ISNTREE: the Korean brand born from a blog about ingredients

You may have already come across its blue-and-white sunscreen tubes or its brown green tea bottles. That’s ISNTREE, a Korean brand that wasn’t born in a luxury lab, but on a blog: one run by enthusiasts who picked apart cosmetic ingredient lists. Their idea: focus on the right ingredients rather than on overpriced packaging.

In this guide, we tell you where ISNTREE comes from, what’s in its key products, how to find your way through its lines (blue, green, purple…) and, above all, where to start for your skin. Spoiler: it’s an ideal brand if you like knowing what you put on your face.

The story of ISNTREE, from blog to brand

It all starts in October 2008. That year, Korea made the listing of all ingredients mandatory on cosmetics. A small revolution for consumers, who could finally read what was in their creams. The team that would become ISNTREE then started a blog dedicated to cosmetic ingredients, presented by the brand as the first of its kind in Korea.

By analyzing formulas from the consumer’s point of view, the team became convinced of one thing: by focusing on the essentials, meaning raw materials and ingredients, you can offer skincare as interesting as luxury products. The blog’s readers asked for more, and on December 2, 2009, ISNTREE released its very first product, as its CEO Kim Jin-woo (김진우) tells it.

According to ISNTREE, the brand then went abroad, starting with the United States in 2017, and its products are now sold in about 90 countries, on all seven continents, and three of them (the Hyaluronic Acid Toner, the Watery Sun Gel and the Green Tea Fresh Toner) received the Amazon’s Choice label in 2020. As of mid-October 2026, we carry about fifty ISNTREE products, from toners to sunscreens.

The ISNTREE philosophy: “green beauty” that works

Its Korean slogan sums it all up: “the beginning of functional green beauty” (기능성 그린뷰티의 시작). In English, the brand says “Easy entry to Active Green”: a simple gateway to green but effective skincare. In practice, ISNTREE combines familiar naturally derived ingredients (green tea, mugwort, aloe, yam, onion…) with actives like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide or exfoliating acids.

• A list of 100 excluded ingredients: on top of the roughly 2,000 ingredients banned by law, the brand has drawn up its own list of 100 ingredients it refuses to put in its formulas.
• More responsible packaging: since 2022, ISNTREE has been renewing all its packaging with labels that come off in water, soy-based ink and FSC-certified paper.
• No ingredients tested on animals: the brand says it excludes raw materials tested on animals and ingredients of animal origin.
• Listening to customers: a legacy of its blog beginnings, ISNTREE highlights dialogue with its community to improve its products.

ISNTREE’s key ingredients

Every ISNTREE line revolves around one ingredient, written in big letters on the bottle, with an easy-to-remember color code. Here are the ones to know.

Hyaluronic acid, the blue signature

It’s the ISNTREE line we carry the most of, recognizable by its blue-and-white bottles. Hyaluronic acid holds water on the skin’s surface and helps it stay supple and plump. ISNTREE puts several forms of it in its products, for example in the Ultra-Low Molecular Hyaluronic Acid toner, in a large 300 ml size.

Jeju green tea, for shiny skin

The Green Tea Fresh line, in brown bottles, uses green tea extract from Jeju Island. Rich in antioxidants, it helps balance water and sebum: it’s the line for combination to oily skin. The brand’s CEO even says he loves this ingredient. Try it with the Green Tea Fresh serum.

Mugwort, to soothe

Mugwort is a traditional plant in Korea, appreciated for its soothing effect. The sage-green Mugwort Calming line is designed for sensitive skin that turns red quickly, built around the Mugwort Calming ampoule.

Onion, the purple line for blemish-prone skin

More surprisingly, onion extract is the key ingredient of the purple Onion Newpair line. It’s aimed at blemish-prone skin, with light textures like the Onion Newpair gel cream.

Seaweed PDRN, for bounce

The deep-green Gim PDRN line uses PDRN from gim, the laver seaweed grown in Wando, in southern Korea (the one used for kimbap sheets). A plant-based version of PDRN, to discover in the Gim PDRN Hydro Bouncy ampoule.

Yam, for dry skin

The cream-colored Yam Root line relies on yam root in vegan formulas with a milky texture. It’s made for dry skin that loves gentle, nourishing care, like the Yam Root Vegan Milk toner.

The ISNTREE lines to know

Which ISNTREE for your skin?

Pick your need: we give you our favorite product, plus two more to round things out.

A complete ISNTREE routine, morning and night

Morning

1. CleanseThe gentle Low-pH hyaluronic acid foam, then rinse with lukewarm water.
2. ToneThe Hyaluronic Acid Toner, patted in with your hands, or the Green Tea Fresh Toner if your skin gets shiny.
3. SerumThe Green Tea Fresh serum or the Ultra-Low Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Serum, depending on your skin.
4. MoisturizeThe Aqua Gel Cream, light and fresh.
5. ProtectThe Watery Sun Gel SPF50+/PA++++, and the Airy Sun Stick for touch-ups.

Evening

1. Remove makeupThe Mugwort Calming balm, massaged onto dry skin to remove makeup and SPF, then emulsified with a little water.
2. CleanseThe Low-pH foam, for clean skin without tightness.
3. ToneThe Ultra-Low Molecular toner, or an Onion Newpair pad two or three nights a week.
4. SerumThe Gim PDRN ampoule, or the Mugwort ampoule if your skin is irritated.
5. NourishThe richer Hyaluronic Acid Moist Cream, or the Gim PDRN sleeping mask as the last layer.

Our tips for using ISNTREE well

• One new product at a time: wait one to two weeks before adding another, and patch-test it first on a small area, for example behind your ear.
• Pick your color: each ISNTREE line has its own color code. Blue to hydrate, brown for shiny skin, sage green to soothe, purple for blemishes. Sticking to one color is the easiest way to start.
• Layer your toner: hyaluronic acid toners are perfect for the Korean thin-layer method. Two or three patted-in layers are better than a big amount all at once.
• Go easy with actives: the Chestnut BHA toner, the Hyper Acid serum and the Hyper Retinol serum are for nighttime, not all at the same time, and never on irritated skin.
• SPF every morning: especially if you use acids or retinol. Apply a generous amount and reapply during the day; the stick is made for that.
• A mask for tired days: the mugwort Glauze Mask or the Clay Mugwort mask once or twice a week, for a feel-good routine.

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Jihyun, team Ma Petite Corée