Matcha Clay Cleansing Balm

A balm that turns to milk. The Matcha Clay Cleansing Balm is an anhydrous oil cleanser for normal to dry skin — organic shade-grown matcha at 0.5% and French green clay at 5% in a sunflower and jojoba base. It dissolves sunscreen, makeup, and the day, milks on contact with warm water, and rinses without residue.

What’s doing the work

• 0.5% matcha — organic, shade-grown Camellia Sinensis Leaf Powder, added in the cool-down below 60 °C so its catechins survive the pour. The green is leaf, not dye.
• 5% French green clay — montmorillonite adsorbs what the oils loosen. Skin settles; it doesn’t tighten.
• 1.4% upcycled green tea leaf wax — an antioxidant note recovered from tea production, from the same plant as the matcha.
• 10% jojoba — a wax ester close to skin’s own sebum, carrying the cleanse without disrupting it.

An olive-derived emulsifier turns the oil phase to a loose milk the moment water hits. A plant-derived rinse aid carries it off — no film, no squeak.

How it feels

Solid in the jar, giving by the time it crosses your cheek. Slow-melt plant butters keep the glide cushioned through a full minute of massage, and the matcha leaves a faint matte trace under your fingers — evidence of leaf. Warm water, both palms, low and slow. The milk rinses; what’s left feels like skin, not coating.

Who it’s for

Normal to dry adult skin, and anyone building a slow oil-cleanse ritual. Not formulated for fungal-acne-prone or seborrheic-dermatitis-prone skin: the oil base is rich in the fatty acids Malassezia feeds on, and rinse-off doesn’t change that. We’d rather tell you now.

How to use

Scoop with clean, dry hands. Massage over dry skin for one to three minutes. Add warm water, let the balm turn to milk, then rinse. At night, follow with a water-based cleanser if you double-cleanse. Keep the jar at the sink, not in the shower — steam and wet fingers shorten an anhydrous formula’s life.

Color, honestly

Chlorophyll deepens from matcha green toward olive over months. That’s the leaf aging, not the formula failing. The frosted jar slows it; a cool, dark shelf slows it more.

Full ingredients (INCI)

Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, C10-18 Triglycerides, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Montmorillonite, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Wax, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Powder, Tocopherol.

Net wt 100 g. Frosted glass jar with bamboo lid. Founder-formulated, hand-finished, small batch.

Questions, answered

Is the matcha real? Yes — 0.5% organic shade-grown Camellia Sinensis Leaf Powder, stirred in during cool-down below 60 °C. Heat above that degrades EGCG, the catechin matcha is known for, so it goes in last.

Is this safe for fungal acne or seborrheic dermatitis? No. Sunflower and jojoba are fatty-acid substrates Malassezia can use, and one to three minutes of massage exceeds the rinse-off threshold. A water-based gel or foaming cleanser is the better choice for that skin.

Can I use this while pregnant? It’s a rinse-off cleanser with no retinoids, no salicylic acid, and no added fragrance or essential oils, and we know of no reason to avoid it. Every pregnancy is its own case — if you have concerns, run your routine past your healthcare provider.

What does balm-to-milk feel like? The balm thins as you massage, then breaks into a loose white milk the moment warm water touches it. A few passes and it’s gone, with no film left behind.

How should I store it? Lid tight, cool shelf, out of direct sun, dry fingers only. Sink-side, not shower-side.