To celebrate Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander heritage month, Glamour is spotlighting AANHPI founders to share their secrets to success, the joys and struggles of creating a business, the best advice they’ve ever received, and more. For our latest edition, we’re talking to Vicky Tsai, founder of celebrity-loved skin care brand Tatcha, about her journey from Wall Street to creating a $500 million company.
If you’ve ever investigated the skin care routine of your favorite celeb, chances are it includes Tatcha. Beloved by A-listers like Selena Gomez and Meghan Markle, the brand is known for its prestige and effective skin care steeped in Japanese rituals and ingredients. Founded in 2009 by Vicky Tsai, Tatcha quickly became a skin care phenomenon and ten years later, sold for a reported $500 million to Unilever in 2019, proving the immense power of J-Beauty—the influence of which inspired Tsai to first create the brand.
“The Japanese approach to holistic health healed my skin and reshaped my mindset, showing me the power of balance and intentional living,” Tsai says. “I was finally convinced to slow down and reconnect with myself—and I knew I needed to share that feeling with others. That’s how Tatcha was born: with the purpose of helping people rediscover their love of skin and self by changing the way they see their skin.”
Each Tatcha product is a part of a ritual set curated for specific skin care needs, ranging from hydration and clarifying to soothing and firming. Formulated at the Tatcha Institute in Tokyo, products are developed by scientists combining traditional Japanese botanicals with modern clinical ingredients. Tying everything together is the brand’s holistic approach to beauty, which is reflected through its work with Toryo Ito, a zen monk from the Ryosokuin Temple in Kyoto, who serves as the brand’s global director of mindfulness.
Below, Tsai talks about her struggles with rejection, the importance of meditation, and the secret to happy, healthy skin.
Why did you feel like it was a good time to launch Tatcha when you did?
After years of working in the corporate world, the fast pace of city life, constant stress, and heavy travel took a toll on my physical and mental health. I wore my stress on my skin—it showed up as dermatitis on my face, and eczema and hives on my body. I realized that for my life to feel meaningful, my work needed to have meaning too. Like many people, I began traveling to find myself, searching for inspiration. I found it in Kyoto, Japan’s cultural and spiritual heart.
It wasn’t scary, because I knew if I stayed and tried to succeed in corporate America, I’d never make it. My performance reviews made it clear: I was told I didn’t have leadership potential, and when I asked for feedback, I was met with silence. As an Asian American woman, I could feel the weight of cultural biases—people assumed I was docile, lacked interpersonal skills and didn’t have the fortitude to lead teams.
I knew that if I didn’t change anything, I’d be unhappy. I tried companies of every size, but no matter where I went, the system wasn’t built for someone like me. I could contort myself to fit in, but the better my resume looked, the more disconnected I felt from my own authenticity and self-worth. If I stayed on that path, I knew I’d be miserable, so if I took the leap.
Was it scary? What was one particular challenge you still think about?
The scary part came later. I had traction—press, strong branding, sales and growing market awareness. But for eight years, I couldn’t secure funding. I thought I was doing something wrong. It wasn’t until I stepped down as CEO that I learned that less than 5% of venture capital goes to women-led businesses. It eroded my sense of self to the point where I felt I no longer deserve to lead my company. It was a really heavy weight to carry, and even now, nothing has really changed for the women and people of color coming up behind me.
All this time, I had internalized so much of that rejection, thinking that there was something fundamentally wrong with me. It wasn’t until I stepped away and watched others run my company that I realized—I did have what it takes. When I came back the second time, I felt like I could lead freely and it was a joy to be unencumbered by my own self-doubt and criticism. This journey really affected my sense of self, but it ultimately helped me see myself differently—capable, worthy of a seat at the table, and able to contribute meaningfully to my team and the world.
What’s one key piece of advice you’d give to other women looking to start their own business?
My biggest advice to women looking to start their own careers or business is to embrace your unique perspective—it’s your super power. Don’t be afraid to take up space, ask questions, and advocate for yourself. At Tatcha, I built a brand rooted in heritage and the beauty rituals I love, proving that honoring your identity can be a strength in business. But beyond that, anchoring your work in purpose is what creates lasting impact. When your business or career is driven by a deeper mission—whether it’s representation, community, or well-being—it not only fuels your passion but also inspires and uplifts those around you.
What time do you get up?
During my hardcore, career-building years, I used to wake up at 4:30 a.m., just so I could have a couple of quiet hours for myself. It was also partially because I was living with complex PTSD that I didn’t yet understand. Most mornings, I would wake up as if I was mid-sprint, running from a bear.
It has taken me three years since stepping down as CEO of Tatcha to really begin slowing down and actually settle into my body. Last week, for the first time, I slept in until 6:45 a.m. I couldn’t believe it, the sun was already up and it felt absolutely glorious.
What’s your typical morning routine?
It really depends on the day. My dogs sleep next to me, so most mornings start with a puppy cuddle pile. Then I’ll have breakfast with my daughter, and I’ve found it’s a nice way to sync up on her day ahead. She’s 15 and a half now, and I’m becoming more aware every day of how precious this time is.
Three days a week, I head into a 2-hour meditation—it helps me ground myself. The other four days, I usually am catching up on work. But no matter what, by 11 a.m. every day, I’m working out—and that’s my morning!
How do you take your coffee?
I’m obsessed with Clevr, it’s a functional food creamer and they’ve got mushroom complexes in there that are great for mood and mind health. I have that in my coffee every morning.
Clevr Blends Mushroom Coffee Latte
Amazon
Your first childhood dream job
I used to think I wanted to be a doctor because I’m Asian, and that seeped into my head before I even became conscious of it. It’s like we’re born with that expectation.
Your first actual job
I was a derivatives trader on Wall Street. A little different than a doctor!
The best piece of money or career advice you’ve ever gotten
The best career advice I’ve received is that the richness of your career comes from what you learn about the world and yourself. If I were to give advice to someone just starting their career, I’d say: be hungry and impatient about learning, but be strategic and patient about your career moves. Sometimes it’s not a straight path up, it’s more chutes and ladders. Focus less on the next promotion, and more on gaining as much experience as possible. It makes you invaluable to any organization you’re a part of and with more experience, you discover your super power.
That’s when you truly realize your worth and can command that value in the market. I want all young, talented people to go get theirs.
What’s your most comfortable work outfit?
At Tatcha, I’m probably famous for coming to the office in workout clothes because I love to do walking meetings. It’s just healthier for everyone, and it allows for better ideas to come up more naturally. Before COVID, I was walking up to 12 miles a day just from meeting alone.
What’s the last great book you read?
Strangers from a Different Shore: A History of Asian Americans by Ronald Takaki. As someone who was born and raised here, living the AANHPI experience, I found that I was woefully ignorant of our own history. I realized that I needed to learn more and was shocked to discover how many chapters of AANHPI history were tied to the places I’d lived and visited.
Reading this book was a powerful reminder of how much there is to understand about our past, with so much AANHPI history and struggles being all around me. I felt a deep responsibility to not only understand my own journey, but the experiences of those who came before me. I carry that responsibility now, and for those who come after me.
Strangers from a Different Shore: A History of Asian Americans
Amazon
What’s the last thing you bought you were excited about?
I recently got a meditation cushion and mat from a brand called Walden, and it’s so thoughtfully designed that I can comfortably sit cross-legged for two hours! For the longest time, physical discomfort was my biggest barrier to longer meditations, but now I can truly settle in and stay present.
Walden Meditation Cushion + Mat Set
Walden
Explain the moment you realized, “OK, I might actually be successful…”
I was in line to meet Kamala Harris, and I was so nervous. I had no idea what to say to someone I admire so deeply. As soon as she heard my name and saw my face, she grabbed my shoulders and started listing all of the Tatcha products she was wearing on her face that day.
In that moment, I was reminded that no matter what roles we play in life, we’re all the same and feel happiness when we can present our best face out to the world.
Your favorite low-stakes treat after a productive day
I have a tendency to rush through the day, but I do try to take moments for myself. For me, skin care is my version of a meditative practice. Toryo Ito, our global director of mindfulness who I met in 2016 at the Ryosokuin Temple in Kyoto, taught me that meditation doesn’t need to be me sitting on the ground with my eyes closed. He taught me that meditation is a way of life, and that anything can become a meditative practice. My skin care ritual is now infused with intention in each step, turning it into a little skin meditation. It just takes five minutes, but that time is so precious to me. It helps me wind down for the night after a busy day, and it’s my time to reconnect with myself and be present.
Your go-to thank you gift
Tatcha.
Finish the sentence: People would be happier doing their work if…
They have a sense of belonging and believe in the work that they’re doing.
Finish the sentence: If you weren’t in your current career, you’d be a…
If I could focus entirely on one thing, it would be supporting girls’ education and gender equality. Our partnership with Room to Read has shown me the true power of girls’ education and its ripple effect, and it’s given me a sense of purpose and passion that goes beyond anything I’ve ever felt in the corporate world. I feel incredibly lucky that I’ve married my purpose and passions with Tatcha, and through our partnership with Room to Read, we’ve been able to donate over 11 million days of school for girls around the world. These days, most of my time outside of Tatcha is dedicated to this work. Literacy and gender equality are at the heart of so many issues I see today, and it feels like through this work, I can help in my own way.
We know it’s like picking your favorite child, but what’s the product you consider your favorite?
My favorite product would have to be The Essence. It holds a special place in my heart, since it’s 100% Hadasei-3, which is at the core of every Tatcha formula. It’s made with these amazing superfoods sourced from some of Japan’s most renowned regions: rice from Akita, which supports a healthy skin barrier; green tea from Uji that helps minimize visible signs of premature aging; and algae from Okinawa, known for its ability to plump skin with much-needed moisture. The Essence is truly a powerhouse product that channels nutrients into the skin and boosts the efficacy of your skincare ritual, all while working to keep your skin hydrated, plump and glowing. When I see the transformation in my skin when I use this formula, it reminds me of how powerful our skin is at renewing itself, and that it doesn’t take much to have happy, healthy skin.
Tatcha The Essence
Sephora
Tatcha
Ariana Yaptangco is the senior beauty editor at Glamour. Follow her @arianayap.
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