Clear Skin 8% AHA Essence
Isntree Clear Skin 8% AHA Essence is a 100ml exfoliating toner whose ingredient list carries Asiaticoside alongside Madecassoside and Allantoin.
No reviews yet100ml
$13.99 per 100 ml
- Korean-market formula
- Ships from California or direct from Korea
- Korean barcode and batch code intact
- Suited to
- Congested skinUneven textureDehydrated skinSensitive skin
- Helps with
- Shoppers looking for Asiaticoside in an exfoliating tonerRoutines that want Asiaticoside and Madecassoside in one stepFilling the exfoliating toner step with a Korean-market formulaAnyone who wants the Asiaticoside exfoliating toner sold on Korean shelves
Sold out.
Tell us where to send it
One email, the moment this exact unit is back in stock. Not a newsletter and not a sequence, and your address comes off the list the second it is sent.
- 30-day returns
- Free US shipping on orders of $100 or more
- Tracked delivery to your door
How it works
The Clear Skin 8% AHA Essence is a 100ml exfoliating toner, used in the evening, after cleansing, on dry skin rather than damp. The active it is built around is Asiaticoside, named eighteenth on its own ingredient list. The same list carries Madecassoside, Allantoin and Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, so the active is not the only thing on it worth naming. How much of the Asiaticoside stays on the skin, and for how long, is decided by the exfoliating toner format rather than by the list alone. This is the Original Korean Formula, the exfoliating toner Isntree sells in Korea, Asiaticoside and all.
Key benefits
- Asiaticoside, the active this exfoliating toner is built around
- Madecassoside, Allantoin and Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate on the same list, actives
- Lactic Acid on the same list, an exfoliant
- Glycolic Acid and Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract further down the same list
- Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract and Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract further down the same list
- Asiaticoside named eighteenth on the manufacturer list printed on this page
Inside the formula
Inside the formula
Isntree Clear Skin 8% AHA Essence
Where does this exfoliating toner go in my routine?
In the evening, after cleansing, on dry skin rather than damp. Anything thinner than an exfoliating toner goes on before it, and anything richer goes on after. If you are adding it to a routine you already like, give it a week on its own first, so what you see is the Asiaticoside and not three changes at once.
Is this the Korean-market exfoliating toner or a US version?
The Korean-market one, Asiaticoside and all. We match this exfoliating toner to its Korean barcode before it reaches the shelf, which is the check that tells you which market release you are holding.
What else is on the list besides Asiaticoside?
Madecassoside, Allantoin and Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate. The order they are printed in on this exfoliating toner's panel is the order on the box, so you can see where Asiaticoside sits relative to them. Further down the same panel: Lactic Acid, Glycolic Acid and Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract.
Not on the ingredient list below: fragrance or parfum, denatured or SD alcohol, essential oils, silicones, parabens, sulfate surfactants, mineral oil or petrolatum and added color.
Full INCI (26): Water, Lactic Acid 4.023%, Glycolic Acid 4.004%, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Potassium Hydroxide, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Asiaticoside, Dextrin, Panthenol, Madecassoside, Allantoin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Glycereth-25 PCA Isostearate, Hydroxyethylcellulose
22 of 26 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Potassium Hydroxide pH adjuster
- Potassium Hydroxide is a strong base used in traces to raise a formula to its target pH. In a soap-style cleanser it also converts fatty acids into the surfactant that does the cleansing.
- Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract plant extract
- Licorice Root Extract carries glabridin and liquiritin. It is one of the classic plant ingredients used for the look of uneven tone and redness, and it appears in almost every brightening formula that avoids synthetic actives.
- Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract plant extract
- Camellia Sinensis is the tea plant. Green tea leaf extract carries catechins, among the most studied plant antioxidants, and is used for the look of redness and oily shine.
- Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract plant extract
- Aloe Leaf Extract is mostly water with polysaccharides, amino acids and mild plant acids. It hydrates and leaves a light, cooling film, which is why it is the default after-sun ingredient.
- Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract plant extract
- Marigold flower extract, one of the oldest plant ingredients used for the look of reddened, easily bothered skin. It carries carotenoids and flavonoids.
- Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract plant extract
- Chamomile Flower Extract is one of the oldest ingredients in skincare, carrying bisabolol and chamazulene. It is used for the look of redness in formulas for reactive skin.
- Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract plant extract
- Rosemary Leaf Extract carries rosmarinic and carnosic acids, both effective antioxidants. It is often there to keep the oils in a formula from going rancid.
- Portulaca Oleracea Extract plant extract
- Portulaca Oleracea is purslane. Its extract is unusually high in omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants for a plant, and Korean formulas use it for the look of reddened, reactive skin.
- 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.
10 more explained
- 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.
- Asiaticoside active
- Asiaticoside is one of the four active triterpenes isolated from centella and the most studied of them. Korean formulas name it separately when they want to show which fraction of the plant they standardised.
- 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.
- Panthenol humectant
- Panthenol is pro-vitamin B5: skin converts it to pantothenic acid. It is a humectant that holds water and leaves skin feeling soft and less tight, and it is one of the ingredients formulators reach for when a formula also contains something harsh.
- Madecassoside active
- Madecassoside is the centella triterpene most associated with the look of redness, and the one brands lead with in cica products. It is water soluble and stable, so it appears in essences as readily as in creams.
- 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.
- 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.
- Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate active
- Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate is a water-soluble salt derived from licorice root. It is the licorice fraction Korean formulas use for the look of redness, and it is far more stable in water than the whole extract.
- Glycereth-25 PCA Isostearate emollient
- Glycereth-25 PCA Isostearate is a water-dispersible emollient that softens skin and helps oils and water stay mixed. It reads as light rather than rich on the skin.
- Hydroxyethylcellulose thickener
- Hydroxyethylcellulose is a cellulose thickener that builds a clear, smooth gel and holds the rest of the formula in suspension.
- Market
- Korean market, the version sold in Korea
- EAN (barcode)
- 8809800940149
- Made in
- Republic of Korea
- Volume
- 100ml
- Category
- Exfoliator / AHA exfoliating essence
- Actives
- Allantoin, Aloe Vera, Centella Asiatica, Glycolic Acid, Green Tea, Lactic Acid, Licorice Root, Madecassoside, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate
- 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. The barcode in the specification above is the Korean-market one and it is printed on the box you receive.
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.
How to use
- Use the Clear Skin 8% AHA Essence in the evening, after cleansing, on dry skin rather than damp.
- Sweep it over the face with a cotton pad or fingertips, keeping clear of the eyelids and the corners of the mouth.
- Wait a minute, then carry on with a hydrating layer and your moisturizer the same evening.
- Start at two or three evenings a week and build from there. Do not use it in the same routine as another exfoliating acid or a retinoid.
Worth knowing
- Patch test this exfoliating toner on a small area and wait a day before using it more widely, especially with Asiaticoside on the list.
- Glycolic Acid and Lactic Acid on this list makes this exfoliating toner an exfoliating step, so do not stack it with another one on the same night.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Tell us how much you love the product!
Write a reviewWrite a review
Isntree Clear Skin 8% AHA Essence
How it felt, how your skin took it, what you layer it with. Straight answers help the next person choose.
We’re on gram!
Creators trying on authentic Korean skincare routines and products from us.
Rating a shelf of Dr. Althea products one by one.
Jasmine Loo · YouTube
Two hydrating serums side by side, IUNIK and Dr. Althea.
Kristin · YouTube
A walk through the Dr. Althea serum lineup and who each one suits.
auraofmahmuda · YouTube
A blunt first take on the Dr. Althea range.
Lexi Chang · YouTube
A first look at the viral 345 Relief Cream before buying.
Shelley Nayak · YouTube
A first try of the Dr. Althea serum on camera.
Hannah Ziad · YouTube
Isntree, Korean-market original
The Original Korean Formula exfoliating toner from Isntree, 100ml formulated with Asiaticoside and Madecassoside, 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 skin care, quoted from the medical sources linked beside each.
Your skin barrier is basically your outer layer of the skin.
Melissa Piliang, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic Pretty much every step of a Korean skin care routine is going to have some component of hydration.
Alok Vij, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic
Ask an AI assistant about this product
Ask an AI assistant about this product
Opens ChatGPT, Perplexity or Claude in a new tab with the question prefilled. Claude asks you to sign in first.