Tatcha’s New Night Cream Replaced My Entire Skin-Care Routine

I don’t think I need to explain why my (naturally high) stress levels have skyrocketed during the last 18 months. And, much like my psyche, my skin has also been worse off—which is why Tatcha’s Indigo Overnight Repair Serum in Cream couldn’t have arrived at a better time. 

The brand-new cream launched on August 1 and is specially formulated to ease the effects of stress on the skin—like redness, inflammation, or itching—as well as to soothe a compromised skin barrier. In fact, it was created during early lockdown to ease flare-ups of Tatcha founder and CEO Vicky Tsai’s hives, brought on by pandemic-related stress.  

“We had a formula that we have been developing for quite some time,” Tsai tells Glamour. “I was like, ‘I think we need to fast track this,’ because when COVID hit, I knew everybody was going to end up with skin like mine.” 

As the name suggests, the star ingredient in Overnight Repair is indigo, which has been used in Japan for centuries to heal and soothe wounds and irritation. Tatcha has been using indigo in its products for years and has a dedicated Indigo Cream formulated specifically for sensitive skin. The Indigo Cream has a thicker texture and a high percentage of colloidal oatmeal, and is made to care for skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. On the other hand, the new Overnight Repair is a lighter texture and is made to combat stress, which everyone deals with. 

 “Anybody who likes the Indigo Cream will like this, but this is for a much broader base of person,” says Tsai. “You don’t have to have something like rosacea to see a dramatic difference in your skin. But if you’ve ever felt stress, that stress is going to show through the skin. Different people show stress different ways,” she continues. “Some people will break out. Some people will get rashes, some people get hives, some people get eczema. This will address all the signs of stress in the skin because it’s actually working at the cortisol level.”

For me personally, stress shows up as increased acne. Even when I’m not particularly stressed out, my skin definitely is, and I’m dealing with two to five red inflamed pimples at all times. In an effort to soothe, I usually have an elaborate routine of a prescription topical, a hydrating essence, a calming serum, and a heavy moisturizer. But after Tsai mentioned that Tatcha Indigo Overnight Repair is basically a skin-care routine in a jar, I’ve been exclusively using it at night, and I’m hooked. 

The brand calls it a Serum in Cream Treatment, and that description is spot-on. It has a luscious yet light texture that melts into a silky-smooth serum upon application. It leaves my skin cocooned with moisture and feels instantly soothing.  

The results in the morning look just as good as the cream feels going on. Both active pimples and lingering pigmentation look less red, and bumps are noticeably decreased. Acne aside, my skin is just better—dewy and juicy, like a woman who gets eight full hours of sleep and chugs water, not coffee. It’s amazing that I can achieve this with only one product, especially since I’m finally out and about (for now at least) and prefer to spend as little time tending to my skin as possible. 

At $88 a jar, it’s a bit of a splurge, but for the cost of an essence, moisturizer, and cream in one, it could be worse. And skin that looks as calm and glowy as this? Priceless. 

Tatcha Indigo Overnight Repair Serum in Cream Treatment