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If you're prone to frequent breakouts and excess oil production when it's hot and humid out, I feel your pain. Finding the right products to use for our skin type can be incredibly difficult (though not quite as difficult as, say, finding an emotionally available partner who knows how to communicate). Very few products that claim to be made with oily skin in mind actually live up to promises of hydration without adding unnecessary oil; other products, on the other hand, can end up being overly drying. But I'm happy to report that Tatcha's The Water Cream is more than deserving of the universal praise it gets from beauty lovers everywhere, and the reason why is simple. It works, and it works pretty damn well.
The Water Cream is a gel moisturizer that feels weightless when applied. It's made of ingredients like Japanese leopard lily, which is a plant extract known to control excess oil production without clogging pores, antioxidant-rich green tea and red algae to soothe irritation, and Japanese wild rose, which helps to reduce the appearance of pores. And as an added bonus, it contains 24-karat gold. (I like to use that last part as a fun fact when I'm feeling extra-fancy.)
It also comes with a tiny gold spoon, which allows you to scoop a pearl-sized amount from the jar — the perfect amount for your face — while decreasing the chances of cross-contamination. However, I like to forego the tool and use my clean fingers to put on the cream, as I've figured out the right amount for me without using the cute little spoon at this point.
The tactile experience of massaging the cooling gel over my face adds to the relaxing feel that skin-care gives me; I use it as my last step of my seven-step routine, right after my serum, to lock in all the products I've used. It works in harmony with all the products I use to fight off my frequent acne. Since incorporating it into my routine both in the morning and at night, I've found that my skin is softer, smoother, and feels hydrated for hours. But most importantly, my skin has been noticeably less oily. It's everything I want — and need — from a moisturizer.
It's no surprise that this won a Reader's Choice Award this year. It's a serious game-changer for my skin, and if you haven't had the chance to try it yet, I'm willing to bet it's going to do the same for you.
