If like me you switch up your beauty products depending on the season, then by now you are probably buttering up those dehydrated elbows and cheeks. In an effort to soften and protect my skin during these cold and windy months, I turned to one of of my trusted brands – Tatcha. Developed to address dry, sensitive, and irritated skin Tatcha Indigo line includes three skin treatments, and I had the opportunity to try two of them – Soothing Silk Hand Cream and Soothing Silk Body Butter.
What is Indigo? Indigo is obtained by processing parts of the shrub Indigofera tinctoria, which is native to tropical and temperate Asia and parts of Africa. The leaves are soaked in water and fermented to separate the pigment, then mixed with a strong base, pressed into cakes, dried, and powdered. Japanese people call indigo ai-iro, which literally means “indigo”, but it also goes by another famous name – “Samurai Blue”. Samurai warriors wore a layer of indigo-colored clothing under their armor because indigo extract is believed to have healing properties. At this time most of the indigo dye used in the world is synthetic, and owning something made with real indigo is a true luxury.
There are several parts of the body that can be a dead giveaway of a woman’s age: eyes, neck, and hands; I try to always keep that in mind and provide them with s much care as I give to my face. But Tatcha Indigo Soothing Silk Hand Cream is more than just an anti-aging hand treatment. It soothes and calms the skin on my irritated and dehydrated hands, and reverses the damage done by cold wind in a few hours. After the application the skin feels silky and soft without the film or the greasiness.
No expense was spared in creating the vanity table-worthy packaging; just taking out the hand cream out if its sliding drawer makes my heart flutter in excitement, it feels very precious. All of Tatcha products are gift-worthy, of course, but I have a special place in my heart for those sliding drawers.
Tatcha Indigo Soothing Silk Body Butter is another exquisite treatment, this time for the body. Like the hand cream it contains olive derived squalane, and extracts of indigo, camellia, and silk. It was created to soothe and soften irritated skin consistent with the symptoms of eczema and dermatitis, because it provides effects similar to mild topical steroids. I personally don’t suffer from those skin conditions, but there are consumer reviews online claiming Tatcha Indigo products work exceptionally well for eczema without the side effects of traditional treatments. As for me, I use this body butter to manage the irritation I often get after shaving, and let me tell you, few products worked as well this one did.
While using both Soothing Silk Hand Cream and Soothing Silk Body Butter I discovered that they can go a long loooong way. Because of their great emolliency, I only needed a small amount of product to spread over a fairly large area, with no loss of effectiveness.
Everything about Tatcha is an experience: the website is an absolute pleasure to look at and easy to navigate, all of the products arrive carefully wrapped, and the company even includes a handwritten note in a beautiful envelope with every order, that would make anyone feel like a valued and appreciated customer.
Do you need this? If you live in a climate where Fall and Winter can be really harsh, Soothing Silk Hand Cream may prove to be extremely helpful to keep those hands in great shape. And I would recommend Soothing Silk Body Butter to those suffering from skin irritations, because of its impressive calming properties.
PRICE & AVAILABILITY
Indigo Soothing Silk Hand Cream – $38 USD for 2.0 oz. Available at Tatcha, Barneys.
Indigo Soothing Silk Body Butter – $48 USD for 6.8 oz. Available at Tatcha, Barneys.
Both products are also available in travel-sized format, you can check them out here.
Try the Personal Skin Consultation to discover which Tatcha products are best suited for your skin.
Ingredients:
Soothing Silk Hand Cream – Water, Glycerin, Petrolatum, Cyclopentasiloxane, Propanediol, Xylitol, Behenyl Alcohol, Diisostearyl Malate, Myristyl Myristate, Squalane (Olive Origin), Microcrystalline Wax, Fragrance (Natural), Sodium Acrylate/Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Dimethylacrylamide Crosspolymer, Sorbitan Tristearate, Beheneth-20, Ethylhexylglycerin, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Germ Oil, Inositol (Rice Extract), Calcium Carbonate, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Disodium Edta, Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine, Sericin (Silk Extract), Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate (Licorice Extract), Hydrogenated Lecithin (Soy Origin), Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Alchohol, Polygonum Tinctorium (Japanese Indigo Extract) Leaf/ Stem Extract, Algae Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, and Phenoxyethanol.
Soothing Silk Body Butter – Water, Glycerin, Squalane (Olive Origin), Cyclopentasiloxane, Propanediol, Diisostearyl Malate, Myristyl Myristate, Xylitol, Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate, Behenyl Alcohol, Fragrance (Natural), Sorbitan Tristearate, Beheneth-20, Sodium Acrylate/Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Dimethylacrylamide Crosspolymer, Microcrystalline Wax, Dimethicone, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Germ Oil, Inositol (Rice Extract), Sodium Polyacrylate Starch, Calcium Carbonate, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Disodium Edta, Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine, Sericin (Silk Extract), Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate (Licorice Extract), Hydrogenated Lecithin (Soy Origin), Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Polygonum Tinctorum (Japanese Indigo Extract) Leaf/Stem Extract, Alcohol, Algae Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, and Phenoxyethanol.
