I Always Advise Against Blind-Buying Skincare, But I'll Make an Exception for These Glow-Boosting Products

I've never been someone who has promoted laborious skincare routines. In fact, I've never been someone who has promoted laborious anything, if I'm being honest. While the rest of the world was slathering face masks over moisturisers over serums over eye creams over cleansers, I was sticking to what I know works best as a beauty journalist of over a decade—a simple skincare routine with minimal steps.

And it's not just me who backs this approach. In fact, more or less every skin expert and beauty editor I know agrees that the best skincare routines are the ones that champion fewer products. Why? Because overloading our skin with active ingredients is never a good idea—I'm talking destroyed skin barriers, irritation, redness and even acne. And this is the exact reason I never recommend blind-buying skincare products without any sort of research or expert recommendation.

I do, however, make one exception to this rule—and that is when it comes to Tatcha. You see, having spent years studying skincare formulas closely, I know all too well that not every product is going to please every person all of the time, but Tatcha products are different. Each formula is crafted in a way that delivers the good stuff your skin needs without upsetting its natural ecosystem. Sure, there are some products more suited to certain skin types than others, but they're easy to spot and shop.

I trust Tatcha products so much, in fact, that my personal routine is never without one. Whenever a friend or colleague asks me for product recommendations, they're guaranteed to find at least one Tatcha product in the mix. Why? Because they are totally fail-safe. Rooted in Japanese traditions, they put gentle, effective, glow-promoting skin health front and centre—no upset, no worry, no risk. On top of that, each product also delivers the sort of joy-inducing, sensorial luxury that makes your skincare routine feel like a treat, not a chore.

So, if you are in the market for some new skincare products and you're not sure where to start, take it from me—you can't go wrong with the following Tatcha products (and I've tried them all).

Best Tatcha Products

• Best Tatcha Product Overall: Indigo Overnight Repair (£86)
• Best Tatcha Cleanser: The Rich Wash (£41)
• Best Tatcha Treatment: The Clarifying Clay Mask (£77)
• Best Tatcha Moisturiser: The Silk Cream (£123)
• Best Tatcha Eye Cream: The Brightening Eye Cream (£64)
• Best Tatcha Serum: The Longevity Serum (£86)

1. Tatcha The Water Cream

As an oily-skinned, breakout-prone woman, this moisturiser has become somewhat of a lifeline for my skin. The lightweight, cooling, almost water-like texture of this cream delivers hydration that skin laps up, supporting and nourishing the skin barrier without ever overloading it. Plus, there's a plant-derived BHA alternative in there to help reduce the appearance of large pores and smooth skin while it works. Adding in a punchy hit of soothing, glow-boosting antioxidants, and you've got yourself a winner with The Water Cream.

2. Tatcha The Rice Wash

I recently ran out of my stash of The Rice Wash, and dabbled in some other cleansers for a little while. After five weeks of trying some cream-cleanser alternatives, I was queuing up at Space NK with four new tubes of this stuff in my basket—my skin simply can't be without it. Yes, the formula is rich and creamy, but when emulsified with water, it transforms into a serious, hard-working lather that really does cleanse the day away, leaving skin soft, supple and bouncy once rinsed. It's the sort of foolproof cleanser you can use twice a day without a second thought.

3. Tatcha The Kissu Lip Mask

There's a high chance you've seen this rosy, jelly lip balm on your social media feeds already—it's a total work of art. But beyond being pretty to look at, it's also excellent. As a mouth breather (my sinuses simply refuse to do their job), my lips are relentlessly dry, but Kissu sorts them out for me. It soothes, it softens and it plumps. What more can you ask for?

4. Tatcha The Silk Cream

If I could only use one moisturiser for the rest of my life, it would probably be The Silk Cream. Which makes sense, to be honest, because I have expensive taste. This is Tatcha's most expensive product, and it checks out. The results of The Silk Cream are, in my opinion, second to none. It utilises a liquid silk protein, along with the brand's iconic Hadasei-3 ferment complex (which you will find in most Tatcha products), to create a silk-like veil of moisture over the skin, while pearl extracts work to firm. Yes, it leaves skin feeling like silk, but it leaves skin looking like silk, too. Try it once and never look back. (Apologies in advance to your bank balance.)

5. Tatcha The Longevity Serum

The latest technological addition to Tatcha's line-up is the Okinawa Cellescence Complex, featured in its Longevity collection. This ingredient actually works to delay the signs of visible ageing in the skin, and this serum heroes it. Alongside a pro-AHA prebiotic, which works to boost cell turnover (making this one of Tatcha's most active products), as well as bioactive lipids to reduce the appearance of fine lines, you better believe daily use of this serum leaves your skin looking a whole lot more alive—all while protecting that all-important skin barrier.

6. Tatcha The Indigo Cleansing Balm

To know me is to know that I adore cleansing balms. In fact, I couldn't tell you the last time I used micellar water or *shudders* a face wipe. Using a cleansing balm to remove my makeup at the end of the day isn't just a nicer experience, but it's easier and leaves my skin looking all the better for it. This one in particular is a feat. When massaged into dry skin, it makes light work of getting rid of even the most stubborn waterproof formulas, and that hero Hadasei-3 complex keeps my skin soft and glowing, too.

7. Tatcha The Brightening Eye Cream

My dark circles are the bane of my beauty existence, but I struggle to find eye creams that don't break me out in milia. This one is an exception. With 12-hour time-release vitamin C, it delivers an under-eye brightness that lasts all day. Plus, Japanese plum works against puffiness. It's hydrating, it's brightening and it's an all-round crowd-pleaser. Is it going to work miracles? Of course not, but no eye cream out there will. Does it make my overall complexion look a bit more alive? Absolutely.

8. Tatcha Indigo Overnight Repair

If I could cocoon my entire body in this stuff, I would. It is, in my opinion, the best product Tatcha has ever made. As an overnight product, it works in the same way as a night cream: apply to skin after cleansing and let it work overnight. The difference? It has a serum-in-cream formula, meaning it works with all of the power of a serum but with the coddling nourishment of a cream. With ceramides, hyaluronic acid and "good" bacteria, it works to support and strengthen the skin's microbiome overnight so that you wake up with stronger, plumper, baby-soft skin come morning. If ever my skin is looking drab or feeling dry, one night of this stuff gets it back on track straight away.

9. Tatcha The Matcha Cleanse

Truthfully, my oily skin gets on just fine with the aforementioned The Rice Wash, but an honourable mention has to go to The Matcha Wash, too. The gel formula contains BHA alternatives that work hard to remove grime and decongest pores, all whilst balancing the skin's natural oils. My skin loves this product, but beware—it has a very runny consistency, so be careful you don't lose any of that precious product down the drain.

10. Tatcha The Clarifying Clay Mask

Tatcha boasts a few incredible masks in its line-up, but this one is hands down my favourite (perhaps because I'm acne-prone). Okinawa Kucha clay draws out impurities, excess oil and congestion from pores to leave skin looking tighter, clearer and generally smoother. Whenever my acneic skin is going through a rough patch, I slather on a layer of this mask while soaking in the bath and see immediate benefit.

11. Tatcha The Dewy Milk Moisturizer

I know that many people are going to be deeply offended that I haven't featured Tatcha's award-winning The Dewy Skin Cream on this list, but I have my reasons. Mainly, it's because I've dedicated this round-up to the Tatcha products I consider totally failsafe, and if I have to be honest, The Dewy Skin Cream is not that. Why? Because it's rich and it packs a sheen. And while all of these products promote glow, my oily skin + sheen is not a vibe—it is simply too much. This product, however, meets me halfway. With a lighter, milky, almost lotion-like consistency, The Dewy Milk Moisturiser still contains that dew-boosting prebiotic green tea extract to give skin a glass-like finish, but there's also zinc hyaluronate to help balance. It is, in my opinion, the superior product for those who aren't into that dolphin-skin look.

12. The Longevity Memory Cream