Our Story
Our Founder
One morning in 2009, Vicky Tsai woke up and said, “I choose happiness.” A decade of toiling in corporations had left her disillusioned and suffering from acute dermatitis that required daily steroids and antibiotics. She soon found herself in Kyoto, where she encountered a philosophy of mindful care that changed the way she saw herself and her skin. Alongside a team of scientists and cultural advisors, she studied the natural Japanese ingredients and timeless rituals that healed her inside and out. Today, Tatcha is a celebration of the wisdom and wonders discovered on her journey to spark transformation through Japanese skincare—a journey that continues to this day.
Our Inspiration
Our first offering, Aburatorigami Blotting Papers, was inspired by the resourceful geisha who discovered a second use for the sheets of abaca leaf paper used by Japanese gold leaf artisans to protect the precious metal as they hammered it: pressing the delicate paper to their faces to wick away every trace of oil without disturbing their exquisite makeup or stealing moisture from their skin. Tatcha’s entire collection continues to be inspired by the wisdom of geisha and the time-honored Japanese ingredients they’ve used in their beauty rituals for generations.
Our Giving
We founded the Beautiful Faces, Beautiful Futures fund in partnership with Room to Read to help create a world free of illiteracy and gender inequality. A portion of every Tatcha purchase supports Room to Read initiatives that help children develop confidence and skills to succeed in school and make smart life decisions. To date, our support has provided over 10M days of school with the Girls’ Education Program and the printing and distribution of nearly 400,000 diverse books in the U.S. through the U.S. Literacy Initiative.
Our Science
To advance our mission of marrying classic Japanese beauty secrets with advanced scientific technologies, we created the Tatcha Institute in 2014. Led by renowned chemist Masato Tagawa, the visionary scientists at this hub of innovative research, education, and development harness pure, efficacious ingredients used by generations of women and craft the celebrated, transformative formulas that Tatcha is known for.
Our Philosophy
In 2016, our founder, Vicky Tsai, met Toryo Ito, a zen monk at the Ryosokuin Temple in Kyoto. They found many similarities between his meditation philosophy and her vision for Tatcha, namely the mind-body connection and a holistic approach to well-being. Rooted in his belief that “[meditation] is an act of reacknowledging what you already think you know,” Toryo Ito’s meditation style is rooted in activating the five senses to elevate awareness of body and mind.
Now, Ito-san works with Tatcha as our Global Director of Mindfulness to marry timeless Japanese wisdom with emerging scientific research to create sensorial rituals that engage the senses and uplift the spirit.
Our Skincare
Crafted at the Tatcha Institute in Tokyo
Leading scientists innovate within tradition: balancing timeless Japanese botanicals with proven clinical ingredients to work with skin, not against it.
Our proprietary complex, Hadasei-3™
Inside every Tatcha formula lives a complex of twice-fermented rice, green tea, and algae is rooted in the nutrient-dense Japanese diet.
Gentle, effective ingredients
With high-quality, nutrient-dense ingredients harvested from renowned sources in Japan.
Our Well-Being Rituals
Because our skin is a reflection of our physical and emotional well-being, we believe that skincare is holistic self-care. While our formulas are orchestrated to restore your skin’s harmony, our rituals are crafted to bring calm, joy, and soothing to your soul. Skincare doesn’t have to be something you just check off a list, it can be a check-in with your skin and mind alike—and how interconnected they actually are.
