Sometimes a skincare product comes along that creates so much excitement in the beauty world that it starts to sell out quickly and remains a bestseller for a brand for a very long time.
For Japanese luxury brand Tatcha, this product is The Water Cream.
Tatcha’s Water Cream launched in 2017 and sold out several times in Sephora within the first few weeks. As much as so many people love it, fans also lament the incredibly high price tag. Tatcha is a high-end skincare brand after all, but as far as moisturizers go this is extremely expensive.
It retails for $72 USD (or £65 / €76) for a 50ml pot.
If this puts it way out of your price range, however, don’t despair. There are a growing number of Tatcha Water Cream dupes that are a fraction of the price of the real deal.
Shop the dupes:
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Elizavecca Aqua Hyaluronic Acid Water Drop $14.59
The main ingredients in this face cream are extremely similar to the Tatcha Water Cream. The biggest difference here is the price tag. This product is just a fraction of the cost of Tatcha and you will get very similar results.
The INKEY List Omega Water Cream $12
The INKEY List make bargain skincare products that you can add into your skincare routine without breaking the bank. This is an extremely lightweight moisturizer, like Tatcha, which contains glycerin and has the additional benefits of niacinamide.
Revolution Skincare Hydration Boost Lightweight Hydrating Gel Cream $10
This very affordable gel moisturizer is also water-based and contains Sodium Hyaluronate. If the silicone in the Tatcha cream concerns you (it can sometimes cause breakouts) then you’ll be pleased to know this product has no silicones and is also fragrance free.
Elf SuperHydrate Moisturizer $12
This product comes in at a much lower cost than Tatcha, as you’d expect from Elf. It has a gel texture that melts away on the skin, leaving a natural barrier against dehydration. This product also has the benefits of niacinamide (Vitamin B3), Centella Asiatica and Vitamin E.
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Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel $26.99
Widely considered by many to be the best dupe for Tatcha’s Water Cream. It is a lightweight, water-based formula with a gel texture that sinks in quickly. Like Tatcha, one of the key ingredients is sodium hyaluronate.
Nature Republic Super Aqua Max Combination Watery Cream $18.99
With similar ingredients to Tatcha such as sodium hyaluronate, dimethicone and glycerin, it’s easy to see why reviewers have compared this to Tatcha Water Cream. Users with both oily and combination skin love this lightweight moisturizer.
Hada Labo Tokyo Skin Plumping Gel Cream $24.99
If you have acne prone skin as well as dry patches then you might want to consider giving this moisturizer a try. It’s more affordable than Tatcha products and goes a long way towards hydrating oily skin without causing more oil production. Reviewers state it is particularly helpful if you have fungal acne.
Purito Deep Sea Pure Water Cream $34.99
This Tatcha Water Cream dupe is a great option if you have sensitive skin. It contains 60% ‘deep sea water’ and provides intense yet lightweight moisture while being non-irritating.
Bliss Drench & Quench Cream-to-Water Hydrator $24
This cream transforms into water when it touches the skin, leaving it feeling fresh and cool. It also has a touch of Vitamin C for added brightening.
Naturium Marine Hyaluronic Water Cream $20
This is a lovely light moisturizer that draws comparisons to Tatcha Water Cream due to its texture and ingredients. There is also a huge price difference between this and Tatcha.
make p:rem Hydrate me. Micro Tension Cream $37
This is an incredible dupe for Tatcha Water Cream and comes at around half the price. This is from a K-beauty brand and alongside hyaluronic acid they’ve added some lovely natural ingredients like raspberry and fennel leaf extracts for extra skin care benefits.
First Aid Beauty Hello Fab Coconut Water Cream $36
The First Aid Beauty Coconut Water Cream has hyaluronic acid and an antioxidant complex alongside coconut water for intense hydration. It’s great for oily skin types.
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Laneige Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Gel Moisturizer $40
Although still more pricey than drugstore brands, in comparison to Tatcha this Laneige moisturizer is still much more affordable. It is loaded with hyaluronic beads which penetrate the skin to keep moisture levels high.
Klairs Fundamental Water Gel Cream $33
Containing green tea extract and hyaluronic acid, this Tatcha dupe is from Korean beauty brand Klairs. It gets amazing reviews and people love its ability to hydrate even the most dehydrated skin.
belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb $38
This face cream is very similar to Tatcha Water Cream and makes a great dupe. It contains glycerin and has the ‘bursting’ water-based application that Tatcha does. The belif cream also contains an antioxidant called Lady’s Mantle.
Tarte Drink of H2O Hydrating Boost Moisturizer $39
This product is compared to Tatcha Water Cream in several reviews on the Tarte website, and with good reason. Many of the ingredients are similar, the finish is the same and it has the same gel to water texture that people love about The Water Cream.
Kiehl’s Calendula Serum-Infused Water Cream $58
Kiehl’s make many well loved products and this moisturizer is no exception. The gel formula dissipates to a water texture that disappears into the skin, flooding it with moisture and the soothing properties of calendula flower extract.
Glamglow Waterburst $40
This works on the same premise as Tatcha Water Cream. On contact with the skin the moisturizing spheres burst and release hyaluronic acid as well as Korean island water to intensely hydrate dry skin.
Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Cream Hydrating Moisturizer $54
This is one of the more expensive alternatives to Tatcha, but it has the same water-based texture and gives a lightweight burst of hydration with glycerin and sodium hyaluronate.
Despite not having the Japanese botanicals or use of Japanese nutrients, these moisturizers similar to Tatcha Water Cream are well worth a try. Many are such a great dupe for Tatcha Water Cream and will also save you a lot of money.
What is Tatcha The Water Cream?
The Water Cream is an oil-free moisturizer with a lightweight formula.
As its name suggests, it has a water base and is designed to flood the skin with moisture while not adding anything heavy or sticky feeling to the skin.
It’s designed for people with oilier skin types as it will hydrate the skin without creating an oil slick by adding additional oils into the mix.
The Water Cream is meant to be used daily as a moisturizer in its usual place within your skin care routine.
What are the ingredients in Tatcha The Water Cream?
The Water Cream contains:
- Hadesai-3 (an antioxidant blend of rice, algae and green tea)
- Japanese Wild Rose
- Japanese Leopard Lily
- 23-karat gold flakes (yes, really)
- sodium hyaluronate (a form of hyaluronic acid)
- glycerin
- dimethicone
How does The Water Cream work?
Tatcha’s cream is part of a ‘water-burst’ skincare movement that provides light hydration through water rather than oil.
It is a gel formula at first sight which ‘bursts’ into a watery texture when rubbed between the fingers and on the skin.
This thin layer of water enriched with the skin-beneficial ingredients above penetrates quickly and easily into the skin, leaving no greasy residue.
Is Tatcha Water Cream worth it?
The answer to this question really depends on a few variables.
The main one is your skin type and its reaction to the ingredients in this product. There is no ‘one formula suits all’ approach to skin care, and so what works for one person may not work for another.
It also depends on your beauty budget and what you would deem appropriate to spend on a moisturizer.
If Tatcha’s Water Cream works perfectly for you and you can afford to part with the money for it, then it may well be worth the investment.
If, on the other hand, you don’t get the effects you want from The Water Cream or just can’t bear the thought of parting with this much cash on a skin care product, then you may want to consider the following Tatcha Water Cream dupes instead.
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Frequently asked questions
The Water Cream by Tatcha is a daily moisturizer that can be used both morning and night if you wish. Its oil-free formula is perfect under makeup in the morning, but remember it doesn’t contain SPF so make sure to add that step in. At night time, Water Cream works to give your skin optimal hydration while you sleep.
The best Tatcha dupes are considered to be Elizavecca Aqua Hyaluronic Acid Water Drop, Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel and Naturium Marine Hyaluronic Water Cream. Generally most people agree that the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel is a pretty much perfect dupe for Tatcha’s best-seller, and it’s much better for your bank account too.
Despite the brand Tatcha being cruelty free, they have recently been acquired by Unilever who are now Tatcha’s parent company. Unilever are not cruelty free as a whole. Luckily if you are now avoiding Tatcha products there are plenty of options among the Tatcha dupes that are a good alternative to their beauty products.
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