Exfoliating Powders 101: Tatcha Rice Enzyme Powder

Winter always completely decimates my skin, bombarding it with snow, wind, and dry air inside a heated apartment, which makes it extra dry, and I only have two solutions to that: exfoliate and moisturize. While I have the moisturizing part taken care of, exfoliating is never as simple as it seems, because if my scrub is not gentle enough, it can potentially cause irritation, making my face even drier.

As you know, I am not a huge fan of very abrasive exfoliants, and always prefer gentler options. TATCHA Rice Enzyme Powders are a good compromise between physical and chemical exfoliating, providing the benefits of both.

TATCHA Rice Enzyme Powder comes in three varieties – Gentle [pink] for dry and sensitive skin, Classic [white] for normal and combination skin, and Deep [green] for oily and rough skin. These water-activated powders contain rice bran and papaya enzymes coupled with TATCHA‘s proprietary HADASEI-3 bioactive complex to provide gentle exfoliation without harsh abrasives.

There is one main difference between the three – an additional active ingredient. Gentle powder features soothing licorice root extract, Classic powder contains hydrolyzed pearl extract for conditioning the skin, and Deep powder includes Dokudami [Houttuynia cordata] used for its natural antibacterial and detoxifying properties. After the recent findings about the environmental dangers of plastic microbeads, TATCHA reformulated these powders with cellulose [plant fiber] beads instead of polyethylene.

When I’m desperate to remove every last dead cell on my face, I use a combination of half a teaspoon of Deep Rice Enzyme Powder and two pumps of TATCHA One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil, and rub this mixture into my skin for 30 seconds. That way the paste stays abrasive, and only disappears once it comes in contact with water while I’m washing it off. I don’t do this often and neither should you, but it’s always an option when you need it.

The powders come in jar packaging topped with a special cap with a tiny round opening and a sliding plastic lid. I have never seen one like that before, and I thought it was a very clever invention. I really like that TATCHA doesn’t skimp on packaging, and even travel-sized products look like miniature copies of their full-sized counterparts.

Do you need this? I would say, yes. Along with my favorite Camellia Cleansing Oil, I believe that these powders are some of the best products TATCHA has to offer. Formulated without Mineral Oil, Synthetic Colors, Synthetic Fragrances, Sulfate Detergents, Parabens, PEGs, PPGs, Urea, DEA, TEA or Phthalates, TATCHA Rice Enzyme Powders provide gentle exfoliation and you can use them daily without having to worry about irritating the skin or over-scrubbing.

To read my first Exfoliating Powders 101 post click here.

PRICE & AVAILABILITY
$65 USD for 2.1 oz. Available at TATCHA, Barneys New York.

Ingredients:
Gentle Rice Enzyme Powder – Talc, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Potassium Myristate, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Papain, Dextrin, Red Algae Extract, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Cl 73360, Iron Oxides (Cl 77492).

Classic Rice Enzyme Powder – Talc, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Potassium Myristate, Polyethylene*, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran, Papain (Papaya Extract), Dextrin, Red Algae Extract, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Alcohol, Hydrolyzed Conchiolin (Pearl) Protein,  Phenoxyethanol.

Deep Rice Enzyme Powder – Talc, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Potassium Myristate, Polyethylene*, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran, Papain, Dextrin, Red Algae Extract, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Houttuynia Cordata Extract (Dokudami), Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Ultramarines, Iron Oxides (Cl 77492)