PURITO, cruelty free and vegan: the Korean centella brand

A fir-green bottle, a plain white label and a name written in big letters: Purito. If you’re looking for gentle Korean skincare without synthetic fragrance, and you want to know if the brand is really PURITO cruelty free, you’re in the right place. At the heart of this Korean brand: its centella asiatica products, the “cica” plant often used for skin prone to redness.

So what exactly is PURITO? A 100% Korean brand that presents itself as vegan and cruelty free, and builds its lines around ingredients grown in Korea: centella, Gunsan oats, Damyang bamboo… In this guide, we tell you its story, what’s really in its bottles, how to find your way between the old and new names, and above all where to start depending on your skin.

The story of PURITO, from Centella Green to PURITO SEOUL

Let’s start with the name. PURITO combines the English word “purify” and the Chinese character 土, which is read “to” and means earth, soil. The idea: natural, purified ingredients from healthy soil.

The brand got noticed outside Korea in the late 2010s. In January 2019, the international trade press presented its Centella Green line: centella products without animal-derived ingredients and without animal testing. The brand then grew around this line and its Centella Green Level serum.

Then the brand got a makeover. The Centella Green Level line was renewed under the name Wonder Releaf Centella, with a new green and white bottle; and the brand now signs as PURITO SEOUL, to affirm its Korean roots. Good to know: at our shop, some listings still carry the old name “Centella Green Level”, but the photos do show the new Wonder Releaf bottle.

Since then, PURITO SEOUL hasn’t stopped. In 2025, its Mighty Bamboo Panthenol Cream won the Rookie award in the global trends category of the Olive Young Awards, the awards of the big Korean beauty chain. At the end of May 2026, the brand arrived at Olive Young in the United States, in the Pasadena store. And in June 2026, it chose actress Natalia Dyer as its first international face. As of mid-October 2026, its sensitive-skin care is sold well beyond Korea.

PURITO, cruelty free and vegan: the brand’s philosophy

PURITO SEOUL sums up its promise in one sentence: visible results and everyday comfort, for skin that feels sensitive but wants more. In practice, that means four things:

• Vegan and cruelty free: according to its official FAQ, all PURITO products are vegan and cruelty free, and its ingredient suppliers don’t test on animals either.
• Ingredients from the Korean peninsula: the brand says it sources its plants in Korea (centella, oats, bamboo, minari…) and pairs them with actives dermatologists know.
• Simplicity: formulas with few ingredients, and Unscented versions (without synthetic fragrance) for skin that reacts quickly.
• An eco-responsible approach: the brand highlights ethical, environmentally conscious practices in creating its products.

PURITO’s key ingredients

Each PURITO line revolves around one main ingredient, often grown in Korea. Here are the ones to know before you choose.

Korean centella asiatica

This is the ingredient at the heart of the brand. Centella asiatica (or “cica”) is a plant known for soothing skin that turns red or feels tight. According to PURITO, its centella grows on Korean plantations: Goesan, Hapcheon and Jeju Island. The Wonder Releaf serums combine centella extract with the four cica actives: madecassoside, asiaticoside, madecassic acid and asiatic acid, with niacinamide, panthenol and sodium hyaluronate. Start with the Wonder Releaf Unscented serum.

Panthenol and Damyang bamboo

Panthenol is provitamin B5, a great classic for skin comfort. The Mighty Bamboo Panthenol line pairs it with an extract of Damyang bamboo, a Korean region rich in bamboo forests. According to the brand, the Mighty Bamboo cream contains 10% panthenol: it’s the cream that won at the Olive Young Awards 2025.

Gunsan oats

Oats are a gentle ingredient, long used for dry and sensitive skin. PURITO uses oat seed water from Gunsan, a coastal city in western Korea. In the Oat In Calming gel cream, it makes up 77% of the formula according to the brand, for fresh, light hydration.

Galactomyces and niacinamide

Galactomyces is a ferment (a yeast) widely used in K-beauty for radiance and skin texture. Niacinamide (vitamin B3) helps even out skin tone. The Galacto Niacin 97 essence contains 92% galactomyces filtrate and 5% niacinamide: 92 + 5 makes the “97” in its name.

Deep sea water

The Hydro Wave Deep Sea line relies on deep sea water from Gangwon province, rich in minerals. It’s PURITO’s hydration line, with a serum and a cream for skin that lacks water.

Targeted actives: vitamin C, PDRN, retinal

Alongside its Korean plants, PURITO offers serums with clearly identified actives: the vitamin C of the Pure Vitamin C Serum, the PDRN and collagen of the Multi PDRN Collagen serum, or the retinal of the Retinal Retinol NAD serum. Their names tell you directly what’s inside: handy for finding your way.

The PURITO lines to know

Which PURITO for your skin?

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

A complete PURITO routine, morning and night

In the morning

1. CleanseA hazelnut-sized amount of Mighty Bamboo cleanser, or just lukewarm water if your skin is very dry.
2. ToneThe Wonder Releaf Unscented toner, patted in with your hands.
3. SerumThe vitamin C serum for radiance, or the centella serum if your skin is sensitive.
4. MoisturizeThe light oat gel cream, or the Mighty Bamboo cream in winter.
5. ProtectThe Daily Soft Touch sunscreen, every day, even when it’s cloudy.

In the evening

1. Remove makeupThe From Green cleansing oil or the avocado balm, massaged onto dry skin then emulsified with a little water.
2. CleanseThe From Green foam or the cleanser from your line, for really clean skin.
3. ToneThe Oat PDRN toner, or the centella toner.
4. Targeted careThe Galacto Niacin essence for radiance, or the retinal serum two to three evenings a week at first.
5. MoisturizeThe Mighty Bamboo cream or the ceramide sleeping mask to finish.

Our tips for using PURITO well

• Very sensitive skin? Choose the Unscented versions: the brand designed them for skin that reacts to fragrance.
• Vitamin C, preferably in the morning, always followed by sunscreen. Close the bottle tightly after each use.
• Retinal and retinol, at night only, starting two to three times a week, and never on the same evening as an exfoliant.
• The oat exfoliating cleanser, two to three times a week maximum, avoiding the eye area.
• One new product at a time, and test it first on a small area (your neck or behind your ear), especially if your skin is sensitive.
• Sunscreen, as the last step in the morning: two finger lengths for the face and neck, and reapply if you spend the day outside.

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Jihyun, team Ma Petite Corée