Tatcha The Matcha Cleanse for acne-prone skin

Average
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for acne-prone skin; other cleansers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with acne-prone skin: breakouts, blackheads, and post-acne marks. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Offers moderate cleansing for your combination skin, as sodium lauroyl aspartate and glycerin gently remove impurities while maintaining hydration.
- Willow bark extract and camellia sinensis leaf extract provide mild exfoliation and antioxidant benefits, supporting your skin's overall health.
- The formula is safe for your acne-prone skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Could be used as part of your AM and PM routine. Start using it 3 times a week and build up to daily use if your skin tolerates it.
- This cleanser is the first step in your morning routine and the second step after your pre-cleanser in the evening. Always follow up with a toner and moisturizer .
- Gently massage a small amount of the cleanser onto your face in circular motions. Avoid harsh rubbing to keep your skin calm.
- Apply the cleanser on slightly damp skin to help it work effectively against breakouts. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water .
- Avoid the immediate eye area and do a patch test before your first use to check for any sensitivity.
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 1.0k+ reviewsThis daily gel cleanser is widely praised by users with oily and combination skin for its ability to deeply purify pores and control shine without stripping the moisture barrier. A significant number of users report frustration with the runny consistency and leaky packaging, and those with dry or sensitive skin occasionally experience tightness or breakouts. This summary is based on a very large amount of data and should definitely be taken into account.
Highlights
Non-stripping cleanse Mostly Mentioned
- “clean without stripping”
- “leaves skin soft”
- “doesn't feel tight”
- “gentle daily favorite”
Poor packaging design Mostly Mentioned
- “leaks easily”
- “pours out uncontrollably”
- “bad packaging”
- “cap gets messy”
Balances oil Often Mentioned
- “dries up oil”
- “keeps skin hydrated”
- “preventing oil production”
- “shine-free skin”
Runny consistency Often Mentioned
- “texture is quite watery”
- “very thin gel”
- “spilled out”
- “wastes product”
Pleasant texture Sometimes Noted
- “super foamy lather”
- “beautiful lather”
- “refreshing foam”
- “smells amazing”
Pore decongestion Sometimes Noted
- “tightens the pores”
- “decongests pores”
- “pores looked smaller”
- “smooths skin texture”
High price point Sometimes Noted
- “overpriced”
- “expensive for a cleanser”
- “tad on the expensive side”
- “not worth the money”
Makeup priming Rarely Noted
- “makeup applies better”
- “reduces makeup slip-off”
- “primes skin”
- “better makeup wear”
Breakouts & irritation Rarely Noted
- “caused breakouts”
- “little red bumps”
- “wrecked skin barrier”
- “stings my face”
Drying for some Rarely Noted
- “felt a bit tight”
- “not for dry skin”
- “drying on drier days”
- “stripped my skin”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.co.uk, kohls.com, ulta.com, walmart.com, spacenk.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Tatcha The Matcha Cleanse work for acne-prone skin?
This cleanser works moderately well for your acne-prone skin, gently removing impurities while maintaining hydration without causing irritation. Cleansers that fit this skin better need powerful ingredients like niacinamide and ceramides to effectively address acne and breakouts while keeping the skin balanced.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for acne-prone skin?
This cleanser works for your acne-prone skin because willow bark extract and green tea help clear up blemishes and control oil, while glycerin maintains hydration. Cleansers for this skin type need strong acne-fighting ingredients like niacinamide, soothing agents, and barrier-repairing elements like ceramides or hyaluronic acid to properly balance oily and dry areas.
What does Matcha Green Tea do for acne-prone skin?
Matcha green tea helps calm acne-prone skin by reducing pimples, soothing redness, and balancing oily shine. Topical application of green tea ingredients is unlikely to cause irritation and may visibly improve breakouts over several weeks.
Phytotherapy Research, 2021The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2013
What does Sodium Lauroyl Aspartate do for acne-prone skin?
Sodium Lauroyl Aspartate helps cleanse acne-prone skin gently while keeping the skin barrier safe and reducing irritation. Because it is a mild surfactant that interacts less with skin proteins and lipids, it is unlikely to dry out or damage your skin.
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This cleanser goes in your morning and evening routine as the first step after removing makeup. Acne-prone skin works best with cleansers containing willow bark extract and green tea to clear away impurities while keeping skin calm.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser twice a day in your morning and evening routines. A cleanser of this type for acne-prone skin needs gentle cleansing ingredients like sodium lauroyl aspartate and glycerin to remove impurities while maintaining hydration, along with willow bark extract and camellia sinensis leaf extract to provide mild exfoliation and antioxidant benefits.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts, as it has a safe formula with no harsh ingredients that could irritate your skin. To properly care for acne-prone skin, this type of product needs gentle cleansing ingredients that remove impurities while keeping skin hydrated, along with mild exfoliants like willow bark extract to support overall skin health.
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this cleanser on your body, but it is best to avoid the very thin skin directly around the eyes. While the formula is gentle and unlikely to irritate, cleansers for the delicate eye area typically need extra soothing and hydrating ingredients to protect thin skin from drying out.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no fragrance and contains drying alcohol (alcohol).
What the research says
A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017A botanical face cleanser with hops and willow bark extract continuously reduced skin sebum levels without reactive seborrhea after treatment in 21 healthy volunteers compared to a sodium laureth sulfate cleanser, with neither cleanser causing skin irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019An anti-acne hydrogel containing Aloe barbadensis, Garcinia mangostana, and Camellia sinensis extracts showed superior antiacne and antiblotch activities compared to 1% clindamycin gel in sixty subjects with mild-moderate acne.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019Topical green tea extract significantly improved clinical symptoms, tear breakup times, and meibomian gland health compared to standard treatment in patients with dry eye and Meibomian Gland Dysfunction.
Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, 2017Topical low-dose green tea extract reduces UVB-induced p53 expression and apoptosis in human skin keratinocytes compared to placebo.
Experimental Dermatology, 2009Topical application of green tea extract encapsulated chitosan microparticles improved skin elasticity, melanin index, and facial wrinkles compared to a placebo in female volunteers without causing skin irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022Daily application of a cream containing niosomes loaded with purple glutinous rice extract in 20 human volunteers for 28 days resulted in a significant decrease in melanin index and skin roughness by -14.05% and -9.95%, and increases in skin hydration and elastic recovery by +48.73% and +35.98% compared to initial values.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2020The iontophoretic delivery of hyaluronic acid nanogel-loaded Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate significantly reduced advanced glycation end products and mitigated skin stiffening in an ex vivo skin tissue glycation model.
International Journal of Nanomedicine, 2025Red rice extract suppressed UVB-induced inflammation and skin aging in human skin fibroblasts by inhibiting the MAPK signaling pathway, leading to decreased NF-kappa B and AP-1 activation, reduced ECM degradation, and increased ECM synthesis compared to UVB-irradiated controls.
Natural Product Communications, 2016Bioactive lipid nanocarriers co-loaded with willow bark or ivy leaf extracts and UV-filters provided pronounced UVA photoprotection up to an SPF-equivalent value of 13 and a maximum in vivo skin hydration effect of 97% when prepared with pomegranate oil.
Nanomaterials, 2022A topical serum containing 0.5% salicin applied twice daily reduced visible signs of skin aging, including wrinkles and tactile roughness, in 30 female subjects over 12 weeks compared to baseline.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2010A novel emulsion containing niacinamide, lens esculenta seed extract, and white willow bark extract effectively improved acne, blackheads, and conspicuous facial pores in 30 subjects with oily skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Sodium Lauroyl Aspartate, Peg-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Lauryl Glucoside, Sodium Lauryl Glycol Carboxylate, Saccharomyces Rice Ferment Filtrate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Cladosiphon Okamuranus Extract, Willow Bark Extract, Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract, Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Extract, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Carbonate, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Alcohol, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Yellow 5 Ci 19140, Blue 1 Ci 42090
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
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