This had been popping up in my recommendations on Amazon quite a bit, and seeing that it was supposed to be a pure hyaluronic acid toner, my interest was piqued. I let it sit for a few amazon hauls (a few large hauls) before I looked it up and decided to buy it myself. The price point was pretty alright at around $20, and the brand itself was new to me; I’d never heard of Isntree before. Of course, I’m always looking for new brands and new products, so I had to get it, right?

Before I jump into the review, I want to first talk about what Hyaluronic Acid is and what it does.

Hyaluronic acid is “a highly viscous mucopolysaccharide that holds cells together, lubricates body tissue, and blocks the spread of microorganisms: it is found in the skin, the vitreous humor of the eye, and the synovial fluid of the joints.” ^[1]  What does this mean? Hyaluronic acid, also referred to as HA, is a molecule that is found naturally in our bodies. These HA molecules are what help retain moisture and act as a holding space of up to 1000 times it’s own weight in water. ^[2] That’s a whole lot of water.

As we age, our body stops producing HA as much as it used to, and due to other factors in addition to this decreased production, we lose moisture in our skin and we begin to experience signs of aging. Adding HA to our skincare routine is where its incredible powers begin to show. Since one molecule can hold so much water, these HA molecules allow moisture to be pulled into the skin’s surface much easier, meaning plumpier skin! That’s probably not a word, but I’m sure you get the picture.

Hyaluronic Acid is found is found in a lot of different skin products because of its hydrating properties. So a toner claiming that HA is its main benefitting ingredient is something that caught my eye and ultimately convinced me to give it a try.

The ingredients:

Sodium Hyaluronate, Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Trehalose, Betula Alba Juice, Beta-Glucan, Soluble Collagen, Althaea Rosea Root Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Panthenol, Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract, Pulsatilla Koreana Extract, Usnea Barbata (Lichen) Extract

The Cosdna analysis

 

Woah, hold on there. Hyaluronic acid is the first ingredient, before water?! This is already some good news: the star ingredient really is the star ingredient! It claims to have 50% of HA, so if that’s true, that’s a super steal. According to Cosdna, butylene glycol is the only ingredient ranked as a 1 for acne.

Other than that, we have Beta-Glucan, soluble Collagen, Aloe, and various plant extracts that serve as excellent moisturizers.

 

The Product

The toner comes in a clear plastic bottle with a simple design and minimal writing. There’s also a cute leaf on the ‘N’, like a little tree. I thought that was cute. The cap is a white piece of plastic that screws on easily.  In all, the packaging is pretty sturdy with no frills.

I don’t really know how to describe the smell…fresh, maybe? A faint scent of fresh flowers? The smell is not overpowering at all, and I have to intentionally smell it to notice any scent at all.

A little goes a long way. I can shake out about two glomps of this and have enough for my face, my neck and  my chest—it’s quite economical. This toner has the consistency of a watery-gel. It’s slightly thicker than water, but feels like a pretty runny gel. It definitely doesn’t fit the consistency of something I would consider a traditional toner.

This leaves a slightly sticky/tacky feeling after application, but I don’t find it to be too much of a bother, since I prefer a somewhat tacky feeling after applying my products. It’s not a honey-like stickiness, but it’s what I call a “moisturized-skin-stick”: where your hand sticks to your skin for a second as you pull it off of your face. The tackiness does go away after it’s had a minute to absorb. In my opinion, the time it takes to fully absorb is a little long, taking about a full minute to a minute and a half depending on how much you pat it in.

 

The Results

Past the slight tackiness that I feel upon application, the result is soft and supple skin that feels moisturized from the inside. I use two layers of this, letting one layer sink in before applying the other. Immediately, my skin feels moisturized, especially my cheeks.

Although I can’t say for sure, my smile lines have largely disappeared (which I didn’t even think was possible, even though it’s mostly a temporary thing), and I want to attribute at least a portion of that to this toner. Mixing this with multiple hydrating products really seals in its oomph and makes my skin feel that much more moisturized at the end of my routine.

I haven’t experienced any reactions to this product, which is really impressive considering my skin absolutely hates almost every product to ever come into contact with it. Overall, there’s nothing bad that I can say about this product. It’s almost perfect, and I can’t really want much more from it.

Rating: 5/5

 

Rating scale:

5- Spread the word far and wide about this Holy Grail…will always repurchase!

4- I like it! I’ll repurchase unless I find something I like better.

3- Meh. Not impressed, a little disappointed. Won’t repurchase.

2- Really disappointed, I wanted so much more out of this…won’t repurchase.

1- Never again.

 

 

You can find it on Amazon