Why Matcha? The Story Behind Momo Cha

If you've visited our showcase at RayetheStore in Kensington this month, you'll have spotted it: a soft, earthy green bar sitting alongside our Silky Luxe and Coffee Breeze. That's Momo Cha, our limited-edition soap made with Japanese matcha.

Plenty of you have asked the same question: why matcha? This post is our answer. It's the story of a carefully crafted ingredient, and how it ended up in a small batch of handmade soap here in the UK.

Matcha Isn't Just Green Tea Powder

It's easy to assume matcha is simply green tea leaves ground into powder. In fact, it's a very particular kind of tea, made in a very particular way.

It starts in the shade. For around three to four weeks before harvest, matcha tea plants are covered to block out most of the sunlight. With less light, the plants produce more chlorophyll, which is where matcha gets its deep, vivid green.

Only the leaf makes the cut. After picking, the leaves are steamed, dried, and then carefully stripped of their stems and veins. What remains is called tencha, the raw material for matcha.

Then it's ground slowly. Traditionally, tencha is ground between granite stone mills, turning so slowly that a single mill produces only around 30 to 40 grams of powder an hour. The result is an extremely fine, silky powder, far finer than ordinary ground tea.

That care and patience is a big part of why we were drawn to it. It mirrors the way we like to make soap: slowly, by hand, with no shortcuts.

From the Teacup to the Bathroom

Green tea has long been a familiar name in Japanese beauty culture, and today it appears everywhere from cleansers to face masks around the world. For us, though, the reasons for choosing matcha were more personal than trendy.

The colour - We don't use synthetic colourants in any of our soaps. Every shade has to come from the ingredients themselves, and matcha brings a soft, natural green.

The heritage - As a brand that loves traditional Asian botanicals, from ginseng in our Cha Cha Glow to red bean powder in Bloom B, matcha's long place in East Asian tea culture is part of what makes it feel like home to us.

The feel - Matcha is so finely milled that it blends smoothly through the soap, with no scratchy bits. Paired with our creamy butter base, it gives a bar that feels smooth and silky in the hand.

What Else Is Inside Momo Cha

Matcha is the star, but it has good company.

Green clay works alongside the matcha to give Momo Cha its muted green colour. Clays have been part of beauty rituals for thousands of years, and green clay is still a familiar favourite in face masks today. In soap, clay also adds a lovely smooth slip to the lather.

Shea butter and cocoa butter create a rich base that whips into a dense, creamy lather. The bar cleanses gently and leaves skin feeling soft and comfortable, which is why we designed it for both face and body.

Lavender, cedarwood and patchouli essential oils give Momo Cha its scent. It opens herbaceous and fresh, then settles into warm wood and earth. Don't expect it to smell like a cup of tea: the aroma comes from this essential oil blend, and it's intentionally quiet and grounding, a bar for the end of a long day.

As always, our full ingredient list is on the product page in INCI format. If those names look unfamiliar, our post How to Read Ingredient Labels Like a Pro explains what they mean.

How We Make Momo Cha

Like all our bars, Momo Cha is made using the cold-process method. Oils and butters are combined with a lye solution, and over time they transform into soap through a natural reaction called saponification. For Momo Cha, we use finely ground Japanese matcha.

Once poured and cut, each bar cures on our shelves for 4 weeks. This slow rest lets excess water evaporate, giving a harder, longer-lasting bar with a milder, creamier lather.

Getting the Most From Your Bar

Water is the secret to a great lather. Natural bar soap needs more water than you might expect. Wet your hands and the bar well, then keep adding a little more water as you work it between your palms. With every splash, the bubbles build up richer and creamier. If the bar ever feels draggy on your skin, the answer is more water, not more soap.

Momo Cha is suited to normal skin. As with any new product, stop using it if irritation occurs, and check the ingredient list if you have any known allergies.

A Limited Batch

Momo Cha is a limited edition, made in a small batch. When this batch is gone, it's gone.

Come and see it in person at RayetheStore in Kensington while our showcase is on, or find it on our online shop. And if you already have a bar, we'd love to hear how you're enjoying your new ritual. Tag us at @obobobu.soap.