LUNA™ Buttercloud
Cleansing Balm

A cleansing balm is the oil-based first step of a cleanse. Water-based cleansers cannot fully dissolve makeup, SPF and sebum, so a balm goes onto dry skin first and breaks all of it down before you wash. LUNA™ Buttercloud Cleansing Balm does it in three phases: a butter-rich balm that grips makeup and daily buildup, a lightweight oil that dissolves it, and a milky emulsion that carries it away.

Closely related. Both are oil-based first cleanses that dissolve makeup, SPF and sebum before a water-based wash, so the real difference is texture rather than function. A cleansing oil is liquid from the start. A balm holds its shape in the jar and melts on contact, which gives you more control over where it goes and how long you work with it. LUNA™ Buttercloud Cleansing Balm is designed so you do not have to choose. It starts as a balm for grip, melts into an oil as you massage, then turns to a milk that lifts everything away with water. The grip of a balm, the slip of an oil, and a rinse that leaves nothing behind.

Yes, and most days that is exactly the point. SPF is the reason: sunscreen is designed to stay on skin through sweat and water, which is precisely what makes a water-based cleanser the wrong tool for taking it off. Sebum and daily buildup need the same treatment. If you wear SPF, you need a first cleanse whether or not you wore makeup. LUNA™ Buttercloud Cleansing Balm was built for that job: it melts away SPF and daily buildup in one step, makeup or no makeup.

An almond-sized amount, on dry skin. Dry is the part people get wrong: water gets between the balm and everything you are trying to dissolve, so the balm goes on first and alone. Massage gently until makeup and SPF break down, then add water and keep going. That is when LUNA™ Buttercloud Cleansing Balm turns milky and rinses away completely with lukewarm water. No film, no greasy after-feel.

Yes. A balm cleanse is gentler than most people expect, because it dissolves rather than scrubs. Use it as the first step of your evening routine, particularly on days with makeup or SPF; mornings usually only need a single water-based cleanse. Daily use is exactly where the formula matters, and LUNA™ Buttercloud Cleansing Balm is built on 100% pure vegan squalane, bio-identical to skin's own moisturizing components, so it supports lipid balance as it cleanses rather than stripping night after night.

Before, always. That order is the whole idea behind double cleansing, a two-step method from Japanese and Korean skincare: oil-based first, water-based second. The balm dissolves makeup, SPF and sebum that a face wash cannot fully remove, then the face wash lifts away sweat and everything left behind. Follow LUNA™ Buttercloud Cleansing Balm with LUNA™ Micro-Foam Cleanser 2.0 for the second step.

Yes, on closed eyes and as directed, avoiding direct contact with the eye itself. Waterproof mascara is oil-based, which is why oil removes it and water does not. The advantage of a balm here is that it works by dissolving rather than by rubbing, and the eye area is where rubbing does the most damage. LUNA™ Buttercloud Cleansing Balm melts on contact, so waterproof formulas lift away without the tugging.

It shouldn't. A cleansing balm is on your skin for a minute or two and then rinsed away, so it never sits in your pores the way a leave-on product can. LUNA™ Buttercloud Cleansing Balm is built to make sure of that: it emulsifies with water and rinses off completely, leaving no film behind, and it contains none of the heavy occlusives most often blamed for clogged pores, no mineral oil, petrolatum, lanolin or silicones. Oily and breakout-prone skin can use it too; just follow with a water-based second cleanse so the day's buildup is fully gone.

It depends on the formula, and fragrance is usually the deciding factor. Added fragrance and essential oils are among the most common irritants in cleansing balms, and they are there for the experience rather than the cleanse. LUNA™ Buttercloud Cleansing Balm is fragrance-free and dermatologist tested, formulated without sulfates, parabens, artificial colors and our full list of blacklisted ingredients, which makes it suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skin.

Yes to both. The formula is entirely plant-based: all five botanical oils are plant-derived, the squalane is bio-fermented from Camellia Japonica seed, and animal-derived ingredients of any kind are formulated out. It is also never tested on animals, at any stage. The formula is dermatologist tested and safe for all skin types, no animal testing required to prove it.