We have long known Asian skincare as an effective routine, often associated with visible results such as glass skin. But if we broaden our gaze to the concept of ritual, we can’t help but dwell on Japan, where skincare becomes a true set of gestures that go beyond skin care. “It’s about cultural appreciation and mutual exchange,” Vicky Tsai, founder of the Japanese ritual-inspired skincare brand Tatcha, which landed in Italy just a few months ago, told us. “In Asia people look to Europe for craftsmanship and aesthetic sense, while in Europe they are rediscovering an Eastern approach to wellness, which embraces meditation, acupuncture, nutrition and beauty.” And indeed, as she points out, it is not a passing phenomenon but a true cultural exchange destined to last.
Inside this vision we often tend to reduce everything to K-beauty, but in reality the discourse is much broader: Asian skincare is not just Korea, but an ecosystem that also includes the Japanese tradition and more generally all of Asia, with different approaches but a common root. K-beauty is more experimental, layered, and oriented toward visible results and innovative textures, while J-beauty is more essential, ritualistic, and deeply connected to the concept of balance, minimalism, and absolute quality. Two different but complementary approaches that tell the same idea of beauty.
In this vision, body and spirit are deeply connected: skin care is never separate from inner well-being, but becomes part of a larger system of rituals, daily gestures and balancing practices. It is not just about products but a conscious approach, in which the emotional state also affects the skin. “In Japan there is the concept of ‘hinodokan,’ meaning skin and mind have the same root: what happens on the skin depends not only on what we apply, but also on inner stress and trauma.”
Not coincidentally, the birth of Tatcha is linked precisely to a personal experience. “What prompted me to create a skincare brand was my own difficulties with my skin,” Tsai says. “I suffered from acute dermatitis for three years, with blistering, bleeding, and peeling on my face, lips, and eyelids, and depended on steroids and antibiotics to keep it under control. When I got pregnant with my daughter, I wanted to stop using these ingredients but didn’t know how to do it.” The turning point came in Japan: “I discovered a different approach to beauty and life, which healed my skin and also my spirit. And I wanted to share it with others.”
“Ritual is at the heart of Japanese culture, and in studying with Zen monks, I realized that any gesture can become a ritual if done with intention,” he continues. “For example, cleansing is seen as an act of ‘letting go’: when I wash my face, I think of everything that no longer serves me-fear, anger, sadness-and imagine letting it run down along with the water. When I see everything going down the drain, I say goodbye to what no longer serves me.” A simple yet powerful gesture that transforms skincare into a true form of daily meditation.
This philosophy is also reflected in the quality of the ingredients, which are selected with extreme care, the craftsmanship of the formulation, and a strict focus on purity, transparency, and integrity of the formulas. “I learned that less is more: it’s all about the quality of the raw materials and the craftsmanship of the formula,” Tsai explains. “This is what can contribute to the health of the skin from the inside out.” Not to mention the packaging, an integral part of the sensory experience, as in the case of Tatcha.
Among the brand’s cult products, it is impossible not to mention The Dewy Skin Cream, whose name already suggests what promises to be the next big thing in beauty: dewy skin, also known as mochi skin. “The reason it gives skin that plumped-up, glowing effect is Hadasei-3, a twice-fermented green tea, rice and algae complex,” she explains. “It helps the actives penetrate deeper than water, hydrates the skin and nourishes it at the same time-this is what creates that glow from the inside out.” Literally “dewy skin,” it represents the natural evolution of glass skin within skincare. And that, as well as Asian beauty, we are sure will be much more than a passing trend.
[📸📹 Instagram: tatcha]
