Ritual Discovery Kit by Tatcha -- Review/My Results

   If you guys have been following Ribbons & Pearls for a long time, you may already know my deep, love for Tatcha the Japanese skincare company. Tatcha & I have collaborated together in the past, which is where I'd first tried their products, and also where my deep, ever-lasting love for them began.

The photo above is to showcase Tatcha's elegant, beautiful packaging, which includes the box, swaddled in purple tissue paper and the 4 skin-beautifying products each placed in their lavender colored slots and of course the guide and instructions to the Ritual Discovery kit. The 4 wonderful products presented inside such lovely packaging makes this a totally gift-worthy kit, and the ultimate gift for a gal like me who loves her high-quality Tatcha products.

  

Yea, Tatcha is one of those companies. The one you call your "go-to" for all your skincare needs. The one that never fails you, no matter what your skin may be doing at the moment. Dry and flaky? I know without a doubt Tatcha will have a product for that -- and one that will not only fix me right up, but also leaving me with the feeling that I've just dipped my face in an elegant bath of velvet.

      Luxury Skincare Inpspired by Geisha Rituals is Tatchas "logo," (I guess you call it,) and it sums up their skincare line well.
 
     You can read -- and I encourage you to do so -- Tatcha's intriguing, geniune journey/heritage here.

       

    Now that I've professed my dying love for such unique, effective skincare products... 

   You might recall reviews I've written about some of Tatcha's products in the past. Tatcha now has  them all put together -- based on your skincare needs -- in one easy-to-use kit: the Ritual Discovery Kit (for combination skin, like mine) which you'll read all about in this review post. Tatcha has also formulated a kit for other skin types, too:

   The Ritual Discovery kit for dry skin 

       The Ritual Discovery kit for oily skin.

    Tatcha is a health-conscious company. Their products are safe and  formulated free of awful, harmful ingredients like Mineral Oil, Synthetic Colors, Synthetic Fragrances, Sulfate Detergents, Parabens, PEGs, PPGs, Urea, DEA, TEA or Phthalates.

  

Ritual Discovery Kit contents

Tatcha has incorporated safe, effective and some of the finest  ingredients -- such as rice bran oil -- into their products for beautifying, cleansing and keeping skin looking youthful. Those are my words based off my opinion of Tatcha.  

 Rice Bran Oil -- An Ingredient for Youth & Beauty

 Back to rice bran oil for a moment. This is found in most of Tatcha products (perhaps even all?). Rice bran oil in Japan, is a popular tradition for skin and hair care as it's known for its ability to keep skin looking youthful and smooth as it increases skins elasticity.

 

 It also contains Squalane, which increases skin’s ability to regenerate, nourish, hydrate, oxygenate and protect itself.

    

    Rice bran oil contains antioxidants, which explains its ability to keep skin youthful and protect against damage.  It also contains Vitamins B and E.

  

   I could spend an entire post on just the benefits of rice bran oil on skin, but I'll try to sum it all up now: Rice bran oil exfoliates, soothes skin, promotes blood micro-circulation -- which has its own benefits such as reducing dark spots,  -- has anti-melanin properties, can lighten skin, has healing and restorative properties. If you guys want the whole she-bang about rice bran oil and its benefits alone, let me know & we'll just dedicate an entire post to that, too.  

   

   Another reason I love Tatcha is that they've put together this kit, which provides you with everything your skin type needs, allowing you to go about your life without having to pick and prod to find which moisturizer, cleanser etc you need. That's always been something I despised about skincare products. Having to search for the right moisturizer for my skin, which believe it or not has always been a tremendous feat thanks to my weirdly and intensively dry skin. Then, having to find the product to fix the only spots on my face that aren't so dry they flake -- my forehead, which is so shiny that folks around me could use it as a mirror! Combination skin is a b****, and so is trying to find the right products for it.

    You see, a lot of folks, like myself absolutely need a moisturizer. I know some people are able to just cleanse with whatever soap happens to be in their shower & go. Not me. I have to slather on moisturizer, and usually, I have to after showering and as I wake up! 

    The Ritual Discovery kit is quite perfect for my skincare needs, and not only because it's all put together in one kit, based off my own skin-type, but also because the 4 products, especially my all-time favorite skin-saving Tatcha items (to be revealed momentarily) are included.

A look Inside the Ritual Discover Kit's Contents

Ritual Discovery Kit is a 4-step kit, containing:

 
Step 1: Pure
 One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil.

Step 2: Polished
Rice Enzyme Powder.

Step 3. Radiant
Radiant Deep Brightening Serum.

Step 4. Supple 

Moisture Rich Silk Cream Ageless Enriching Renewal Cream.

Another Close-up of All Products Within Ritual Discovery Kit

  Now we'll discuss each of them and how they work

One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil:
I'll start in order, with the One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil. If some of you still haven't come around to the idea of using oil on your face, let me please just beg you now to try. After all, I have guinea pigged myself right here on Ribbons & Pearls multiple times in the last 2 years by  sharing my adventures into using different oils (olive oil was first) on my skin. Using oil, especially Tatcha's Camellia Oil has been a constant, daily part of my routine ever since I first used an oil on my face.

In fact, I really loved olive oil for my skin. It, for some reason worked so wonderful for me that I kept going back to it, even after trying others like coconut oil!  That was quickly replaced with the Camellia Oil as soon as I used it, I guess a year or so ago. 

In fact, I still had a bit of the Camellia Oil left, even when the Ritual Discovery Kit arrived to me. I have used the Camellia Oil daily, without exception. If I'm not using it as a cleanser (rare, but I do switch up with an exfoliator every few days), I'm always using it upon waking, to remove any left-over makeup & leave my skin glowing. 

Is Oil Really Appropriate for Cleansing Skin?

Oil like the Camellia Oil is a magnificent cleanser for our skin. When I first began using oil, I felt the same thing some of you may be thinking: but oil can't possibly remove all dirt and grime. I was proved wrong. It does remove all of that. In fact it removes even the thickest black makeup and far better than any soap based cleanser. Yes, even better than any make-up remover, including the handy wipes. Nothing comes close to removing makeup and crud from my face like the oil.

If you don't believe me, you can test it yourself, just as I did. Cleanse your face with your regular soap, then go back over it after you're finished with the oil on a cloth or cotton ball. You'll be shocked at what was left behind. 

Camellia Oil washes away dirt and impurities, but does not strip away natural oils.

Aside from the deep cleansing Camellia Oil provides, we can't deny the fact nature never intended for us to strip away all oils from our skin. Sure we should clean it well, and make sure the build-up, sweat, dirt, pollutants, etc. are removed. Being left with skin so dry and tight it felt as if it would crack (not to mention how it looked!) after using any drugstore bought facial cleanser, and even many natural cleansers, was proof enough for me to come to terms with the fact that I simply couldn't use most cleansers. Camellia Oil has been a life-saver for my skin.


What is Camellia Oil, anyways?
The Camellia Oil from Tatcha is a blend of Camellia and rice bran oils.
Camellia oil comes from Camellia Japonica Seed. 


And for the days when my skin needs a good exfolliating, the Rice Enzyme Powder serves it up just perfectly!Specs:

• Camellia Oil is good for all skin types.

• Non-irritating. Non-sensitizing. Dermatologist tested.

• Formulated without:

Mineral Oil, Synthetic Colors, Synthetic Fragrances, Sulfate Detergents, Parabens, PEGs, PPGs, Urea, DEA, TEA or Phthalates.

Ingredients:
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil, Polyglyceryl-10 Dioleate, Polyglyceryl-2 Sesquicaprylate, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Glyceryl Behenate/eicosadioate, Water, Algae Extract, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Alcohol, Fragrance (Natural), Phenoxyethanol.

 Step 2: The always promising and one of my favorites -- the little Rice Enzyme Powder super heroes.  

The Rice Enzyme Powder gently exfoliates skin, while giving pores a nice deep cleaning and leaving your skin feeling soft as can be! With ingredients like papaya extract and algae extract, the Rice Enzyme Powder never fails to exfoliate away all the old, while green tea extract soothes.  

It's a dry, white-colored powder that when mixed with water, transforms into a lovely white creamy paste. Add water to before applying.  For some reason, this process always excites me! I love mixing it and the way it feels to apply it, massaging it all over my face is pleasing. Not sure why that is, but something about it feels good, and I especially love that it actually feels as if the creamy product is going way deep down into every pore and totally cleaning it inside and out! I've never felt such a cleansing experience.

 Just what I need in an exfoliator because it allows me to have a deep cleaning without being so harsh it leaves my skin raw or dry as a bone. I like this because a harsh exfoliator used to seem like the only route as anything less than harsh wouldn't seem to really cleanse well.


Know what makes this Ritual Discovery Kit even better? Two of the products -- the Rice Enzyme Powder and Camellia Oil can be combined, which is my preferred method.

I combine a drop of the Camellia oil with the dry Rice Enzyme Powder to add immediate moisturization and glow to my skin as it's being cleansed and exfoliated. This also helps prevent any dryness that might occur.  I even find the powder soothing when there's irritations on my skin.

Other times when time permits, knowing how beneficial the ingredients in the Rice Enzyme Powder are, I love to massage my face well, then just let it dry there. Once dry, it's almost like a face mask, and I just feel like the longer I can keep these awesome ingredients in the powder on my skin, the better. And the best part: it never dries me out! Other products, I wouldn't dare let sit on my skin, or even massage too long because it'd end up drying it out. This never dries my skin out, but provides the deepest clean ever.

What is Rice Enzyme Powder?
A water-activated enzyme powder of rice bran, papaya + HADASEI-3 Bioactive Complex.

Specs:

• Gentle for dry/sensitive skin. Classic for normal/combination skin, and Deep for oily/acne-prone skin. 

• Non-irritating. Non-sensitizing. Dermatologist tested.

• *The Classic Rice Enzyme Powder and Deep Rice Enzyme Powder have been reformulated with cellulose (plant fiber) beads instead of polyethylene.

Ingredients:

Classic: Talc, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Potassium Myristate, Polyethylene*, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran, Papain (Papaya Extract), Dextrin, Algae Extract, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Alcohol, Hydrolyzed Conchiolin (Pearl) Protein,  Phenoxyethanol.

 Gentle: Talc, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Potassium Myristate, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Papain, Dextrin, Algae Extract, Camellia Sinesis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Cl 73360, Iron Oxides (Cl 77492).
Deep: Talc, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Potassium Myristate, Polyethylene*, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran, Papain, Dextrin, Algae Extract, Camellia Sinesis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Houttuynia Cordata Extract (Dokudami), Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Ultramarines, Iron Oxides (Cl 77492)

Step 3 Deep Brightening Serum

Contains :
Asian botanicals + HADASEI-3 Bioactive Complex for radiant looking skin.

The Deep Brightening Serum is one of the items in the kit that can be easy to skip over when lacking time.  However, I've learned that when I do take the time to use all steps of the kit, my skin does appear somewhat better for it. The Deep Brightening Serum does give a serious glow to my skin, not so richly moisturizing as Step 4, but definitely leaves shine. I like to use it at night so it has time to really absorb well. 

The thing about the Deep Brightening Serum is that it does give your skin a radiant look, and it also brightens/lightens skin such as dark spots.  So, I've found that dark circles under my eyes  have started to improve, thank God! I've tried everything under the sun for those suckers. 

The Deep Brightening serum is lightweight and thinner than a thick, creamy, rich moisturizer. It may even double as a moisturizer for people without severe dry skin. 

The Serum is definitely worth sticking with for the results in the long run. Plus, it too has a lovely, fresh scent. The only real hesitation I have about the serum is one of the ingredients, Cyclopentasiloxane. This is usually used in skin-related products for the consistency or to make it have a silky feel. It's recently been showing up in almost every single foundation/cover up cosmetic in stores. I literally found TWO in Wal-Mart that did not contain it. Even Physician's Formula has started using it.  The point, though, it seemed that the cyclopentasiloxane had been causing my skin to break out. I could be wrong about it, but I knew that once I narrowed down every ingredient I was using on my face, only when I removed anything with cyclopentasiloxane did I see improvements. And they were quite major improvements. So, I could do without that being so high up on the serum's ingredient list. We'll see how it goes, though as I continue using the kit. **See my note (below, in the section about the moisturizer) about other reviewers' posted experiences regarding the Tatcha products that contain cyclopentasiloxane.

Specs:

• All Skin Types. Non-irritating. Non-sensitizing. Dermatologist tested.

• Formulated without:  Kojic Acid, Hydroquinone, Mineral Oil, Synthetic Colors, Synthetic Fragrances, Sulfate Detergents, Parabens, PEGs, PPGs, Urea, DEA, TEA or Phthalates.

Ingredients:

Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Alcohol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Squalane (Olive Origin), Isocetyl Stearate, Inositol (Rice Extract), Oryza Sativa (Rice) Germ Oil, Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate, Polyglyceryl-10 Isostearate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Behenyl Alcohol, Sericin (Silk Extract), Arginine, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Sodium Hyaluronate, Zizyphus Jujuba Fruit Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sorbitan Stearate, Caprylic/capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenerated Lecithin (Soy Origin), Algae Extract, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Fragrance (Natural), Phenoxyethanol.

Step 4 Supple  - Moisture rich silk cream

There's nothing I adore more about the Supple Rich Silk Cream than its amazing, fresh scent. It dissipates soon after absorbing into the skin, but the scent makes applying it a real nice experience. It's so herb-y and fresh.

The Supple Rich Silk Cream is definitely rich. It's somewhat thick, spreads easily. It leaves a ... glow behind on skin, and for oily skin, it seems like it might contribute to more shine. However, a little powder does the trick for my already shiny forehead.

As good as a moisturizer may smell, it's totally useless if it doesn't do what it's supposed to do -- moisturize! And it's almost shameful the huge amount of moisturizers piled up in the corner of my room because they didn't moisturize, or they left my skin sticky (something I vehemently loathe). 

While you might have some shine left behind, the Supple cream certainly won't leave you with any of those dry patches or flakes! Like I've said, some parts of my skin are so severely dry that I've literally caked on lotions and moisturizers to no avail! Even those intensively moisturizing foot creams. Yea, that bad. Even after slathering olive or coconut oil on overnight, I still have to apply moisturizer when I wake up.

It's so rare that I find a moisturizer that actually takes care of my dry patches that I'm impressed with this one. It takes great care of any dryness. In fact, ever since I started using the Ritual Discovery kit, I've not had to go the extra mile and add more moisturizer. I've only had to apply it once daily. This is big progress for me! However, this one also has cyclopentasiloxane high on the ingredient list, so I'm going to be on the lookout and hope this won't break out my skin the way previous products containing this ingredient have. 

**Note regarding the ingredient cyclopentasiloxane: It's important to note that while reading several other accounts of folks who've also used the two products from Tatcha that contain it (The Silk moisturizer and Serum), none of them have mentioned any acne or increases in irritation/acne. In fact, out of all the testimonials I read, more than a couple mentioned major improvements in problems like rosacea, while using these. Most testimonials found online, of all these 4 products mention huge improvements in their skin after regular use, so my worries are probably nothing. I will update, though.

Something else I can label a big pro is that this Silk moisturizer can be applied minutes before applying makeup. It works well underneath makeup.

Specs:

• All Skin Types. Non-irritating. Non-sensitizing. Dermatologist tested.
• No sticky, heavy left-behind residues.
•   Formulated without: Mineral Oil, Synthetic fragrances, Sulfate Detergents, Parabens, PEGs, PPGs, Urea, DEA, TEA or Phthalates.

Ingredients

Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Alcohol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Isocetyl Stearate, Squalane (Olive Origin), Inositol (Rice Extract), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sorbitan Stearate, Behenyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Germ Oil, Hydrogenated Lecithin (Soy Origin), Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate, Batyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Arginine, Bis-behenyl/Isostearyl/Phytosteryl Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Carbomer, Sericin (Silk Extract), Xanthan Gum, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Royal Jelly Extract, Thymus Serpillum Extract, Algae Extract, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Fragrance (Natural) , Phenoxyethanol.


Pros/Cons - Recap-
Without becoming too exhaustive, lets sum up the biggest pros (things I love) about the Tatcha products in the Ritual Discovery Kit:

• Very effective, high quality, well-researched ingredients in all the products. 
• Major benefits include anti-aging, reversing dark spots/sun-spots/age spots.
• Many people have said they seen all -around major improvements in their skin after regular use for a few months. I'll update as time goes on.
• Highly moisturizing.
• Smooth, soft skin that's no longer dry with improvements of dark circles under eyes have been my improvements. 
• Works well under makeup.
• Deep cleansing (rice powder and Camellia oil.)
•  No left-behind residues
•  Impressive company. 
• 4-steps is totally worth the benefits from using these 4 Tatcha products.

 Only thing I'm not 100% certain about is the ingredient cyclopentasiloxane in 2 of the products (because of previous acne that I thought was caused from that ingredient). This 'thought' may actually be useless, as I said when I mentioned it earlier. It left me unsure, but I feel like with all the other sensitive-skin testimonials saying such great things, I will probably be just fine.

Disclaimer: I am not a specialist, expert, professional or doctor of any kind. Content on this blog is not intended to be taken as medical advice, diagnosis, treatment or advice of any sort. I'm simply sharing information about my own experiences and results from use of a product or activity in hopes of providing useful information to readers, not to be taken as a patient/medical adviser relationship. I am not responsible for what readers choose to do after viewing the content here. Furthermore, I do not hold an "exceptional" or other special relationship with any company mentioned on this site. I'm simply a consumer who worked with the company on a review that is in compliance with FTC's guidelines. That means, everything you read here is my own words, not anything of the company's. I was not provided with monetary compensation for my review. All information posted has been done so with complete honesty. No action should be taken based solely on the content of this publication ( I'm not responsible.) Readers who rely on the information in this blog to replace the advise of an appropriate health care provider assume all risks of such behavior.