Most makeup does not wash off; it has to be dissolved. Foundation, sunscreen and long-wear pigment are built on oils, waxes and polymers, which is why foam cleansers leave a tint on the towel and wipes need pressure your skin ends up paying for. This balm works on the like-dissolves-like principle: it is 63% lightweight cleansing ester, and that is the whole trick.
The melt
The balm liquefies against skin warmth. Massaged over a dry face, the 63% cetyl ethylhexanoate base (with a 9% caprylic/capric triglyceride assist) dissolves foundation, sunscreen and pigment where they sit. No scrubbing, no cotton pads, no dragging at the eye area.
The flip
Add a small splash of water and the oil emulsifies into a thin white milk. That phase change comes from an 18% self-emulsifying system built into the balm, and it is what lets the dissolved makeup rinse away with the water instead of clinging to your skin as a film.
The rinse
There are no sulfates or foaming agents anywhere in the formula; the ester base does all the cleansing. That is the difference between clean and stripped: skin comes out bare and soft, not tight. If you wear heavy or long-wear makeup, follow with your usual foam cleanser for a full double cleanse.
The jar
Cleansing balms usually live in open pots you dip wet fingers into, night after night. This one sits in a Grinding Jar: rotate the inner lid and a thin layer of balm rises up for you to take, while the rest stays sealed away from air, water and fingertips. It also meters your dose, which is why 40g stretches further than the size suggests.
The signature
Dragon Blood extract (croton lechleri resin), Arctic cloudberry seed oil and the brand's fermented rice filtrate ride along as the line's signature botanicals. They are the story of the formula, not the mechanism. The mechanism is the ester and the emulsifier doing exactly what the name says.
The scent
One honest note: this is not a fragrance-free product. It is scented naturally with geranium flower oil (no synthetic perfume added) and smells like a fresh, green rose while you massage.
What's not in it
0% SLS, SLES, sulfates, parabens, mineral oil, colorants, silicone. Dermatologically tested. Skin looks brighter after cleansing for the simplest reason there is: the day's makeup, sunscreen and oxidized oil are actually off.
- Melts makeup on dry skin: 63% cleansing ester dissolves foundation, sunscreen and long-wear pigment
- Balm to oil to milk: an 18% self-emulsifying system flips the oil into a milky rinse with water
- No sulfates or foaming agents; cleansing is done entirely by the emollient base
- Grinding Jar dispenses thin, hygienic layers and keeps the rest sealed
- Scented naturally with geranium flower oil; no synthetic perfume added
- Signature botanicals: Dragon Blood extract, Arctic cloudberry seed oil, fermented rice filtrate
- Dermatologically tested
- Works as the first step of a double cleanse, or alone on light-makeup days
✓ Melts makeup on contact: the 63% cleansing ester base dissolves foundation, sunscreen and pigment on dry skin
✓ Flips from oil to a thin white milk with water, so dissolved makeup rinses away instead of clinging
✓ Zero sulfates or foaming agents: clean after-feel without the stripped, tight finish
✓ No cotton pads and no scrubbing: fingers, water, rinse
✓ Grinding Jar: twist the inner lid for a thin, metered layer; the rest stays sealed from air and wet fingers
✓ Scented naturally with geranium flower oil, no synthetic perfume added
✓ Signature botanicals: Dragon Blood extract, Arctic cloudberry seed oil, fermented rice filtrate
✓ 0% SLS, SLES, sulfate, paraben, mineral oil, colorant, silicone
✓ Dermatologically tested
1. Start with dry hands and a dry face; water triggers the milk stage early.
2. Rotate the inner lid clockwise to raise a thin layer of balm, then collect it with your fingertips. A cherry-sized dose covers the full face.
3. Massage in slow circles over the whole face until makeup and sunscreen dissolve into the oil. Keep it out of your eyes; work the lash line with eyes closed.
4. Add a small splash of water and keep massaging: the oil flips into a thin white milk.
5. Rinse thoroughly with clean water. After heavy or long-wear makeup, follow with your regular foam cleanser for a complete double cleanse.
6. Close the jar securely after use. Caution: stop using and seek medical treatment if any signs of abnormality appear.
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Synthetic Wax, Sorbeth-30 Tetraoleate, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, 4-Terpineol, Croton Lechleri Resin Extract, Rubus Chamaemorus Seed Oil, Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate, Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Bark Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Pelargonium Graveolens Extract, Sanguisorba Officinalis Root Extract, Uncaria Gambir Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol
