also claims to be a unique water-burst cream that breaks upon application.

What does it mean? According to its website:

• Restores youthful radiance
• Promotes glowing skin
• Clarifies skin
• Hydrates skin without greasy feeling

Also – this cream states to control excess oil and visibly tighten pores.

Plus, it also claims that the touch of 23-karat gold will give a subtle shine-free glow.

To be honest – I personally don’t agree that it can help a lot when it comes to anti-aging.

It simply seems very hyped – since it lacks other anti-aging ingredients such as Retinol, Collagen, Caffeine, etc.

So at this point, I still don’t consider it an exceptional product.

2. Company Behind

The producer behind this cream is Tatcha LLC:

• its products are designed for face, lips, eyes and body
• products have different textures (cream, mask, mist, gel, etc.)
• they are sold in Sephora

Now – Tatcha LLC isn't the most popular cosmetic brand.

But in terms of reputation, it doesn't look too bad either.

#2 – Formula (6 out of 10)

This cream's ingredients are quite mixed up.

Some of them are not common – while others can be found in most anti-aging creams: 

• formula is interesting, original and herbal-based
• not based on ingredients with evidence of anti-aging benefits
• there's one signature ingredient (Hadasei-3)

Now – this cream's active and inactive ingredients are put together.

But even so, it lacks strong anti-aging compounds.

So let’s take a closer look at its composition – starting from the top ingredient:

1. Japanese Wild Rose

Most herbal-based creams contain extracts from plants or flowers.

And here are several helpful benefits of Japanese Wild Rose for the skin:

• reduces the appearance of pores
• improves skin tone
• provides Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamin E [1]

Now – sun exposure can cause skin damage resulting in large pores.

That's why this component is helpful when it comes to reducing UV damage.

2. Japanese Leopard Lilly

This is another essential ingredient:

• minimizes excess oil production
• calms problem skin
• promotes skin turnover

Keep in mind that too much oil production will lead to oily skin and clogged pores.

That's why this ingredient is so helpful – as it can help regulate oil production.

3. Hadasei-3 Complex

This is Tatcha's signature ingredient and its #1 compound. 

It is a trio of antioxidant-rich Japanese superfoods.

And obviously – it has several helpful benefits when it comes to the skin:

• detoxifies and nourishes [2]
• prevents aging
• retains moisture

Hadasei-3 is a combination of Uji Green Tea, Okinawa Red Algae and Akita Rice.

Basically – this component will give soft and healthy-looking skin.

4. Additional Ingredients

These are some of the other additional ingredients present in the serum:

• Dimethicone – acts as a skin barrier against irritants
• Sodium hyaluronate – replaces lost moisture
• Titanium Dioxide – works as an UV filter for skin [3]

However – these ingredients are pretty common for a skin care product.

Conclusion

Summing up – The Water Cream doesn't have such an amazing formula:

• Doesn't contain studied anti-aging compounds 
• Ingredient list is pretty basic

Japanese Wild Rose is probably the very best ingredient it has.

But that's surely not enough to make it a high-quality product.

That's why it's not a cream that I would recommend.

#3 – Consistency & Dosage (8 out of 10)

Here's how this cream looks and feels like.

1. The Consistency

First of all, Tatcha's Water Cream has a classic texture:

• creamy but gel-like
• pleasant smell
• light but rich

The product's texture will start to feel like a cream and transform to water-like consistency afterwards.

This is called “the water-burst cream effect”.

You will know right away that this cream is meant to be applied topically.

2. The Dosage

According to its instructions – here’s how you should use this cream:

1. Start with a pearl-sized amount of the product.
2. Massage in upward strokes on face, neck and lower neckline.
3. Use it daily (morning and night).

Applying it is not that complicated.

Also, in general – it's advised to apply skin care products using upward motions.

This is meant to avoid the skin from sagging.

However – if you want to get the best effect of Tatcha's cream, you should use it twice daily.

If you're not a fan of re-applying cream products – using it might be quite inconvenient.

#4 – Results (7 out of 10)

In order to see how a product works, you should look at its customers’ opinions.

And that's exactly what I did.

I checked out Tatacha Water Cream’s reviews on Sephora, as those are known to be legit.

Note: I only analyzed authentic reviews, not promotional or fake ones.

1. Positive Opinions

Tatcha The Water Cream  has some customer reviews in 2 main places:

• Sephora
• Official website

On the official website, the customers' ratings are 4.6 stars out of 5 (as an average).

On the other hand – this cream has a rating of 4/5 on Sephora.

Now, according to most satisfied users – here’s how this product works:

1. Doesn't make skin oily or dry
2. Gives healthy-looking skin
3. Works for all skin type
4. Cools the skin

Basically, there were enough satisfied customers with this product.

So it's surely not a scam (in terms of effect).

2. Negative Opinions

As you might expect, Tatcha The Water Cream has plenty of complaints as well:

1. Does nothing for pores
2. Causes pimples and breakouts
3. Doesn't moisturize properly
4. Doesn't soak in well enough
5. Causes side effects quite often

So it's far from an excellent choice either, despite working for some people.

Conclusion

Overall, this product has pretty mixed reviews:

• Many users are satisfied
• But some had a hard time seeing an improvement

Considering the high number of complaints it has, I would not recommend it at this point.

It’s surely not bad, it’s just that there are better alternatives out there.

#5 – Side Effects (5 out of 10)

Despite not having thousands of reviews, this cream has enough complaints on secondary reactions.

Most users complain about issues like:

• Headache due to fragrance
• Skin itchiness
• Small white bumps
• Burning sensation

Now, usually – headaches due to fragrance are common when you have a sensitive sense of smell.

I would say that itchiness and burning sensation felt by some are rare cases.

So normally, they would probably in a small percent of people.

#6 – Price (5 out of 10)

Given its composition – Tatcha The Water Cream is even more expensive than it seems.

Obviously, I don’t consider it such a good choice.

1. The Exact Price

The product can be purchased via several websites – but 2 of them are the most popular:

• Tatcha's official website
• Sephora

You have 2 options when it comes to the package size:

• Full size (50ml /1.7 fl. oz.)
• Travel Size (10ml /0.34 fl. oz.)

Now, the product has the same price across all the stores you can find it.

When it comes to Sephora:

1. Full size costs $68
2. Travel size costs $20
3. Shipping is free for orders $50 and above

For their official website, the pricing is pretty much the same.

The only difference is that you can get 3 free samples and pay in 4 installments.

As you can see – the prices are all the same. The only differences are the perks offered by the stores.

The cream is more on the high-end based on its price and quantity.

Also, keep in mind that one full size doesn't always last a month.

So it’s not such a good deal compared to other alternatives.

2. Competitors’ Price

I only want to compare this product with the #1 recommended anti-aging product I know.

I am talking about Kollagen Intensiv:

1. Kollagen Intensiv's formula is probably the best one from the market.
2. The Water Cream has more of a herbal-based formula.
3. Kollaegn Intensiv costs about $60 normally.
4. But in the best case, you can get it for about $36.
5. Due to its thicker consistency, a bottle can last more than a month.
6. On the other hand, Tatcha The Water Cream is more expensive and it's also much weaker.
7. Not to mention that a full size might not even last a month.

Basically, between these 2 – Kollagen Intensiv is obviously much better.

It has a much better composition – which is very important when it comes to wrinkles and dry skin.

Plus, it has clinical evidence behind, which is a major advantage.

Not to mention that it's cheaper, so it remains a much better pick in my view.

Conclusion

Tatcha The Water Cream isn't worth it too much, in terms of price.

I’m not saying that it’s a bad product at all.

But considering its composition, it's way too pricey.

There is a much better alternative on the market that is a lot more worth it.

#7 – Tatcha The Water Cream In 3 Ideas

Here’s how I would sum up my opinion on this product.

1. Pretty Basic Formula

To be honest, this cream’s composition isn’t amazing:

• works better for hydration than against aging
• lacks top anti-aging compounds
• has a herbal-based formula

So its overall formula doesn't make me look like a potent product.

2. Water-Based Consistency

Just like any facial cream, you will have to apply this product once or twice a day.

Normally – this could make your skin greasy.

However, the texture of this product is different:

• cream-to-water consistency upon application
• water-based formula gives cooling effect

The cream-to-water effect is quite innovative.

But it might require you to use more to get the hydration you need.

3. Quite Expensive

Unlike many anti-aging topical products, Tatcha The Water Cream looks quite expensive.

• Full size costs around $68
• Needs to be applied more than once daily

Besides being expensive – you might sometimes need to buy 2 jars in one month.

That's why it doesn't have a good value, in my view.

My Verdict – Worth It Or Not?

Short answer: Not quite.

It’s not a scam – but it's not a product you should buy either:

1. Better as moisturizer than anti-aging cream
2. Lacks top anti-aging compounds with anti-aging benefits
3. Very expensive for the quantity
4. A bottle doesn't always last a full month

As I said – I don’t consider Tatcha The Water Cream a scam.

It's not amazing, but there's no proof that it's actually a scam (on the contrary).

Still – there is a far better product for anti-aging.

And I'm talking about one that is called Kollagen Intensiv:

1. Has an excellent formula (probably the very best).
2. Its composition is original (with clinical evidence behind).
3. A jar can last longer than most products.
4. Has a potent effect against wrinkles and dry skin.

Despite being cheaper – Kollagen Intensiv tends to work much better.

So if you want to make the most of your money, better go for this product instead.

It's simply a much better choice overall.

References:

1 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/-PMC3569896/

2 – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/-23742288/

3 – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/-30444533/