Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner VS. Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Toner

In many ways, these two raved-about toners have a lot in common. They’re both hydrating toners that are loaded with humectants and are geared for sensitive skin types. Even their ingredient lists are eerily similar. However, they definitely have some key differences.  While there are tons of reviews of out there on the Klairs toner, I’ve yet to see an in-depth review of the Isntree toner. So I thought I would compare and contrast these two award-winning toners. Afterwards, I’ll speak about why I much prefer one over the other.

Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner

Dear, Klairs is a brand under the WISHCOMPANY umbrella, which also owns the E-Commerce site, Wishtrend.com and produces WishtrendTV on YouTube. Klairs’ brand motto is “Simple, But Enough”, meaning their products provide sufficient results with minimal formulations and mild ingredients. Klairs aims to deliver high-quality products at reasonable price-points and does not test on animals.

The Klairs Supple Preparation Toner earned a top spot as one of GLOWPICK’s 2016 Pick of the Year. For those who aren’t familiar, GLOWPICK is a Korean app where users rate various beauty products from an extensive list of categories.  (Tip for those trying to browse GLOWPICK outside of South Korea: Go to their website on the Google Chrome browser and use the translate feature to be able to decipher the categories with minimal confusion.) The toner continues to rate highly on the app as well as receive glowing reviews across social media for it’s deep hydrating and soothing effects.

Ingredients Breakdown

Full Ingredients: Water, Butylene Glycol, Dimethyl Sulfone, Betaine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Natto Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Disodium EDTA, Centella Asiatica Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Polyquaternium-51, Chlorphenesin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carbomer, Panthenol, Arginine, Luffa Cylindrica Fruit/Leaf/Stem Extract, Beta-Glucan, Althaea Rosea Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Lysine HCL, Proline, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Acetyl Methionine, Theanine, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Copper Tripeptide-1

CosDNA Ingredients Analysis

Notable Ingredients (highlighted in blue)

Sodium Hyaluronate
The salt form of Hyaluronic Acid, which is said to hold 1000 times its weight in water, and naturally occurs in the connective tissues in our bodies. It’s a rockstar humectant that helps retain hydration and preventing TEWL (transepidermal water loss).

Centella Asiatica Extract
AKA Tiger Grass, has been used for centuries in Asian herbal medicine due to its amazing wound-healing properties.

Licorice Root Extract
A powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory herb that prevents hyperpigmentation and brightens the overall complexion.

Panthenol
Not the same as, but related to the chemical structure of, Pro-Vitamin B5. Panthenol acts as a humectant and emollient, as well as an anti-inflammatory that reduces itching and heals wounds.

Beta Glucan
Derived from oats, the molecule is capable of penetrating into the dermis (inner-most layer of skin). It’s a great multi-tasker that addresses anti-aging as well as sensitive skin, with its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Potential Irritants (highlighted in red)

The toner contains a whole slew of essential oils, which can be a source of irritation for those with sensitive skin. As always, though, YMMV and most skin can tolerate EOs in small percentages perfectly fine. Personally, I try to steer clear of EOs. While my skin doesn’t erupt in a severe rash when I use products containing them, I find my skin is a lot calmer and my rosacea flairs up less when omitted from my routine.

pH Range: 5.0 according to my lab pH strips

Packaging

The toner comes in an opaque, dark brown plastic bottle with a pretty off-white label and purple detailing, giving it an apothecary-type feel. It uses a simple shaker top mechanism for dispensing product. The opaqueness of the bottle can be a bit annoying when you’re trying to gauge how much is left in the bottle. Otherwise, the bottle is practical and works just fine.

Texture

This hydrating toner is definitely on the thicker side and has a slightly oily feel. Dries down quickly with no tackiness upon the first layer, but it can get a bit sticky with multiple layers. It’s difficult to describe texture in words so here’s a video trying to demonstrate the consistency on my hand.

Scent

Herbal with notes of lavender. It’s pleasant enough to me.

Effects

As you can see from the photos, I’ve only used the mini-size version of the toner. However, I got 3 of them in an order from Wishtrend, and those lasted me about 3 months of continual use. Given that each mini bottle is 30 ml, and I’ve gone through three of them, I’ve gone through 90 ml, or about 3 fl. oz of the toner, which is approximately half of a full-sized bottle (180 ml, 6.1 fl oz). So I’ve definitely had a decent amount of time to test the product, despite not having purchased the full size.

Klairs was my gateway drug into the world of hydrating toners. I actually quite liked this toner when I began using it this past summer. The two main claims this product make is that it a) restores hydration to skin and b) is non-irritating and provides a calming effect.

Let’s address the hydration claim first. For my skin during the summer, it delivered a decent amount of hydration, but not enough to address serious dehydration, especially during these winter months. Also, it absorbs into my skin extremely fast. Almost too fast, as I find that it dries down before I have the chance to spread it over my entire face. (Note: I like to apply all hydrating toner with the palm of hands, and not a cotton pad.) Since it absorbs so quickly, I find I have to use a lot more product than usual (i.e. nickel as opposed to dime-sized amount) to be able to cover my entire face. Thus, I do not feel like it sufficiently hydrates my skin.

Next, let’s discuss it’s soothing and non-irritating claims. At first, I didn’t notice any issues with irritation when applying this toner. However, since I revisited this toner recently, that has changed. Not only did I never notice a calming effect, but I actually find it to be slightly irritating and notice an increase in redness on my cheeks after applying. This reaction, I believe, is due to two factors. First, as previously mentioned, it contains six essential oils. I don’t know the science behind why essential oils are sensitizing, but I just know that my skin tends not to them when found in larger quantities in products. Second, my rosacea has gotten noticeably worse and my problem areas have become increasingly sensitive to irritation since using the toner during last summer. Combined with the fact that I’ve mostly avoided all essential oils since then, I think my skin experienced some “shock” from being reintroduced to them again.

So, sorry guys. I hate to be a Debbie Downer but I feel like I’m one of the few bloggers who doesn’t have a favorable opinion of this crazy popular toner.

Price: $22 USD on Wishtrend and $17.00 USD on Amazon (at the time of posting this review) with free shipping for Prime members – for 180 ml (~6.1 fl oz) of product.

Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Toner

Isntree is a Korean brand that is less well-known than Klairs. The brand started to gain some traction in the Staes when their products began being sold on the US K-Beauty online shop, MelodyCosme, followed by a few well-known Insta-bloggers raving about their toner. The name Isntree stands for ISland + Natural + Tree and their mission is to provide customers with high-quality products with natural ingredients that are affordable, free of harmful chemicals and tested to be safe for sensitive skin. In addition, Isntree does not test on animals or use animal byproducts or animal materials in their formulas.

Hwahae is another Korean app where the public votes on their favorite skincare and makeup items. It also works similar to the CosDNA website, by providing a breakdown of ingredient lists. Isntree was crowned the #1 Toner of 2016 on Hwahae, with Klairs following close behind in 2^nd place. Unfortunately for those outside of Korea, the website is harder to access than GLOWPICK, unless you have a device that uses the Korean App/Google Play Store.

Ingredient Breakdown

Full Ingredients: Sodium Hyaluronate, Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Trehalose, Betula Alba Juice, Beta-Glucan, Soluble Collagen, Althaea Rosea Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadenis Leaf Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Panthenol, Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract, Pulsatilla Koreana Extract, Usnea Barbata (Lichen) Extract, Hydroxy Ethyl Cellulose.

CosDNA Ingredients Analysis

Notable Ingredients

Sodium Hyaluronate
It’s the first ingredient in this toner, containing a whopping 50% of hyaluronic acid to replenish rough and dehydrated skin.

Glycerin
A commonly used but very effective humectant that is naturally found in our skin. It attracts water from the air and draws it into the skin.

Althaea Rosea Flower Extract (Hollyhock Extract)
Naturally contains Phyto-Oligo, which is filled with all types of amino acids, vitamins, and minerals that help skin retain moisture and elasticity.

Aloe Barbadenis Leaf Extract
AKA Aloe Vera, also contains Phyto-Oligo complex and has humectant properties. It’s famous for its amazing anti-inflammatory powers commonly used to heal sunburns.

Betula Alba Juice
AKA Birch Tree Sap, touted as the next up-and-coming ingredient in K-Beauty, is a natural ingredient loaded with amino acids, minerals, antioxidants, and enzymes to hydrate and soothe irritated skin.

Potential Irritants

As far as I can tell, this toner contains no irritating/sensitizing ingredients, aside from what personal triggers a person may have.

pH range: Clocks in at about 4.5 according to my pH strips

Packaging

The toner comes in a transparent bottle with blue writing and the cute Isntree logo. The bottle is sturdy and easy to travel with. Aesthetics-wise, it’s very classic and chic, which is just my style. It also uses a shaker top opening to dispense the product. You can clearly see how much product is left in the bottle, which I like.

Texture

Compared to most toners, it has a more viscous and less runny consistency, almost similar to honey but with zero stickiness. Here’s another riveting video of it sliding down my hand, for your viewing pleasure.

Scent

Free of artificial or added fragrance and has no detectable scent.

 Effects

The Hyaluronic Acid Toner claims to provide skin with intense hydration that does not easily evaporate, lasting all day long. It has been my go-to toner for the last 3-4 months and my skin is absolutely loving it.  Seriously, my skin can never sick of this toner. Both day and night, I’ll use a mash-up of the 7 skin method and the “moisture sandwich” trick to apply the toner. Post-cleansing, I’ll spritz my face with a hydrating mist. Then, before I let the mist dry down completely, I’ll go in with a dime-sized amount of toner and gently pat it in. I repeat this process of switching off between mist and toner about 3 times. The combination instantly soothes my skin and relieves whatever tight, itchy feeling may be lingering post-cleansing. It also softens my skin, serving as an excellent base to layer the rest of the products in my routine. In addition, it helps my skin stay comfortable and hydrated throughout the day, even in the midst of the blistering NYC winter.

As much as I love this toner for what it does, I also love it for what it doesn’t do. That is, it doesn’t irritate or sensitize my skin whatsoever. It a product created with sensitive skin in mind in the truest sense. As someone with sensitive skin, I really appreciate a brand that delivers on the claim to be suited for sensitive skin and sacrifices things like a nice scent for the sake of delivering a simple but effective product.

Price: $14 USD for 200ml on MelodyCosme with $6 shipping within the US  and $19.99 USD on Amazon with free Prime shipping – for 200 ml (~6.8 fl oz.) of product.

So, which do I think is better?

Until I started working on this comparison review, I never realized just how similar these two toners ingredient lists are. Most striking is the inclusion of the exact same plant extracts, give or take a couple. Still (if not already abundantly obvious), I hands-down prefer Isntree’s Hyaluronic Acid Toner. In fact, I like to think of it as the Klairs Toner 2.0. It contains all the beneficial hydrating and soothing ingredients minus the potential irritants. Furthermore, It boasts a shorter ingredients list with fewer fillers, making it more effective and reducing chances for irritation. It also, in my experience, performs far better than the Klairs toner. I used to think the Klairs Supple Preparation Toner was hydrating until I started using the Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Toner. Now, my dry skin knows what real hydration feels like. The Hyaluronic Acid Toner has earned HG status in my routine, due to it’s simple but effective formulation and it’s ability to provide instant relief and a flood of hydration to my parched winter skin. It also gives my skin a certain bounciness and “chewiness” AKA “mochi skin” effect that Klairs does not.

Funny enough, it looks like Klairs got the memo re: essential oils, as they recently hinted at an unscented version of their famous toner, soon to be released. What they mean by “unscented” is still to be seen, as it’s not necessarily the same thing as being free of artificial fragrance and essential oils. So, we shall see how Klairs delivers with that one!

Which toner you choose ultimately comes down to your skin type and needs, as well as personal preference. Some other factors to keep in mind: I might recommend Klairs to oiler skin-types due to its lighter texture and quicker absorption. Whereas I would recommend the Isntree toner to drier-skin types, those with very dehydrated skin, or those in a very dry and/or cold climate.  But I would caution against the Klairs toner if you have sensitive skin or dislike essential oils. Lastly, price-wise, you get more bang-for-your-buck with the Isntree toner with 200ml for $14 versus Klairs with 180ml for $22. Still, both are affordable toners.

Finally, as someone who’s a big fan of Isntree as a brand and what they stand for, I always love recommending their toner so people can give this smaller and lesser-known brand a try!

I hope this comparison review was helpful for some of you out there! I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback in the comments below. As always, I’m on Instagram @sweetnewharu where we can chat as well. 😊