About Balbec

Hi! My name is Maneesha and I have been making fresh, vibrational skincare and fragrances for my customers for over 10 years. 

Before that I lived in NYC where I was a student, (I did a PhD in Italian Literature at Columbia), then ran an incredibly fun archiving business serving private and corporate clients, and became a mom along the way. 

This lovely alchemical adventure that is Balbec began when I moved to rural Hunterdon County, NJ with my family. 

I started out in 2012 making and selling fresh clay and yogurt cleansers, hydrosols and oils to promote a healthy acid mantle and skin comfort. Then in 2017  Nomad (my prebiotic, Vitamin C-rich powdered cleanser) joined the mix. In 2023 the vibrational fragrances and skincare came along after five years (!) of development, and the eau de parfums followed. I am a trained flower essence therapist and a devoted, perennial student of Classical Chinese Medicine. Aside from my work, I love to eat, read, and garden.

Balbec is named for the seaside resort in Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time, where the narrator recuperates from his illness and discovers friends and loves within a landscape of fresh air, sea, and light. Its beauty lies outside time, attainable only through the interplay of reflection and imagination, in presence.

I thank you for taking the time to stop by. If you have any questions, please email me. It would be a delight to hear from you!