Lately I’m loving indigo in my hand and body lotion. Tatcha (the luxury Japanese skincare company inspired by Geisha beauty rituals) makes a trio of products with this unique botanical extract. I’ve tried two of them over the past month (the Soothing Silk Body Butter and the Soothing Silk Hand Cream) and have completely fallen in love, but first I have to share some history.
On the back of the box of these products it is written of Indigo that, its rich hue was favored by Japan’s Samurai who wore a layer of Indigo-dyed cotton beneath their armor to aid in the healing of injured skin—earning it the name “Samurai Blue.” I find that to be so cool! It was rediscovered by a Japanese Indigo grower and is now prized in Eastern medicine for its anti-inflammatory benefits. In these products by Tatcha it is combined with liquid silk to nourish and comfort skin.
It’s blue, yes. You might find that a little odd, but don’t worry it doesn’t leave your skin blue. The color blends right in and you don’t see it at all once it is applied. In Japanese, the rich blue shade is referred to “ai-iro”, which translates to “Indigo color” or “color of love.”
The moisture that these products deliver is beyond anything I’ve ever tried as far as hand and body creams go. My skin is sensitive and I sometimes get very dry elbows, backs of my arms, and knees. The first time I used this body butter ($48) I knew it was a winner. It instantly calmed my skin, made it feel super silky, and kept the moisture in for more than 24 hours. It also helped clear up a patch of rough dry bumps on one of my elbows within 2 days. The hand cream ($38), I’ve been using almost daily as well. It soaks right in and leaves your hands feeling silky but not greasy at all. I also love the tip that it comes out of. It keeps the bottle clean, and is fun to apply. I will definitely be repurchasing! I really feel like the health of my hands and cuticles has improved since using this.
I love using the body butter whenever I’ve just shaved my legs because it really helps to calm and hydrate, preventing any little red bumps that might appear from the irritation of shaving (side note: make sure you always use a sharp razor ladies, dull ones can cause more irritation). Also of importance, these are formulated without parabens, synthetic fragrances, phthalates, mineral oil, synthetic colors, sulfate detergents, urea, DEA or TEA.
According to A Consumer’s Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients, Indigo has no known skin irritant and is “probably the oldest known dye.”
Tatcha’s formula uses a concentrated botanical extract made from the stems, leaves, and petals of natural Japanese Indigo. This is apparently what it looks like, from what I could find on Google. The petals actually aren’t blue as I had assumed. From what I understand the compounds extracted from the plant turn blue upon exposure to air.
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this post and found it helpful in your search for great skincare! xo – Naomi
See my review of Tatcha’s Bridal Set here.