You are here:

The Gentle Balm

$68.00

Option

Size

A little goes a long way – most customers enjoy one jar for 6–12 months.

A soft, buttery 3-in-1 calendula facial cleanser that melts tension and buildup without friction or heat.
Let your skin settle into softness.
A nervous system skincare™ formula designed for sensitive women.

SKU: GENT-BALM

At a glance

Calendula CO286% Natural14% Naturally Derived & Synthetic

HydrationSheer

MinimalMaximum

GentlenessSoothing

CalmingActive

ScentNone added
WhenAM & PM
UseCleanse

i. The Signal

When you want the day off your face, and nothing else.

If your skin is reactive, you already know how the evening usually goes. A wash that squeaks. A routine with more steps than you have energy for. A face left tight and pink at the end of it.

Some nights you want one soft step that takes the day off and asks nothing else of you. The Gentle Balm was made to be that one step.

ii. The Ritual

One soft step. Three things at once.

A soft, buttery 3-in-1 calendula facial cleanser that melts away makeup and the day’s buildup with no friction and no heat. It cleanses, removes makeup, and leaves skin conditioned in a single step, so a long routine becomes one quiet moment. Let your skin settle into softness.

The texture is a rich, golden balm that warms and melts against the skin, then rinses or wipes away clean. Massaged in slowly, it turns the simple act of washing your face into the softest part of the evening.

Made for skin that

feels tight or stripped after foaming cleansers

reacts to fragrance and harsh surfactants

wants makeup gone without scrubbing

prefers one gentle step to a long routine

iii. The Standard

How this balm is built.

The Gentle Balm cleanses with soft plant saponins from quillaja and soapwort, carried in shea and kokum butters. Those were chosen because they lift makeup and buildup at a level reactive skin tolerates comfortably, and because they rinse away without leaving the face tight.

Calendula, front and centreAn organic CO2 extract of calendula leads the balm, a botanical long loved by sensitive skin.

No synthetic fragrance & EO-freeNo synthetic fragrance and no essential oils.

Gentle plant cleansingSoft saponins from quillaja and soapwort do the cleansing.

Properly preservedMade with a certified preservation system, so a water-compatible balm stays stable.

The hero · Calendula

A closer look at the calendulaCalendula Officinalis Flower Extract CO₂ · organic

Calendula is the golden botanical at the heart of this balm, here as an organic CO₂ extract, which captures more of the flower than a standard infusion does. It has been loved by sensitive skin for a very long time, and it is what gives the balm its colour. One thing to know up front: calendula is in the Asteraceae family, alongside daisy and ragweed. If that family is a problem for you, this is the ingredient to weigh, and it is named here rather than buried in the list.

A little goes a long way. Most customers enjoy one jar for 6 to 12 months.

Sensory Notes

A rich, golden balm that warms and melts against the skin. The first touch is buttery and cushioning. As you massage, it dissolves makeup and the day with no friction. With water or a soft cloth it lifts away clean, leaving skin soft and comfortable. There is no squeak and nothing that asks your system to brace.

In the jarSoft and golden. Yields to a fingertip without scraping.

On contactWarms and slackens into an oil as you work it.

As you cleanseSlippy and unhurried. Dissolves makeup, eye makeup and sunscreen with no scrubbing.

With waterTurns slightly milky as it loosens, then lifts away with a cloth or a rinse.

AfterSoft and conditioned. Never tight, and never stripped.

Scent: unscented, and not odourless. What you catch is faint calendula, which is the flower extract itself rather than anything added. No added fragrance and no synthetic fragrance.

How to Use

Warm a small amount

Scoop a little and warm it between dry fingertips until it softens into a balm.

Massage into dry skin

Press into a dry face and massage slowly. It melts makeup, sunscreen, and the day’s buildup as you go. Eye makeup included: work it gently over closed eyes and let it soften before you rinse.

Take your time here

This is the part worth slowing down for. Small circles, light pressure, and a few unhurried breaths. Washing your face is the first thing you do that says the day is over, and your system hears it.

Add water or a soft cloth

Wet your hands or use a warm, damp cloth to lift everything away gently. The balm turns slightly milky as the water goes in, which is how you know it is ready to come off.

Rinse and settle

Rinse with lukewarm water and pat dry. Skin is left soft and comfortable, never tight.

Where it sits in your routine

This is the first cleanse, and on most nights it is the only one you need. If you have worn heavy sunscreen or makeup, follow with the Hydrate or Brighten Cleansing Bar as a second cleanse. Once or twice a week the Cacao Renewal Polish or the Radiance Mask comes after that, and the Defy Face Butter or your usual elixir closes it.

On an ordinary Tuesday, this and a moisturiser is a complete evening.

Care & Keeping

How long a jar lasts

A little melts a long way, so a small scoop covers a whole face. Most people take less than they expect at first, because a balm spreads further than a cleanser.

Whether it is preserved, and why

Yes, and this one genuinely needs it. Unlike our waterless butters, the Gentle Balm carries a small water fraction. Water means something could grow, so the balm is preserved with an ECOCERT-permitted system of benzyl alcohol and dehydroacetic acid.

Benzyl alcohol is here as a preservative rather than a scent ingredient, and it is also a declarable fragrance allergen on EU labels. That is the one reason this balm is called unscented rather than fragrance-free. If you want a cleanse with no benzyl alcohol at all, the Hydrate Cleansing Bar is the one.

Storing it, and keeping water out

Cool, out of direct sun, lid on between uses. Because there is water in the formula, use dry fingers or a small spatula rather than wet hands, and keep the jar off the edge of the sink. A preserved product is protected, and it still does better when you are not adding shower water to it daily.

If it arrives warm or looks separated

Softening in a hot mailbox is normal and harmless. Let the closed jar cool and it will come back together.

If it arrives looking genuinely split, with a watery layer sitting apart from the oils, that is different. Do not use it. Send us a photograph and we will replace it. We would rather send another jar than have you put a broken emulsion on your face, and on a product with a water phase that is the honest answer.

Ingredients

Soft plant saponins, skin-loving butters, and calendula. Every ingredient earns its place.

Calendula CO₂Organic

A soft, golden botanical extract, traditionally loved for sensitive skin. The heart of the balm.

Shea & Kokum ButtersNilotica shea · organic

Rich, conditioning butters that give the balm its buttery melt.

Quillaja & SoapwortPlant saponins

Naturally cleansing plant extracts that lift away buildup gently.

Squalane & JojobaPlant-derived

Lightweight, non-greasy oils that leave skin soft and conditioned, never heavy.

Full Ingredient List

Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*+^^, Butyrospermum Parkii (East African Nilotica Shea) Butter*, Garcinia Indica (Kokum) Seed Butter*, Squalane, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Vegetable Glycerin, Aqua (Water), Quillaja Saponaria Wood Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract CO2*, Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Saponaria Officinalis Leaf/Root Extract, Benzyl Alcohol****, Tocopherol, Dehydroacetic Acid****, Althaea Officinalis (Marshmallow) Root Extract.

*Organic +Ethically Sourced ^^Regeneratively Grown ****ECOCERT-certified

86% Natural
14% Naturally Derived & Synthetic
No Synthetic Fragrance
Essential Oil-Free
PEG-Free
No Parabens, Dyes, or Talc

Please Note

Formulated for reactive, easily-overwhelmed skin. We suggest a patch test on the inner forearm, left 24 hours, before facial use.

For external use only. This balm is gentle enough to take off eye makeup. Work it over closed eyes, then rinse well. If it gets into the eye itself, rinse with water.

Indiefog products are cosmetics, made to cleanse, soften, and comfort skin, not to treat, cure, or prevent any condition.

Because we prioritize freshness and small-batch production, the list above may occasionally vary from your packaging. The ingredient list printed on your jar always reflects the exact formula inside.

Community Access

Your purchase unlocks free access to Rooted & Well™, our holistic community with monthly founder sessions, journaling prompts, meditations, and practitioner-supported resources.

Sensitivity Transparency

One soft step for reactive skin, and open about every ingredient.

I formulate for bodies that react to almost everything, including my own. So I build for less, and I name all of it.

The Gentle Balm is a one-step calendula cleanse: unscented, essential oil-free, and PEG-free, built on soft plant saponins. If you are navigating an autoimmune condition, MCAS, eczema, psoriasis, or skin that is easily overwhelmed, this is one quiet step that takes the day off without stripping. Here is the full picture.

Why it’s made for reactive skin

Unscented & EO-freeNo synthetic fragrance and no essential oils. Nothing aromatic added.

Gentle plant cleansingSoft saponins from quillaja and soapwort lift the day away gently.

One soft stepCleanses, removes makeup, and conditions in a single, low-friction step.

Conditioning buttersEast African Nilotica shea with kokum, a softer, higher-oleic grade that leaves skin comfortable rather than heavy.

Unscented, with one named preservative

The Gentle Balm is unscented and essential oil-free, with no synthetic fragrance and no essential oils. The one fragrance-adjacent ingredient I name rather than hide is benzyl alcohol, an ECOCERT-permitted preservative that is also a declarable fragrance allergen on EU labels. Because this is a water-compatible balm, it needs a preservative to stay stable, and I would rather name it plainly than let a label speak for me.

Every ingredient, named

Here is everything in the jar, nothing hidden and nothing cherry-picked. The balm is built around calendula, a botanical long loved by sensitive skin, and one that sits in the Asteraceae (daisy and ragweed) family. The notes below matter most if you react to that family.

Open the full ingredient list

Calendula CO₂Calendula Officinalis · hero

The golden botanical at the heart of the balm, long loved for sensitive skin. It is in the Asteraceae (daisy and ragweed) family, so it is the first thing to know if you react to ragweed or related plants.

Shea & Kokum ButtersButyrospermum Parkii (Nilotica), Garcinia Indica

The conditioning butters behind the buttery melt. Both are tree-derived and clinically low-allergen, even for tree-nut-reactive skin.

Jojoba, Squalane, Crambe & MeadowfoamSimmondsia Chinensis, Squalane, Crambe Abyssinica, Limnanthes Alba

Lightweight plant oils and squalane that condition without heaviness. All very low-reactivity.

Quillaja & SoapwortQuillaja Saponaria, Saponaria Officinalis

Gentle plant saponins that do the cleansing here. Naturally cleansing and well tolerated.

Marshmallow RootAlthaea Officinalis

A soothing, water-loving botanical for a soft finish. Low-reactivity.

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate & GlycerinPlant-derived emollient & humectant

A coconut-derived, non-greasy emollient plus humectant glycerin. They give the balm its dry, clean slip and help it rinse away with water. No PEGs, no silicones.

Tocopherol (Vitamin E)Sunflower-derived

A sunflower-derived antioxidant that keeps the oils fresh. Sunflower is also in the Asteraceae family, and it is never soy.

Benzyl Alcohol & Dehydroacetic AcidECOCERT preservation

The system that keeps this water-compatible balm stable. Benzyl alcohol is here as a preservative rather than a scent ingredient, and it is also a declarable fragrance allergen on EU labels, named here so nothing is a surprise.

That is everything in the jar. Nothing hidden, nothing implied. If a particular ingredient gives you pause, calendula especially if you react to the ragweed family, patch test a small area first. You know your body best.

If you are navigating a condition, use this alongside your doctors, never instead. The Gentle Balm is a cosmetic. It is made to cleanse, soften, and comfort skin, and it does not treat, cure, or prevent any condition.

Make it a guided ritual

Body & nervous systemMagnesium Ritual Experience Calming skincareSensory Ritual Experience