You cleanse, you moisturize, you protect—but do you polish? Polishing skin might sound like some frivolous modern invention, but its roots go back centuries. But what is a face polish? And why does it differ from toners or liquid exfoliators, face scrubs, and standard physical exfoliation? We explore both of those questions and also discover the best face polish for your skin type.
What Is Face Polish?
Composed of delicate, yet powerful ingredients, a face polish promotes natural skin turnover. It is classified as a ‘non-abrasive exfoliator’—meaning it improves the texture, radiance, softness, and appearance of skin, but doesn’t strip the face of essential moisture or disrupt the delicate skin barrier.
How does face polish differ from your everyday, run-of-the-mill drugstore exfoliant? While face polishes provide a form of exfoliation, they are intentionally crafted to be gentle enough for everyday use. Some of our beloved Japanese exfoliants, while gentle, may not be ideal for all skin types for everyday use, but individuals with oily skin will likely love the feeling of an exfoliant daily. And many standard drugstore exfoliants contain harsh abrasives that make them only appropriate for weekly use. The benefit of daily non-abrasive exfoliation is that they transform the texture and tone of skin, without the irritation and redness associated with more harsh exfoliating formulas.
The Heritage of Face Polish
Face polishes are at the core of Tatcha’s heritage, but also of Japan’s. As our founder Vicky Tsai wrote in her bestselling book Pure Skin, “Years ago, on a trip to Kyoto, I serendipitously discovered the classical skin polish that transformed the tone and texture of my skin…As I browsed the narrow aisles, geisha came in and shopped with purpose. They knew exactly what they needed and I watched many of them pick up strawberry-sized pouches of powder, tucked between rows of lacquer-handled lip brushes and sleek pots of pigment. I had to know more about these dainty satchels. A geisha explained to me that they were filled with finely milled rice powder for exfoliating the skin. Intrigued, I bought a few.”
“That night, once I rinsed away the powder, I was amazed by my skin’s glow and newborn-like feel. In that moment, I realized that the luminous visage I sought with makeup, prescription topical ointments, and other treatments could be achieved with a commonplace and often overlooked ingredient like rice.” And the rest, as they say, is history. This fateful interaction with a rice-based face polish led to Tatcha’s modernized version, which has sold countless jars and won numerous awards.
One through line from these ancient Japanese face polishes and Tatcha’s modern iterations is Japanese rice bran, also known as komenuka. When activated with water, rice powder not only decongests the pores, but also brightens, softens, and enables skin to better absorb the next steps in your ritual. “Many conventional Western exfoliants contain seeds, salt, or ground shells that can tear and tug at the skin—even weekly use can cause irritation,” notes Tsai. However, face polishes with rice powder are beloved because they can be used every day without stripping or pulling at the skin. Instead, the foam delicately removes the dead skin cells that make your complexion appear dull. Rice bran plays a big part in this delicate dance between gentleness and effectiveness. Tatcha’s rice powder is especially beneficial, as it uses a special milling process to grind it extremely finely so it gently exfoliates, softens, and smoothes skin.
Best Face Polish
Individuals in Japan care for their skin with a mindful ritual that is as elegant as it is simple, delicately polishing their skin to a jewel-like luster daily. Mimic this practice at home with Tatcha’s variety of face polishes, each perfected for your specific skin type.
This water-activated exfoliant with Japanese ingredients transforms into a creamy, cloud-like foam. Finely ground rice bran and papaya enzymes promote natural skin turnover, leaving the skin soft and supple. The formula is also boosted with Tatcha’s proprietary Hadasei-3, a trio of fermented Japanese superfoods - green tea, rice, and algae - that help restore healthy-looking radiance. In consumer studies, 100 percent of users showed an immediate improvement in skin texture, radiance, softness, and the appearance of pores.* 100 percent of consumers also showed an immediate improvement in hydration, as well.**
- Classic Rice Polish: Silk proteins condition and nourish, making the Classic formula ideal for combination to dry skin.
- Calming Rice Polish: Natural Japanese indigo soothes visible irritation, and is perfect for exfoliating sensitive and mature skin. This formula is made without papaya enzymes to make it extra gentle.
- Deep Rice Polish: Wild rose helps tighten the look of pores and clarify skin, making it a great fit for exfoliating combination to oily skin.
- Gentle Rice Polish: Licorice root extract prevents flakiness and tightness, and is great for exfoliating dry skin.
How to Use a Face Polish
Now that you understand the magical properties of face polish, here’s how you best use them.
- Cleanse with a cleanser chosen to match your skin type
- Exfoliate with a face polish
- Hydrate with an essence and serum (if using) and the best moisturizer for your skin type
Polish after cleansing, as it will make following treatments more effective and able to target dead skin cells more efficiently. While a polish can be used daily—either in the morning or evening—listen to your skin and assess how it feels after the creamy exfoliant.
Ensure you’re taking enough time and care when using a face polish, too. Wet your palms and splash a handful of warm water onto your face. Pour approximately half a teaspoon of powder (the size of a small coin) into one hand and gently rub your palms together to create a creamy, luxurious foam. Massage gently with your fingertips onto your face in circular motions for 10 to 20 seconds, avoiding the eyes. Rinse well and pat your skin dry with a soft face cloth.
Face polish has come into popularity in modern years with the rapid rise of the double cleanse, also known as The Kyoto Cleanse. This two-step protocol, originally favored by geisha for centuries and now popularized throughout the world, purifies with a cleansing oil and polishes with an enzyme powder (aka face polish). The two steps remove surface impurities, sunscreen, and makeup, but also unclog pores and prep skin for hydration. If using the double cleanse method, it’s best at nighttime only.
While high-tech skincare regimes are wildly popular, sometimes it’s nice – and best – to go back to the basics. At Tatcha, we believe in embracing heritage, and few formulas are as steeped in Japanese history than face polish. Consider turning back time—both on the appearance of your skin and your skincare rituals with The Rice Polish.
*Based on a clinical study of 25 women after a single use of The Rice Polish: Classic.
**Based on a bio instrumentation study conducted on 25 people after using The Rice Polish: Classic.
