Shoppers Say This Oil-Free 'Water Cream' Is Better Than Botox

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There haven't been that many moments to feel good about over the last year, but there were definitely a few bright spots in the realm of self-care. Sinking into a hot CBD bath and pulling the trigger on an absurdly discounted vibrator rank up there, and if you've experienced Tatcha's skincare, vibing with pleasure in your bathroom has been a nightly occurrence (from skincare, to be clear. From skincare).

Tatcha is royalty in the beauty world, beloved by celebrities like Meghan Markle and Kim Kardashian as well as everyday heroes like nurses pulling 12-hour shifts. The brand's Water Cream sold out twice within months of launching in 2017, and it's remained a mainstay for skincare lovers ever since. At the time of publication, one size of the cream is sold out at Sephora, where the moisturizer has raked in 279.2 thousand "loves."

What makes this cream different from all other creams? (If you're Jewish, please read that in your best Passover cadence). According to shoppers on the brand's website, the Water Cream is bliss for oily skin. It's incredibly lightweight and fast-absorbing, but delivers the all-day moisture that you'd expect from a heavy lotion — and its effect on fine lines and wrinkles is stunning.

Shop now: $68; tatcha.com

Founded by Victoria Tsai, the brand is based around classical Japanese beauty secrets perfected by scientists in Japan and the U.S. One shopper compares the cream's smoothing of their fine lines to Botox, an impressive feat for a formula that swaps anti-aging ingredients like retinol for a trio of Japanese botanicals. According to the brand, Japanese wild rose diminishes the look of pores, Japanese leopard lily minimizes excess oil production and promotes skin turnover, and the "Hadasei-3 complex" unites three antioxidant-rich Japanese superfoods — Uji green tea, Okinawa red algae, and Akita rice — for anti-aging and delivering essential proteins (not called out, but no less fun is the formula's listing of straight-up gold).

The cream treats oiliness, acne, redness, large pores, scars, and irritation, all tackled by the water-weight, oil-free hydrator. Yet three pages' worth of reviewers likewise call the cream a "miracle," unveiling skin that looks "younger and softer" within days. Over 400 shoppers with oily skin left fawning reviews for the "best moisturizer" they've ever tried, and shoppers with adult acne call it life-changing: "After 12 months, my skin is GLOWING and I rarely get any pimples anymore, after years of getting deep, painful breakouts."

Those with rosacea write that at long last, they feel comfortable going out without any makeup, and over three dozen people say that its pore-minimizing power is unparalleled. "The results are incredible," one shopper writes. "Afterwards, my pores do appear to be blurred and my skin is left soft. For these results and how much my skin loves this, it is completely worth the price."

A last person writes that wearing moisturizer in the summer makes their oily skin "look like a fried chip," but not Tatcha's, which feels almost surreally like "a drink of cold water on the hottest day, for your face." Heading into the warmer months' humidity, that's a cocktail we want on hand.