A Wren Says

I have one Tatcha product that stays in rotation for me, but I’ve looking to see if any others from the brand might suit my dry skin as well. Something about the name, The Matcha Cleanse, made me think it might be alright. After all in this day and age, everyone loves matcha.

I first started using this clarifying cleanser in the summer. I found that at that point in the year it was perfectly fine for me. It didn’t feel too drying or stripping of my dry skin in middle of the humid season. Now that it’s gotten colder and drier, I’ve been using it more sparingly. I substitute it into my routine when I think my skin needs a deeper clean than my gentler cleansers may provide. The Matcha Cleanse comes in on those days when I’m coming back after a workout, starting to get breakouts, or for when I just really want to make sure I take the grime of day off.  I’ve found that my skin is still fine moisture wise once I follow up with my moisturizers and treatments.

Truthfully, this product is geared towards issues that oilier skin types would face. In its product claims, Tatcha says that it is pore minimizing and meant to reduce oil production over time. I can’t say that I’ve noticed my pores looking any smaller after using this product. The brand also claims that makeup applies better after use. This likely because you would have less oil production throughout the day breaking up your makeup. However, because I have drier skin, I think it would actually be less helpful for my skin.

In all, for me and my dry skin, this is just an okay product. It’s not designed to serve my needs well and I get that. However, there are other reasons I really don’t like this product and will likely not repurchase.

First, the instructions say to avoid the eye area. Essentially, you are begging me to use this as a second cleanser since I clearly can’t depend on it to remove eye makeup or any products from that area. But really, what is the point of making a daily facial cleanser that isn’t eye safe? (That’s just a me problem.)

The second, and perhaps the biggest, reason I don’t like this product comes down to packaging, because I want to know who made this decision.

The Matcha Cleanse is a very thin gel sold in a squeeze tube. There is a flipcap to cover the opening. When I first used the product, I positioned it over my hand and opened the cap. Product immediately started pouring out. No squeeze required. I learned that I have to hold the product with the opening pointed up, then pour some into my hand, turn it upright, and then close it. And then make absolutely sure it is fully clicked closed, because it will otherwise continue to pour over your counter leaving a mess. It’s headache to have to constantly be aware of how I’m holding and manipulating the product to avoid waste. It should really be sold in a pump instead.

I’ve written about this before, but good products in bad packaging equals bad products. Despite what benefits the cleanser might have, it is just not worth it to me because of the packaging design. I’ll continue to use this product up until it’s emptied, but I will not be repurchasing. However, if you have oily skin and can deal with packaging hassle, this might be good for you. But maybe transfer it to a pump or upright bottle instead.