Super Matcha Pore Clean Cleansing Gel

The phrase 'matcha cleanser' tends to sound more like a wellness Instagram caption than a serious skincare category. Green powder, aesthetic packaging, vague promises about antioxidants. It's easy to dismiss, which is what makes Some By Mi's Super Matcha Pore Clean Cleansing Gel quietly interesting — because when you actually read the INCI, the matcha here is doing real work, and the supporting formulation around it is more considered than the marketing suggests.

Camellia sinensis leaf extract shows up twice: once as a water-soluble extract and once as finely milled leaf powder. The extract contributes the soluble catechins and EGCG that have a real body of research behind them for antioxidant and sebum-regulating activity. The powder acts as a mild physical component — not a gritty scrub, but enough fine particulate to help polish sebum out of pore openings during the contact time of cleansing. Put bluntly, you can see the green specks in the gel, and after a minute of massaging they're doing something your average foaming cleanser isn't.

The second headline ingredient is willow bark extract. Willow contains salicin, a natural precursor to salicylic acid, and while it's nowhere near as potent as a true BHA treatment product, its inclusion here adds a gentle anti-congestion edge that fits the matcha theme. You won't get the kind of chemical exfoliation a dedicated BHA toner delivers, but as a cleanser add-on, it tips the product toward clearer pores over time.

What keeps this from being a drying, acne-angled disaster is the surfactant base. Sodium lauroyl methyl isethionate and cocamidopropyl betaine do the lifting, supported by lauryl glucoside — a combination that's among the milder foaming systems in K-beauty. The pH sits around 5.5, comfortably inside the range your skin actually wants, so you get real cleansing without the post-wash tightness that plagued drugstore gel cleansers for decades. A small dose of centella asiatica and panthenol provides a soothing buffer during the short contact window.

On the skin, it feels like a serious gel cleanser. The deep green color and herbal aroma give it a spa-shelf presence, and it foams into a soft, light lather you wouldn't expect from its consistency. The fragrance is the one thing worth flagging — it's added, it's noticeable, and anyone sensitive to scented cleansers should know that upfront. It's an herbal, clean fragrance rather than floral or sweet, but it is fragrance.

Where this product shines is on oily and combination skin that feels congested by the end of the day. It clears excess sebum without the tightness of clay-heavy cleansers, and over two or three weeks of consistent use, the pore-surface improvements are visible rather than imagined. It also pairs unusually well with whatever you put on after — retinol, vitamin C, BHA toner — because it doesn't leave behind a residue or disrupt your skin's pH.

It's not the right cleanser for everyone. Dry skin types are going to find it under-hydrating relative to a creamy or milky wash, and anyone with a truly reactive barrier should weigh the fragrance and the matcha particles carefully. But for the oily, combination, and congestion-prone crowd — which is a meaningful share of K-beauty's actual audience — it earns its spot in the routine at a price that undercuts most of its Western equivalents. Some By Mi remains an emerging brand without the deep clinical roots of the derm-pharmacy category, but as a formulation choice, this gel holds up to scrutiny.

Formula

The Science

The case for matcha as a skincare ingredient rests on the polyphenol content of Camellia sinensis, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Research published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology and Archives of Dermatological Research has examined EGCG's antioxidant activity and its modest but measurable effects on sebum production and inflammation in acne-prone skin. While most of this research uses leave-on vehicles rather than cleansers, the inclusion of both water-soluble extract and fine leaf powder in this gel gives the actives more contact opportunity than a plain extract would.

Willow bark contains salicin, which is enzymatically converted to salicylic acid in vivo. Its efficacy in cosmetic products is debated — salicin itself is not a direct BHA and its conversion efficiency during a short cleansing window is limited — but it contributes gentle anti-congestion and anti-inflammatory effects that align with the overall design of this cleanser.

The more interesting formulation decision is the surfactant system. Sodium lauroyl methyl isethionate is consistently ranked among the mildest anionic surfactants in dermatological irritation studies, significantly gentler than sulfate-based systems. Paired with cocamidopropyl betaine and lauryl glucoside, this base foams effectively without disrupting the stratum corneum lipids — a critical consideration for oily skin users who historically over-stripped their barriers with harsher cleansers. The inclusion of centella and panthenol further buffers the short contact time, making this one of the better-designed gel cleansers in its price range.

Dermatologist Perspective

Dermatologists generally recommend gentle, pH-balanced cleansers for oily and acne-prone skin, and this formulation meets those criteria. Board-certified dermatologists note that while ingredients like willow bark and green tea have limited direct clinical evidence as cleansers, their inclusion in a well-designed mild surfactant base does no harm and may add modest benefit over time. This type of cleanser is commonly suggested as part of a simple routine for oily combination skin that doesn't tolerate stronger medicated washes. The only clinical caution dermatologists flag is the added fragrance, which can be problematic for patients with sensitive skin or rosacea.

Guidance

Some By Mi developed this cleanser as part of its 'Super Matcha' pore line, following the viral success of the AHA-BHA-PHA Miracle cleanser. The brand leaned into matcha at a moment when Korean skincare was embracing food-sourced actives for oily skin.

About Some By Mi Emerging Brand (2–5 years)

Some By Mi launched in 2017 with the AHA-BHA-PHA Miracle line. The brand focuses on acne-targeted K-beauty formulations and has built credibility through accessible pricing, though long-term independent clinical validation remains limited.

Brand founded: 2017 · Product launched: 2020

Myth vs. Reality

Myth

Matcha in skincare is just a marketing gimmick.

Reality

The EGCG and catechins in matcha have documented antioxidant and sebum-regulating effects, and this formula uses both extract and leaf powder to deliver them during cleansing.

FAQ

Common Praise

"Genuinely de-greases without stripping"

"Smells clean and herbal"

"Foams nicely for a gel"

"Leaves skin feeling polished"

Common Complaints

"Fragrance is noticeable"

"Tiny matcha particles may feel gritty"

"Not ideal for dry skin"

Notable Endorsements

Popular among oily skin users in K-beauty circles

Appears In

best cleanser for oily skin best k beauty cleanser for pores best matcha cleanser best gel cleanser for blackheads

Related Conditions

oiliness large pores blackheads acne

Related Ingredients

green tea willow bark centella asiatica