Derived from the Jeju island of Korea, Innisfree skin care is aimed to promote beauty through natural ingredients. The K-beauty brand was launched in 2000 and became Korea’s first natural skincare company. Though not certified cruelty-free, they strive to provide reasonably priced products that help maintain the skin’s youthful glow by using 80% naturally-derived ingredients. Innisfree also vows to encourage green-living by financially supporting causes that give back to the Earth and community. They strongly believe in preserving forests and eco-recycling their products.
“Our proprietary extraction methods preserve the purity and potency of these wholesome
ingredients from plant to bottle, offering advanced formulas that safely address all skin concerns
without the use of harmful chemicals and preservatives.” – Innisfree
Some of the natural ingredients extracted straight from the island include green tea, volcanic clusters, orchids, lava seawater, and tangerine. Go here to find out more about their ingredients and the products they’re used in!
Instead of a long, multi-step skincare routine, Innisfree developed a five-step routine their customers can follow for a more efficient and functional routine while still receiving all the benefits of the products. Within each step, one can customize their products in order to meet their own skin needs and concerns.
Here are the steps they suggest:
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Cleanse: using a double-cleansing method of an oil cleanser to remove surface oil and makeup, followed by a foaming cleanser to cleanse more deeply.
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Replenish: using a serum which is meant to rebalance the skin’s optimal moisture level.
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Treat: using an intensive, targeted formula to address specific skin concerns.
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Moisturize: to lock in hydration and maintain the skin’s protective barrier.
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Protect: to provide daily defense against the sun’s harmful rays.
I had the chance to test four of their best-selling products made with green tea extract and seed oil: the intensive hydrating serum, intensive-hydrating eye cream, the intensive-hydrating cream, and the green tea “my real squeeze” mask. I used these four products over the course of three days both morning and night in order to fully experience them at work and see how my skin reacted.
1. Intensive Hydrating Serum, $25
Image via Sofia Emm Studios
Description: this hydrating and nourishing serum is formulated with freshly squeezed Jeju green tea extract and green tea seed oil to deliver moisture and nourishment to the skin for clear and dewy skin.
After cleansing the skin, you’re meant to apply this serum evenly over your face and neck and pat down to lock in moisture. My first impression when using this product was the fresh, light, and slightly earthy scent when I rubbed it into my skin and how the tight feeling after cleansing immediately vanished. It absorbed quickly and didn’t feel too sticky. I also noticed a slight cooling effect that felt extra refreshing.
2. Intensive Hydrating Eye Cream, $23
Image via Dreams to Creations
Description: This antioxidant and hydrating eye cream is formulated with freshly squeezed Jeju green tea extract and green tea seed oil to deliver moisture and nourishment to the eye area.
I was quite thankful for this product since I don’t have any eye cream to use at the moment. The past couple of weeks have been especially cruel to my skin, especially the tender area around my eyes. I find myself rubbing my eyes too much and sometimes removing makeup irritates them. After applying the serum, I delicately applied a few dabs of this cream around my entire eye area and it felt amazing. The cream is the perfect consistency so that it felt thick and moisturizing but also absorbed nicely into the skin. My eye area felt well nourished the next morning and looked less puffy.
3. Intensive Hydrating Cream, $23 (pictured second to the right)
Image via Personatalie
Description: This antioxidant and hydrating cream is formulated with freshly squeezed Jeju green tea extract and green tea seed oil to deliver moisture and nourishment for clear and dewy skin.
I applied this cream last over my face and neck area and patted it down. What I noticed right away from this product was its’ texture. It almost felt like smoothing velvet over my skin, and has more of a gel texture than the other two. It also had the same refreshing scent, and absorbed easily into my skin.
4. My Real Squeeze Mask, $1.80
Image via Blushed Life
Description: This refreshing water-type real mask, enriched with fresh moisture from delicately fragrant green tea, keeps dry skin moisturized.
I applied this sheet mask on Saturday morning (after having a late night) when my skin felt extra dry and sleep deprived. I could feel the green tea instantly perk my skin up and it felt hydrated and awake after leaving it on for 15 minutes. I would recommend this mask for those with dry skin that needs an extra boost!
After testing these four products, I was pleasantly surprised. My skin didn’t react harshly to any of the ingredients and I felt more moisturized than I had before. If I had to purchase a full size for myself I think it would have to be the eye cream; I feel that this product had the best effect on my skin and helped repair the tenderness around my eyes. The only reason I wouldn’t recommend Innisfree products over others is because it isn’t cruelty free, since they do sell products in China which requires by law that they test on animals. However, I do believe their green-conscious practices and natural ingredients give them an upper hand over products that use harsh chemicals. Also, their pricing seems pretty affordable for a more high-end product that has noticeable effects.
If you’re looking for a new Korean skincare brand to try out that’s affordable yet sophisticated, I would recommend checking out Innisfree! Their products are aesthetically pleasing with lovely natural scents and I strongly believe that they have lasting benefits for any skin type.