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XMD STEM III Clinical Recovery Softener 130ml
A softener, which is what Korean brands call a first-step toner, 130 ml from IOPE with niacinamide fifth, allantoin eleventh, adenosine eighteenth and hydrolysed DNA twentieth, ahead of acetyl tetrapeptide-11 on a twenty-eight item list.
No reviews yet130 ml
$55.77 per 100 ml
- Korean-market formula
- Ships from California or direct from Korea
- Korean barcode and batch code intact
- Suited to
- Normal skinDry skinCombination skin
- Helps with
- The step right after cleansing, before serum or creamShoppers who want IOPE's own Korean-market formula rather than a US-shelf version
In stock. Arrives in 3 to 7 business days
We accept
You’re $100.00 away from free US shipping.
- 30-day returns
- Free US shipping on orders of $100 or more
- Tracked delivery to your door
How it works
The MD STEM III Clinical Recovery Softener is a 130ml product. The active it is built around is Niacinamide, named fifth on its own ingredient list. The same list carries Allantoin, Adenosine and Hydrolyzed DNA, so the active is not the only thing on it worth naming. How much of the Niacinamide stays on the skin, and for how long, is decided by the product format rather than by the list alone. IOPE sells this Niacinamide product in Korea, and this is that version.
Key benefits
- Niacinamide, the active this product is built around
- Allantoin, Adenosine and Hydrolyzed DNA on the same list, actives
- Acetyl Tetrapeptide-11 on the same list, a peptide
- Tocopherol and Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Extract further down the same list
- Allium Cepa (Onion) Bulb Extract and Mannitol further down the same list
- Niacinamide named fifth on the manufacturer list printed on this page
Key actives
5Niacinamideactive
Niacinamide is vitamin B3, and it is the most studied active in Korean formulation. On this product's own ingredient list it is named fifth.
11Allantoinactive
Allantoin is a comfrey-derived compound used to condition skin and soften the outer layer so it feels smoother. It is one of the standard additions to a formula built for easily irritated skin. It is named eleventh on this product's list, alongside Niacinamide.
18Adenosineactive
Adenosine is a nucleoside that Korea's own cosmetic authority recognises as a wrinkle-care functional ingredient, which is why it appears on so many Korean lists at a low level. It is used for the look of fine lines and is stable and well tolerated. The panel names it eighteenth on this product's list, beside Niacinamide.
20Hydrolyzed DNAactive
Hydrolyzed DNA is DNA cut into short fragments so it dissolves and spreads. It is the same ingredient family as sodium DNA and polydeoxyribonucleotide, the one Korean formulas market as PDRN. The panel names it twentieth on this product's list, beside Niacinamide.
27Acetyl Tetrapeptide-11peptide
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-11 is a four-amino-acid peptide used for the look of firmness, and it is the usual partner to acetyl tetrapeptide-9. It is named twenty-seventh on this product's list, alongside Niacinamide.
What else is on the list besides Niacinamide?
Allantoin, Adenosine and Hydrolyzed DNA. The order they are printed in on this product's panel is the order on the box, so you can see where Niacinamide sits relative to them. Further down the same panel: Acetyl Tetrapeptide-11, Tocopherol and Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Extract.
Not on the ingredient list below: fragrance or parfum, essential oils, parabens, sulfate surfactants, mineral oil or petrolatum and added color.
Full INCI (28): Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Betaine, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Dimethicone, Propanediol, Alcohol, Allantoin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Glyceryl Caprylate, Mannitol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Sodium Metaphosphate, Hydrolyzed DNA, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Methyl Stearoyl Taurate, Dextrin, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Extract, Allium Cepa (Onion) Bulb Extract, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-11, Tocopherol
Ingredient list read from iope.com on 30 August 2026.
28 of 28 explained
- Water solvent
- Water is the base almost every serum, toner and cream is built on. It dissolves the water-loving ingredients and sets how light the finished texture feels. On an INCI list it is usually first, which only means it is the largest single ingredient by weight.
- Butylene Glycol humectant
- Butylene Glycol is a small glycol that does two jobs at once: it holds water in the top layer of skin and it dissolves plant extracts and actives that plain water cannot. It also thins a formula, which is why watery Korean essences lean on it.
- Glycerin humectant
- Glycerin is the most used humectant in skincare. It draws water into the outer layer of skin and holds it there, and it is one of the very few ingredients whose hydrating effect is settled science rather than marketing. Higher amounts feel tacky, which is why it is usually blended.
- Betaine humectant
- Betaine is a sugar-beet-derived humectant that cells use to hold water. In a formula it hydrates and takes the edge off cleansers and acids, which is why it often appears alongside them.
- Niacinamide active
- Niacinamide is vitamin B3, and it is the most studied active in Korean formulation. It is used at roughly 2 to 5 percent for the look of uneven tone and visible pores, and it is water soluble, stable and comfortable beside almost every other active, which is why it turns up in so many lists.
- 1,2-Hexanediol humectant
- 1,2-Hexanediol is a glycol used for two reasons: it holds water like glycerin, and it makes a formula harder for microbes to live in, so less traditional preservative is needed. Korean formulas use it heavily for that second reason.
- Glyceryl Polymethacrylate film former
- Glyceryl Polymethacrylate is a polymer that forms a smooth, water-holding film and gives a formula a cushioned, non-sticky feel.
- Dimethicone silicone
- Dimethicone is the most used cosmetic silicone. It forms a breathable film that smooths the surface, slows water leaving skin, and gives the slip that makes a primer or cream feel silky. It is inert and does not penetrate.
- Propanediol humectant
- Propanediol is a plant-derived glycol used in place of propylene glycol. It hydrates, carries actives into solution, and gives a lighter, less sticky slip than glycerin at the same strength.
- Alcohol solvent
- Alcohol here means ethanol. It dissolves ingredients water cannot, evaporates fast so a formula sets quickly and does not feel heavy, and thins texture. In quantity it can leave dry or reactive skin feeling tight, which is why many Korean formulas avoid it and some deliberately use it for a fast, weightless finish.
- Allantoin active
- Allantoin is a comfrey-derived compound used to condition skin and soften the outer layer so it feels smoother. It is one of the standard additions to a formula built for easily irritated skin.
- Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer thickener
- This is a carbomer relative with fatty side chains, so it thickens and stabilises an emulsion at the same time. It gives a light gel-cream body rather than a heavy one.
16 more explained
- Tromethamine pH adjuster
- Tromethamine neutralises acidic thickeners such as carbomer so they gel, and holds a formula near skin-friendly pH. It is used at a fraction of a percent.
- Glyceryl Caprylate emulsifier
- Glyceryl Caprylate is a mild emulsifier that also makes a formula less hospitable to microbes, so it is often part of a preservative-free system.
- Mannitol humectant
- Mannitol is a sugar alcohol used as a humectant and antioxidant. It hydrates and helps stabilise the rest of the formula against oxidation.
- Hydrogenated Lecithin emulsifier
- Hydrogenated Lecithin is lecithin with its unsaturated bonds filled in, which makes it far more stable. It emulsifies and is the standard shell for the liposomes that carry actives into the outer layer of skin.
- Ethylhexylglycerin preservative booster
- Ethylhexylglycerin softens skin and boosts a preservative system, which is why it is nearly always sitting beside phenoxyethanol or 1,2-hexanediol. It also cuts down the odour bacteria produce, so it turns up in deodorising products.
- Adenosine active
- Adenosine is a nucleoside that Korea's own cosmetic authority recognises as a wrinkle-care functional ingredient, which is why it appears on so many Korean lists at a low level. It is used for the look of fine lines and is stable and well tolerated.
- Sodium Metaphosphate chelator
- A phosphate salt that ties up metal ions in water. It also stops the calcium and magnesium in hard water from flattening a cleanser foam.
- Hydrolyzed DNA active
- Hydrolyzed DNA is DNA cut into short fragments so it dissolves and spreads. It is the same ingredient family as sodium DNA and polydeoxyribonucleotide, the one Korean formulas market as PDRN.
- Sodium Hyaluronate humectant
- Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt of hyaluronic acid, and it is what most products labelled hyaluronic actually contain. The salt dissolves more readily and the molecule is smaller, so it sits in the outer layer of skin rather than only on top of it.
- Hyaluronic Acid humectant
- Hyaluronic Acid is a sugar chain the body already makes, and one gram of it can hold several litres of water. In a formula it is a humectant that pulls water to the surface of skin and holds it in a film, which is what makes skin look plumper while it is there.
- Sodium Methyl Stearoyl Taurate surfactant
- A taurine-based surfactant. Taurates foam well while staying mild, and they keep working in hard water where a soap does not.
- Dextrin thickener
- Dextrin is a starch fragment used to thicken and to give a formula a light, powdery finish. It is also a common carrier for powdered extracts.
- Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Extract plant extract
- Cocoa Extract carries polyphenols and a little caffeine. It is used as an antioxidant plant extract and gives a faint warm tint.
- Allium Cepa (Onion) Bulb Extract plant extract
- Onion Bulb Extract carries quercetin and sulphur compounds. Korean formulas use it for the look of blemish marks and uneven tone, and it is the namesake ingredient of the onion skincare line.
- Acetyl Tetrapeptide-11 peptide
- Acetyl Tetrapeptide-11 is a four-amino-acid peptide used for the look of firmness, and it is the usual partner to acetyl tetrapeptide-9.
- Tocopherol antioxidant
- Tocopherol is vitamin E. It is an oil-soluble antioxidant that protects the oils in a formula from going rancid and works on skin as an emollient, and it is regularly paired with vitamin C because each keeps the other going for longer.
- Market
- Korean market, the version sold in Korea
- Made in
- Republic of Korea
- Volume
- 130 ml
- Category
- Toner
- Ships from
- California or Korea
Orders ship from California or direct from Korea with tracked delivery to your door, and both routes carry the same Korean-market release. Shipping is free on orders of $100 or more. Returns are accepted for 30 days, by mail.
We split shipments free, so one out-of-stock item never holds up the rest of your order.
Where this unit came from
- 1Seoul
Bought as Korean-market stock - 2Barcode
Listed against the Korean barcode on its box - 3California or Korea
Ships to you from either, as the same Korean-market release
We stock the version of a formula that is sold in Korea, not the release a brand prepares for another market under the same name.
Every unit keeps its original barcode and batch code intact, so the unit in your hands can be checked against the brand’s own records.
Every order ships from California or direct from Korea, and returns run for 30 days.
Every claim on this page traces to the unit in the box, the barcode, the batch code and the price you can read for yourself.
Inside the formula
Inside the formula
- 5Niacinamide
- 11Allantoin
- 18Adenosine
- 20Hydrolyzed DNA
- 27Acetyl Tetrapeptide-11
Where each key active sits on the declared ingredient list, by entry number. Position is proportion: the further forward, the larger its share.
How to use
- Sweep or pat onto cleansed skin using hands or a cotton pad, then continue with the next step of the routine.
Worth knowing
- Patch test on a small area first and wait a day before full use, especially the first time.
Complete the routine
- This itemIOPE XMD STEM III Clinical Recovery Softener 130ml$72.50

- Seal the routine in as the last stepIOPE SUPER VITAL EMULSION 150ml$87.50

- The treatment step of this routineIOPE RETINOL RETI-JECTION SERUM 30ml$100.00

Total for 3 items$260.00
Reviews
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IOPE XMD STEM III Clinical Recovery Softener 130ml
How it felt, how your skin took it, what you layer it with. Straight answers help the next person choose.
IOPE, Korean-market original
The Original Korean Formula product from IOPE, 130ml formulated with Niacinamide and Allantoin, shipped from California or direct from Korea.
Verify your unit when it arrives
Verify your unit when it arrives
Korean-market stock with the original barcode and batch code intact, exactly as it left Korea.
On the unit itself
- The Korean-market barcode, unaltered from the retail package.
- The manufacturer’s batch code, exactly as the maker printed it.
정품Genuine article, Korean-market stock
What professionals say
What professionals say
What skin-care professionals say about the key actives in this formula, quoted from the medical sources linked beside each.
Allantoin can tone down the dryness of the individual cells. It increases the water content of the skin, which means it helps to hydrate and moisturize.
Wilma Bergfeld, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic Niacinamide helps reduce the appearance of pores in a few ways. By strengthening the skin barrier and improving elasticity, pores appear less noticeable and more even.
Ashlyn YankeAesthetician, Cleveland Clinic
1 more professional perspective
It's still a very new ingredient in the field of regenerative medicine.
Catherine ChangBeverly Hills board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon, Harper's Bazaar
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