Beauty

Tatcha's Overnight Serum Gives Me The Dewy Skin Of My Dreams

Goodbye redness and irritation.

by Kelsey Stewart
Updated: 
Originally Published: 
An honest review of Tatcha's Indigo Overnight Repair Serum.
10/10 Recommend
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Though I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’ll probably never roll out of bed with an effortless glow à la Hailey Bieber, I have found some overnight products that give my (occasionally) irritated, lackluster skin a much-need reboot. So far, none have quite measured up to Tatcha’s Indigo Overnight Repair Serum. The serum moisturizer-hybrid truly delivers on its claims for healthy-looking, soothed skin.

TBH, you could hand me anything from Tatcha and I’d immediately slather it all over my face. My first introduction to the Japanese beauty brand was when I read Kim Kardashian uses the Luminous Dewy Skin Mist, a hydrating facial spray — to date, I’ve gone through about 10 bottles of the stuff.

Since then, I’ve been a hard-core devotee to the brand. Its formulas work really well on my combination skin — the products still contain the actives you know and love, like exfoliating fruit enzymes and vitamin C, but are balanced with Japanese botanicals so there’s less of a chance of irritation. So, needless to say, when I had to opportunity to test out the recently launched Indigo Overnight Repair Serum, I jumped on it. Read on to see how it won me over.

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First Up: The Basics

Tatcha came to be when founder Victoria Tsai researched skin care ingredients in Japan after chronic suffering from acute dermatitis. Her time studying the country’s beauty practices led to the foundation of the brand, which incorporates Japanese plants and nutrients into gentle skin care formulations.

As for the Indigo Overnight Repair Serum, the hero ingredients are a prime example of the brand’s balanced take on impactful skin care. First up is the Japanese indigo extract, which helps to soothe and restore irritated skin (aka mine). Then there’s the hyaluronic acid, a hydrating ingredient that works wonders in providing a dewy finish to the skin. On top of that, ceramides play an important role in restoring the skin barrier, which helps to reduce the appearance of a dry, dehydrated complexion. Lastly, the mondo grass root enhances your skin’s radiance by balancing the microbiome.

Why I’m Obsessed

As diligent as I am with my skin care routine, plenty of elements affect my ability to maintain an even glow. Read: not getting enough sleep, drinking way too many cups of iced coffee, and neglecting my water intake. Add in the fact that I live in New York and deal with plenty of pollution and environmental stressors, and, well, you get the idea.

The bottom line is, well, my skin can get irritated and look blah. Luckily, I’ve found that this overnight serum-in-moisturizer treatment helps with that. After applying it as the last step in my regimen — which lately means after Peachy & Lily’s Glass Skin Refining Serum, Isdin’s Isdinceutics Melatonik, and Shani Darden’s Retinol Reform — I wake up with noticeably more even, less red, and incredibly dewy skin. Texture-wise, it’s creamy and soft without feeling too heavy or greasy on the skin. It also doesn’t have a strong scent, which is a perk since fragrance can easily irritate my complexion. And a little goes a long way — all you need is a quarter-size amount to cover your whole face.

After just using it once, I saw a visible change in my skin. The product is gentle enough to be used every night, too, so I’ve been slathering it on daily for over a month now — it’s that good.

The TL;DR

If your skin suffers from redness, uneven texture, dullness, or if you’re just seeking a boost in your glow, Tatcha’s Indigo Overnight Repair Serum is a must-try. Apply it before bed and be prepared to wake up with healthy-looking, dewy skin. So far, it’s gotten me as close to achieving a Bieber-esque glow as ever before, so I’m sticking with it.

Studies referenced:

Lin, Y-K. (2009). Anti-inflammatory effects of the extract of indigo naturalis in human neutrophils. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. DOI:10.1016/j.jep.2009.06.014

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