I had the immense good fortune of being able to experience Isntree products “in the flesh”, so to speak, at the Beauty Düsseldorf trade expo last March. The natural K-beauty brand has been trending ever since our favourite Asian beauty skinfluencer, René aka Gothamista, recommended some of their products. And, well, one of those products was the Isntree Green Tea Toner, which had been on my wish list ever since Gothamista showed it in one of her videos.

Green Tea - one of the most researched natural ingredients that contains the superstar actives called catechins. It has proven antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and anticarcinogenic properties. How I use it: I apply this in the AM and PM – I saturate a cotton pad with this and then swipe my face ( to remove any excess dirt from cleansing). I do think because I don’t have very oily skin, I may have over-done the use of this and perhaps should have used this only in the PM (to control the T-Zone) or every other day. Brand Description: This toner, aimed at those with combination/oily skin types contains a blend of plant extracts and Anti-Sebum P(HD) to control excess oil. This also contains 80% Jeju Green Tea Extract. This toner aims to balance the skin’s sebum levels and also contains Hyaluronic acid and Centella Asiatica to hydrate and soothe the skin. Blueberry Fruit Extract is also used to soothe. The reason I was hopeful that it can stop my PMS acne from appearing is that during our ovaluation phase our skin produces more sebum. Which results in clogged pores and then hormonal acne. And I was wondering if using a product containing 80% green tea can be the answer. In the past, I used to switch to an oily skin care routine during my ovaluation phase that included detox masks and tea tree products, and honestly, it never worked. This is why I wasn’t surpised when the Isntree Green Tea Fresh Toner wasn’t able to single-handedly stop my hormonal acne to appear. Within a couple of days of usage, my acne started drying and it wasn’t paining at all. In 4-5 more days my acne completely flatened and only the mark remained. So I was curious what would happen if I continue using the Green Tea toner during my next ovaluation day. And I waited another month to see if it can actually combat my PMS acne even before it appears. A month after using Isntree Green Tea Fresh Toner:Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Flower Extract: Evening primrose extract has regenerative and soothing benefits. It is an anti-inflammatory agent that contains essential fatty acids to help reduce the look of redness and irritation.

Beta-Glucan is a nice big molecule composed of many smaller sugar molecules (called polysaccharide). It’s in the cell walls of yeast, some mushrooms, seaweeds, and cereals. Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract: Ulmus davidiana root extract is a plant extract that has anti-inflammatory and moisturizing benefits. It has also been shown to have photoprotective benefits. There can be huge quality differences between green tea extracts. The good ones contain 50-90% catechins (and often make the product brown and give it a distinctive smell) Other components of Centella Asiatic Extract include Vitamin A, vitamin C, several B vitamins, and Asiatic Acid.I alternate this with glycolic/salicylic acid toners to keep my acid mantle balanced. I am sensitive to niacinamide and I have found the centella asciatica in this to be a fantastic alternative! A toner can even remove cleanser residue that doesn’t get rinsed off completely. It refreshes your skin and helps to prep your skin for the next steps in your skincare routine. Toners Can Be Skincare Treatments Make-up and skincare services, BrowBar benefit, gifting and personalisation workshop, Sephora offers you a whole range of services to come and discover in store