I don’t usually write a review based on a sample packet, but I’ve gotten so many usage occasions out of this one, and I used a different variety of this product years ago, that I feel confident in my opinion.
Retail Sample, Affiliate Links
When I bought the disappointing Tatcha Liquid Silk Sunscreen SPF 50 a couple of months ago, I received 3 sample packets. The super lightweight Essence was terrific, and I would buy that one in a heartbeat during a sale. The Camellia Oil unfortunately doesn’t agree with my eyes, so I can’t use it as a makeup remover. And the third one was a winner.
The Rice Polish, Gentle
Back in 2015, I received the travel size of the regular version of The Rice Polish, Classic as one of the products in the Barneys NY fabulous beauty gift with purchase. I reviewed it here. I liked it then, but now my skin is 7 years older.
So far, I have gotten 7 usage occasions out of the little sample packet I got from Tatcha. Amazing.
The Rice Polish, Gentle is a cleansing and exfoliating enzyme powder, formulated for dry and mature skin, made from finely ground rice bran, papaya enzymes and licorice. It is pH neutral and non-abrasive.
Here’s more info on the key ingredients:
- Japanese Rice Bran (Komenuka): Considered the world’s most perfect food, rice is a powerhouse of nutrients for health and beauty, rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and nourishing moisturizers. The Rice Polish collection takes complete rice to maintain all its benefits, and uses a special milling process to grind it extremely finely so it gently exfoliates, softening and smoothing skin.
- Licorice Root Extract: Licorice root is one of the oldest remedies in history, called “the king of natural medicines.” Rich in glabridin, a potent antioxidant and skin-soothing compound, this herbal remedy helps visibly even skin tone and calm delicate skin.
- Papaya Enzymes: A fruit extract rich in papain, papaya enzymes gently remove dead skin cells from the topmost layer of skin. This natural surface skin turnover helps reveal a brighter, smoother complexion.
The Gentle version is the Tatcha indigo color that I love. So pretty!
The way to use it is to wet hands and face, pour about a 1/2 teaspoon of the blue grains into your hands, and lather them into a lightweight but creamy white foam. Then apply to the face in a circular motion and rinse. I must admit that I have sometimes done it a different way to get a little more abrasiveness/exfoliating though it probably isn’t necessary. I sometimes apply the powder to my wet face and massage in a circular motion to emulsify the grains into a white foam. Both ways seem to work for me.
After rinsing, my skin feels as smooth as silk, and it has a lovely glow. The licorice root extract in the product is there to prevent flaking and tightness, and it must work because my face never feels dry afterwards.
Additional Info On the Kyoto Cleanse Ritual
Surprisingly, the Tatcha website got things a little confused. In their verbiage, it says to follow the Kyoto Cleanse ritual by using The Camellia Cleansing Oil to remove makeup and then following with The Rice Polish. That makes sense if you’re wearing makeup.
But right underneath that paragraph, they laid out 4 steps with photos of each of the products:
- The Rice Polish, Gentle
- The Camillia Cleansing Oil
- The Essence
- The Dewy Skin Cream (one of my favorite moisturizers that I buy in the super size).
Must have been a mistake in the order on this page of the website. Though The Camellia Cleansing Oil doesn’t agree with my sensitive eyes, I do remove my makeup (if I’m wearing any) with micellar water before using The Rice Polish.
Retail Info
The Rice Polish, Gentle comes in two sizes:
- 60 g/2.1 oz. for $68
- 15 g/0.5 oz. for $22.
The full size jar is clearly the better value, and I think the jar would last for a long, long time. However, I will probably buy the mini during the next sale because I’m afraid the full size would last too long!
In addition to the Gentle version, The Rice Polish comes in:
- the Classic version for normal/combination skin with white grains
- the Deep version for oily skin with green grains, I think
- the Calming version for sensitive skin (not sure of the color grains).
Gentle Ingredients: MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE, ORYZA SATIVA (RICE) POWDER, SODIUM LAURYL PHOSPHATE, SODIUM PALMOYL GLUTAMATE, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, SODIUM LAUROYL GLUTAMATE, LAURYL BETAINE, SODIUM LAUROYL METHYLAMINOPROPIONATE, SACCHAROMYCES/CAMELLIA SINENSIS LEAF/CLADOSIPHON OKAMURANUS/RICE FERMENT FILTRATE*, PAPAIN, ORYZA SATIVA (RICE) BRAN, PROPANEDIOL, DEXTRIN, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, PHYTOSTERYL/OCTYLDODECYL LAUROYL GLUTAMATE, DIPOTASSIUM GLYCYRRHIZATE, SILICA, TOCOPHEROL, PHENOXYETHANOL, MICA (CI 77019), IRON OXIDES (CI 77491), ULTRAMARINES (CI 77007)
Tatcha Skincare is cruelty-free and dermatologist-tested. It’s formulated without: Mineral oil, synthetic fragrances, sulfate detergents, parabens, urea, DEA, TEA or phthalates.
I completely agree with you that this is a huge winner! I think that I actually have a full size jar of this that I need to go find!