unlocking the beauty
secrets of the geisha
THE INSPIRED BEGINNINGS OF A SKINCARE FAVORITE, TATCHA.
Six months ago, I discovered
the beauty brand Tatcha, an
American luxury skincare brand,
inspired by the ancient skincare
secrets of the geisha. Apart from
being exquisitely presented
with origami-like packaging,
the products are revolutionary
in their simplicity, quality of
ingredients and luxurious texture.
It was a chance encounter by its
founder, beauty industry veteran,
Victoria Tsai, which set this
beauty story in motion.
“During one of my
business trips to Japan, I had
encountered a package of
beautiful, gold-flecked blotting
paper,” explains Tsai. “Later, I
traveled to Japan seeking a more
evolved approach to beauty. To
begin, I was determined to find
the origin of these exquisite
papers. I was surprised when
I was pointed not to a makeup
store, but a gold-leafing factory.
The papers are the byproduct of
the gold leafing process, hence
the flecks of the precious metal
embedded within. I asked how
the papers came to be a beauty
product, and the artisans told me
the geisha had discovered their
benefits. I asked how the geisha
knew, and the artisans told me to
ask them myself.”
The world of the geisha
has always been shrouded in
mystery. From their stylized
routines to their iconic white
makeup, their elegance,
deportment and grooming have
been the things of legends—and
blockbuster movies. But beneath
HEAVEN HAS HEELS summer 2015 | @HHHEELS
it all, Tsai made an interesting
discovery. “In the Western world,
we often envision geisha with
their iconic white makeup,” she
explains. “I was speechless when
I saw one without her makeup
on—her skin had a luminous
glow that I haven’t seen on
anyone except babies. I was
also surprised at the simplicity
of their skincare rituals. Asian
skincare is infamous for having
upwards of ten steps, but the
geisha’s is three or four. They
focus on cleansing oils and gentle
exfoliation, rather than foaming
cleansers and harsh abrasives like
we use.”
Having spent a lifetime
in the beauty business, Tsai
saw an opportunity to pass on
these simple yet time-tested
techniques and ingredients. And
so, Tatcha was born. “We all
have a grandmother who had
beautiful skin until the very end,”
she says. “She wasn’t using the
high-tech ingredients we have
in today’s market, like peptides
and patented molecule complexes
and nanoparticles, and yet people
don’t look any better now than
they did. I wanted something that
I felt good about putting on my
skin while pregnant, but didn’t
love what I was finding in the
“natural” area. On top of all of
that, I had dermatitis, so I needed
options for sensitized skin.”
Product development
lies at the heart of this unique
brand and as with any startup, the road from concept to
creation was paved with hard
work and dedication. “We spent
years working with some of
the most renowned skincare
scientists in the world before
launching. We created the Tatcha
Institute, a research, education
and development center, because
we are always striving to provide
the best formulas possible.
Beauty companies rarely have
an in-house Research and
Development center, but our
business philosophy is to love
our customers and products
more than anyone else. To me,
that means owning both of those
things and overseeing them
yourself.”
The investment paid off.
Today Tatcha products are found
throughout the United States and
Asia. This summer, they release
their first SPF, something they
have been working on for quite
some time. “It took over one
hundred formula submissions
to get it just right,” adds Tsai.
They are the official facial for the
Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay
and have more exciting releases
penned for 2015. This is a beauty
brand worth the hype.
When asked to
breakdown the three main
elements of a successful beauty
product, her answer is based
upon the brand’s philosophy of
efficacy, mindfulness, and results.
Regardless of your skin type or
ethnicity, Tsai has allowed us all
to experience the beauty of Japan
one inspired product at a time.
Tatcha.com — A.G.