As a beauty journalist, writing about moisturisers is my bread and butter. And not to play favourites, but there’s one particular formula that I keep coming back to rain or shine: Tatcha's The Dewy Skin Cream. I can always count on it to instantly replenish my skin and deliver the dewiest glow imaginable—the kind that usually has everyone asking whether or not I got a facial.
Now, imagine my excitement when a month ago, a new Tatcha package landed on my desk, containing none other than the newest iteration of this clever moisturiser — this time in more liquid-y, lightweight form. Enter: The Dewy Milk Moisturiser, the latest formula to join the brand’s Dewy line-up, which (as the name implies) has the most weightless milky consistency that delivers lasting hydration without feeling heavy on the skin.
Denise Primbet testing the Tatcha Dewy Milk Moisturiser
Similar to The Dewy Skin Cream, this formula is also infused with Japanese purple rice, which features anthocyanin — a powerful antioxidant that helps shield the skin from free radicals and boosts hydration levels. Elsewhere, it's enriched with prebiotic green tea extract, which supports a healthy microbiome and soothes the skin in the process. It also includes a clever blend of zinc and hyaluronic acid to help retain moisture and reinforce the skin's barrier.
Although this formula is designed to pair well with all skin types, its oil-balancing properties make it a great fit for those of us with oilier complexions. Personally, as someone whose skin was always on the drier side, I didn't think this formula would work for me just as well as the original The Dewy Skin Cream. After all, I'm not usually one to gravitate toward lightweight consistencies, often favouring richer formulas instead.
Yet, I'd be lying if I told you that the scorching summer heat didn't make me re-think my whole skincare routine. Although my skin is usually dry, come summertime, my skin type suddenly shifts and starts leaning more combination. With this, comes the inevitable increase in sebum production around my T-zone, which brings me back to the drawing board and makes me re-assess my choice of skincare.
That said, since most water creams are a bit too lightweight for my liking, and rich moisturisers feel a tad too heavy, finding the 'Goldilocks' formula that gets it just right is much trickier than it seems. However, having used Tatcha's new The Dewy Milk Moisturiser for the better part of the last month, I can hardly imagine my skincare routine without it. Dare I say, I might have finally found the perfect moisturiser for the summer.
Right off the bat, I appreciated the packaging. Instead of the standard jar that requires you to dig into the formula with a spatula or your fingers, it features a pump, which I personally preferred for hygienic reasons. Plus, it also helped me dispense just the right amount of product I needed without wasting the formula (two pumps was enough to slather my whole face).
But the texture is where it truly shines. As expected, it has a liquid consistency, which feels incredibly silky upon application. The texture actually reminded me of my favourite 'milky' Korean ampoules (which are thicker than serums yet more lightweight compared to traditional moisturisers). I loved its fast-absorbing nature (my skin soaked it all up immediately) and the instant boost of hydration that followed. The result? Plump and dewy skin, minus the greasy feel.
I also appreciated just how seamlessly it worked with the rest of my beauty routine, offering a great base for my SPF and makeup (no pilling whatsoever). In fact, after getting inspired by Hailey Bieber's famed hack to mix her milky toner with her foundation, I tried doing the same to sheer out my full-coverage foundation, and boy, did it work. Letting my freckles peek through, the coverage was still very much there, covering up my redness, yet it still left my skin looking... well, like skin. It managed to turn even the most mattifying formulas into glow-boosting serum foundations.
Needless to say, this moisturiser is nothing short of impressive––and that's no mean feat coming from someone who reviews skincare for a living. While I'm not too sure whether it will end up meeting my skin's needs during the colder months, I still stand by my claim that it's, hands down, the best heat-friendly moisturiser I've tried so far.
