Ingredients Story
INGREDIENTS
innisfree,
Captures pristine Jeju
The concept of naturalism made innisfree think about its unique pristine form of nature as the number of late movers has increased rapidly. Nature is something everyone talks about, but nobody really knows about it well enough. innisfree went back to the beginning to find its own special ingredient.After having thought deeply about it, innisfree found its own nature from the closest place nearby. The answer was on the clean island of Jeju and green tea, with which the company have built a close relationship since 20 years before innisfree was born.
In 2010, the idea of naturalism phrased as ‘Natural Benefit from JEJU’ was established.The warm sunlight, fresh air, fertile soil and pure water made Jeju a truly clean island. The soil was rich in iron oxide and organic matters and the volcanic island itself functioned as a natural filter. For such reasons, Jeju was the best place from which to gain good ingredients. The deep connection between innisfree and Jeju Island began with the green tea produced from the organic green tea fields full of Jeju’s energy.
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INGREDIENTS’ STORY
Products with heritage
The history of innisfree is called the history of exploring ingredients. In the process of thinking about nature and through conducting ceaseless research, innisfree focused on the clean island of Jeju and discovered 12 ingredients from the island’s land, sea, water, trees and flowers. innisfree’s devotion to good ingredients represents the brand’s philosophy, which aims to present customers with a healthy form of beauty through natural products. Amorepacific is securing outstanding technical capability based on its ceaseless efforts and the following development of exclusive technology and products.
Amorepacific’s in-depth study on heritage ingredients enabled the launch of ginseng and green tea cosmetics. This also became the foundation of philosophy for several global brands including Sulwhasoo, AMOREPACIFIC and innisfree. Now, the company is offering unprecedented value and beauty to customers around the world.
Green Tea
The center of innisfree, the moisture seed
100% organic fresh green tea water and green tea seed, which are only available from green tea trees that have grown for
over 7 years on Jeju’s organic green tea farm, hydrate and nourish skin on the inside keeping it moist and healthy for a long time.
Meet Jeju Green Tea
Green tea has an inseparable relationship with innisfree. It is the brand’s precious ingredient, and the center of the brand.Over 15 years of research, green tea-derived ingredients have continued to evolve and become a valuable and clean ingredient for skin.
innisfree’s green tea ingredients – 100% Jeju fresh green tea water squeezed from the fresh-picked leaves from Jeju’s green tea field and high-quality green tea seed – helps with the supply and circulation of moisture in skin making it moist and bright with its anti-oxidation effect.Since 2008, Green Tea Line has become the widely loved signature product and occupies 15% of the brand’s entire sales.
Beautiful commitment to green tea
Amorepacific’s beautiful commitment to green tea began with the determination of Amorepacific founder Jangwon Suh Sungwhan who tenaciously sought to create our own tea culture, which suddenly disappeared despite a 1,000-year long history.
He cultivated the wastelands in Jeju – lands that were neglected and considered barren for farming even up until the 1970s – and finally formed green tea fields after enduring a long and arduous process of clearing away stones one by one from the fields. This was the foundation of the one million pyeong (about 3.3 million square meters) of Dosun Tea Garden, Seogwang Tea Garden, and Hannam Tea Garden in Jeju.
Today, green tea is one of Amorepacific’s main heritage ingredients and a valuable asset.Jeju was found at long last as the place to cultivate the best green tea and on the island, Seogwipo area has the best conditions to grow green tea plants. Amorepacific discovered a new value of beauty by using green tea plants cultivated in Jeju combined with history and cutting-edge technology.
“Every country in the world has at least one unique cup of tea, while Korea does not. I wish to create our own traditional tea culture regardless of the sacrifice required.”
Amorepacific founder
Jangwon Suh Sungwhan
The best environment found in
Jeju green tea field
Geographically, Jeju is subtropical in climate and created by volcanic activities. This is the best place to cultivate green tea.Among the ‘soil and climate’, which are critical elements in green tea growth, it is the soil that decides the growth of the tea tree as well as the quality of green tea.
Over 80% of Jeju’s earth is volcanic ash soil. The high porosity of this soil facilitates the timely provision of nutrients, moisture and air to green tea. It features 10 times the amount of organic matter compared to normal soil, which also helps greatly with the growth of the tea tree.In addition, the ideal climate for tea trees to grow includes an annual average temperature of 14-16°C, annual precipitation of 1600mm. The Seogwipo area of Jeju has the best condition for green tea fields.
-
Volcanic
ash soil 80% - Annual average temperature 14 - 16℃
-
Annual
precipitation 1,600㎜
Green tea research for beautiful skin,
the uncharted waters
Amorepacific, which launched the first ever green tea-based cosmetics ‘Meero’ in 1989, studied breeding new varieties of green tea with a focus on functionality since the 2000s. This was an unknown field in research where no global beauty company had entered as the purpose was to develop new varieties with the perspective of beauty added to the value of green tea for drinking.
The relentless pursuit of research and the development of green tea varieties for more than 15 years led to the birth of Jangwon No. 2 and No. 3 varieties containing high levels of amino acids and catechins that maximize the natural skin benefits of green tea. The two varieties are used in a wide array of Amorepacific products. Even to this day, Amorepacific is at the forefront of discovering the functionality of green tea and developing new variety with a high concentration of such benefits.However, it didn’t stop there. Amorepacific is expanding its scope of research into green tea to find materials with new skin benefits.It focused previously on tea plant leaves that were more commonly used and expanded to various other parts of the plant, improving the level of research.
Tea plant flowers that increase the effect of catechins – green tea’s main compounds with antioxidants and wrinkle-improving properties along with anti-inflammatory benefits – tea plant seeds that have moisturizing benefits containing high levels of plant-derived unsaturated fat, and tea plant roots that have skin regeneration benefits with a high concentration of green tea’s unique saponin. All these materials have a limited harvesting time and are rare, low-yielding materials. They are research assets almost exclusively held by Amorepacific, out of all the global beauty companies, because of its tea gardens.
Green Tea
innisfree Green Tea Line has come to offer 18
products by 2014.
Green Tea Fresh, Green Tea Balancing, Green Tea Moisture are skincare lines providing 3-step moisture solution for 3 skin types, oily, combination and dry. The green Tea Seed Line products include The Green Tea Seed Serum,
The Green Tea Seed Cream, The Green Tea Seed Deep Cream, The Green Tea Seed Eye Cream, The Green Tea Seed oil, Green Tea Sleeping Pack and 3 types of Green Tea Mineral Mist. These 18 products use 100% fresh green tea water in place of water.
History of green tea ingredients
innisfree’s considerations for its ingredients start from a discovery that then leads to tenacious research.
innisfree’s love for Green tea is very high, to the level of having separate groups of skilled researchers who travel across Jeju to dig into the earth and identify the qualities of the soil, those who study pesticide-free green tea cultivation that uses a natural prevention to control blight and those who study green tea as an ingredient to make better products.innisfree has explored and studied green tea for the past 19 years and has been upgrading its benefits continuously.
‘Beauty Green Tea’, the ingredient born for the skin from Jeju innisfree No. 1, "Beauty Green Tea", a specializing moisturizing ingredient developed after the study of 2,401 Korean green tea varieties. We started research to find moisture for ideal skin condition, and created Beauty Green Tea containing high amino acid excellent for hydration and moisture. Fundamentally renewed Fresh Green Tea Water 2.0™ by double squeeze method Fresh Green Tea Water 2.0™ is made by extraction of nourishing ingredients of fresh beauty green tea leaves. It is fundamentally different green tea water of 3.5 times more enriched than the original with 16 kinds of amino acids, and provides excellent moisturizing benefits to the skin
100% Jeju organic fresh green tea water
First ever in Korea, ‘fresh green tea water’ is a development achieved after 4 years of research by Amorepacific’s research team.
Jeju’s organic green tea leaves are squeezed instead of going through the old heat drying process, and as a result the freshness and purity of nature are captured in the entirety.
When fresh green tea water meets Jeju green tea seed, all made from freshly picked green tea leaves in Jeju, the richness of amino acids and minerals fill the skin with abundant moisture.
Jeju green tea seed
Green tea seed was discovered during the search for a greater moisturizing power. Green tea seed is unfamiliar as a cosmetics ingredient because it is a rare material that is difficult to find.
Green tea seed can be collected from trees that are at least 7 years old. Green tea tree is a taproot species that stretches its roots deeply into the earth to pull up the pure water. The seeds also feature this exceptional water retaining ability.
Capturing the energy of the four seasons of Jeju, green tea seed pulls in the moisture lingering outside the skin to hydrate from within.
100% Jeju organic green tea water
100% Jeju organic green tea water is safe and clean as it is extracted from green tea directly produced in Jeju, and from which we can expect a skin hydrating effect.
Through Green Tea Line, innisfree started to deliver the vitality of high-purity green tea to skin.
Jeju green tea extract
Green tea was used as a cosmetics ingredient from the year 2000 when innisfree was first launched.
innisfree Green Tea Balancing is the very first product containing an ingredient extracted from green tea.
Green Tea Products
Bija
Pristine ingredient for clean skin
Ever since the old times, Bija fruit was offered to the king and has also been a rare ingredient used as medicine and wood in folk communities and oriental medicine.
Bija fruit features an excellent skin protection effect and is used as the key ingredient for trouble solution.
20 years of patience
It is said that the world has to change twice to see bija fruit. Bija has long been used as a valuable medicinal ingredient for its outstanding anti-bacterial effects, but it is a rare fruit that requires 20 years of patient waiting. This valuable fruit was obviously offered to the King as a gift and used as a key medicinal ingredient and wood in the folk community and oriental medicine.
To respect the 20 years of time, innisfree sources bija fruit very carefully.Instead of harvesting the fruit from the tree, innisfree only uses the ones that have fallen on the ground. innisfree sources Bija fruit to make Bija Trouble Line through fair-trade with Songdang-ri, Gujwa-eup, Jeju City. This partnership creates jobs for the local community and helps boost the local economy.
Bija Products
Seaweed
Vitality from the clean sea of Jeju
Sea mustard is a brown sea plant rich in marine minerals and nutrients. Its sporophyll, condensed with the plant’s vitality,
is fermented with Bio Sea Plant ScienceTM to extract the active components that deliver the life force to the skin.
Bija fruit is also used as the key ingredient for trouble line thanks to its excellent skin protection effect.
Focus on Jeju’s clean sea
innisfree turned to the ingredients held in Jeju’s clean sea and consequently began to explore. In the sea brimming with life energy, abundant minerals and nutrients, innisfree focused on sea mustard and gulfweed.innisfree named the sea mustard ‘marine retinol’ as it is rich in vitamin A, an anti-aging component that helps boost the skin’s inherent vitality, along with 40 other beneficial minerals. Gulfweed soup, also called ‘momguk’ in Jeju, is a food haenyeos enjoy to refresh their energy after their arduous diving. innisfree discovered that Gulfweed used in the cooking effectively increases the synthesis of collagen and removes toxins from human cells.
Sea plants holding powerful energy are combined with innisfree’s natural anti-aging technology of Bio Healing Science and are recreated as Eco Science Line, a skin invigorating solution. innisfree sources Bija fruit to make Bija Trouble Line through a fair-trade with Songdang-ri, Gujwa-eup, Jeju City. This partnership creates jobs for the local community and helps boost the local economy.
Exceptional vitality of sea plants
applied onto the skin
Sea mustard is a yearly plant. It collects the nutrients for the whole year until it spreads spores. One sporocyst holds several million spores. One spore grows up to 1m after 4 months and forms a forest under the sea. Sea mustard sporophyll, where the spores are produced and released, is condensed with a powerful vital force and thus became the key ingredient of our natural anti-aging line, Eco Science.
The natural anti-aging ingredient derived from the sporophyll of sea mustard, Jeju’s brown sea plant, and developed with innisfree’s technology boasts excellent anti-aging benefits including firming, anti-wrinkle and anti-oxidation effects. Known by the nickname of ‘Whale Essence’, Eco Science Wrinkle Spot Essence makes deep skin delivery of active components obtained from fermented and low-molecularized Jeju sea mustard sporophyll. This helps to boost the skin’s inherent vitality and works particularly on wrinkles to make the skin taut and smooth.
Natural anti-aging
ingredient derived from
sea mustard sporophyll
Eco Science evolves another step by discovering the natural anti-aging component from the sporophyll of sea mustard, a brown sea plant of Jeju.
Sporophyll is an organ that produces spores, and sea mustard boasts an incredible reproductivity as a spore can grow up to 1m in 4 months.
Sea mustard sporophyll has been combined with innisfree’s exclusive Bio Sea Plant Science™ and recreated as an essence that boosts skin’s natural vitality.
Natural anti-aging
ingredient derived from
sea mustard sporophyll
Eco Science evolves another step by discovering the natural anti-aging component from the sporophyll of sea mustard, a brown sea plant of Jeju.
Sporophyll is an organ that produces spores, and sea mustard boasts an incredible reproductivity as a spore can grow up to 1m in 4 months.
Sea mustard sporophyll has been combined with innisfree’s exclusive Bio Sea Plant Science™ and recreated as an essence that boosts skin’s natural vitality.
Orchid
Vitality of orchid to blossom in the cold
The powerful life energy of the Jeju orchid that blooms in the cold winter works on dryness-prone skin with its barrier-
strengthening ability to restore the smooth and radiant condition Jeju orchid and its powerful vitality to bloom in the snow have
been recreated as a precious Orchidelixir™ after extensive research and efforts.
Orchidelixir™ featuring an outstanding anti-oxidation effect and
active components works on the skin withered by aging and fatigue to densely nourish and relieve aging problems restoring it to a state of health.
Attracted by the powerful vitality
This flowered is named ‘hanran (orchid)’ – han meaning ‘cold’ and ran meaning ‘orchid’ - as it blooms on its own in the snowy hills of Mt. Halla in mid-winter. The Jeju orchid was considered precious even in the old days, as it was the equivalent of 1,500 bags of rice. It is one of the 60 orchid varieties found in Jeju, and it is particularly rare because its seed is invisibly small.
A normal orchid flower lasts for a month, but the bloomed status can be sustained depending on how you control the environment. Among the orchid varieties, the Jeju orchid has a special gene which allows it to blossom only in a cold environment and has the longest flower duration among its kind. Amorepacific and innisfree focused on the long flower duration of this orchid and developed a product that captures such a unique power and vitality.
The resulting innisfree Orchid Line is being favored as the brand’s main anti-aging solution that delivers a tenacious vitality to endure the harsh cold.
Skin anti-aging with the powerful vitality
Orchid Line is instilled with the vitality of Jeju orchid to achieve dense and firm skin. It is formulated with a valuable ingredient with a boosted antioxidant effect obtained by using hot water extraction, called Orchidelixir™. Orchidelixir™ and functional active components work in skin that has become withered by age and fatigue, to nourish it from within, relieve aging problems and making skin healthy.
Orchid Products
Pomegranate
Ingredient for Women
Pomegranate is one of the fruits known to be beneficial for women’s health.
To grow pomegranate, innisfree uses clean water, pure air and natural fertilizer.
Instead of using an artificial process, the whole fruit is pressed to gain its active components and provide nutrients that are intact without any damage. Fresh pressed pomegranate juice boosts a natural glow on the skin, while pomegranate seed oil builds a protective barrier on the skin’s surface to improve firmness.
Pomegranate Products
Volcanic
Mysterious ingredient found only on Jeju
Jeju volcanic cluster is created when the volcano erupts on the island and the released lava hardens.
This ingredient features higher sebum absorption than red clay or mud, removes sebum and waste matter and also supplies minerals.
The clean and rare ingredient of Jeju volcanic cluster clears the inside of the pores with its powerful skin purifying ability.
Enhanced as Super Volcanic
The upgraded Super Volcanic ClustersTM has an 89% stronger sebum removal effect than the original. Encapsulated volcanic cluster removes sebum clogging the pores on the inside as well as dead skin on the outside. Developed based on the fact that sebum release is higher on hotter days, the cooling clay formula lowers the skin temperature and presents a refreshing and brisk sensation from the moment you apply Super Volcanic Pore Clay Mask until after you wash it off.
To relieve different pore problems that are as diverse as the customers' skin conditions, the enhanced Super Volcanic Pore Clay mask has been created as a SUPER product that can relieve all 6 pore concerns of pore tightening, sebum removal, exfoliating, deep cleansing, complexion and cooling effect.
- Pore care
- Sebum removal
- Exfoliation
- Deep
cleansing - Complexion
improvement - Cooling
effect
Jeju Volcanic cluster sphere™ innisfree has invested much time and efforts in exploring the excellent features of jeju volcanic material, and this new ingredient is newly developed as an effort. This is innifree’s upgraded original material with doubled* oil absorption effect.
Pore killer ‘Super’ Volcanic With twice the content of Jeju volcanic cluster, the new upgraded version of “Super Volcanic” Pore Mask powerfully absorbs sebum, exfoliates and relieves all pore-related problems.
‘Hard’ volcanic cluster for extremely oily skin The ‘hard’ type volcanic cluster with an oil-free base for extremely oily skin contains twice the amount of minerals and can absorb sebum and waste matter with a greater power.
Creation of Volcanic Found only on Jeju, volcanic cluster is a rare mineral featuring an outstanding absorption of impurities, which makes it effective for removing sebum as part of pore care.
Volcanic Products
Soybean
Naturally fermented ingredient filled with pristine energy
Naturally fermented at the altitude of 620m in Mt. Halla, Soybean purifies a dull skin
tone and lifts up sagginess to build a firm skin barrier and restore the skin’s healthiness.
Once again, Jeju soybean is complete
through natural fermentation
In the aim to produce a more ‘proper’ fermented essence, innisfree chose to await a long 300 days.
The pristine island of Jeju was the place innisfree found as having the best environment to make fermented soybean, which features stronger benefits than normal soybean, which is already a complete food containing 8 essential amino acids for the human body and charged with
tenacious vitality.
620m above sea level in Mt. Halla where the temperature and altitude are ideal for fermentation, soybean from Jeju is put into a breathable volcanic clay pot with clean samdasoo water and aged by the sunlight and sea breeze for 300 days.
This precious fermented extract created purely by nature then becomes the ingredient of innisfree Soybean Energy Essence, and the source of strong and healthy skin.
Boosting the skin’s energy with
the power of natural fermentation
Created by the power of Jeju’s clean nature, innisfree Soybean Energy Essence quickly invigorates tired skin to keep it firm and healthy. This 6-in-1 solution soothes and moisturizes the skin. It also even strengthens the skin barrier and prevents fine lines to give your skin a strong and bouncy condition.
The new innisfree Soybean Energy Essence Light manages dead skin and pores to purify a dull skin tone while also softening the uneven skin texture to present a healthy look with added clarity.
The benefits of Soybean Energy Essence not only last while you use the product, but continue to maintain the improved skin condition for an extended time like the long period of natural fermentation.
Soybean Products
Hallabong
Origin of Jeju Hallabong
“Hallabong(Jeju Citrus)”, a winter seasonal fruit cultivated on Jeju island, is named after the shape of its pointy stalk end that
resembles the peak of Mt. Halla.
Also called as the “honey-coated orange”, this fruit boasts a high sugar content, and is loved as a fancy gift rather than as an easy
snack. It has excellent storability with its thick peel, has rich juice, and has a size much bigger that the regular tangerine.
innisfree’s endeavor to make
Hallabong into cosmetic ingredients
Hallabong, a fruit known for its rich Vitamin C content. Its peel contains various bioflavonoids including hesperidin, an antioxidant for skin.
However, because its peel is thicker than that of other fruits, it was difficult to extract the active ingredients. After testing several techniques, innisfree has discovered that the ultrasonic extraction approach helps soften the peel to effectively extract them. From this tenderized Jeju Hallabong peel, we were able to extract skin brightening components, and finally, use them successfully as cosmetic ingredients.
Benefits of innisfree Brightening
Pore line products
innisfree’s Brightening Pore Line is a brightening solution formulated with Jeju Hallabong peel extract and 3 vitamin derivatives (B3, C, and B5), to treat visible blemishes as well as hidden dark spots and pores. The sun shines on us throughout the year, so just like applying sunscreen every day, provide your skin with a year-round brightening care using Brightening Pore Line filled with Jeju Hallabong peel extract and the active vitamin derivatives.
Hallabong Products
Green Barley
Ingredient for clear skin
Green Barley cleansers remove waste matter from the skin effectively with their high content of dietary fiber
and reveal non-flaky, flowing skin.
Organic green barley harvested in Jeju
Green barley is one of Jeju’s native varieties and a healthy ingredient rich in protein, dietary fiber and nutrients.
Exfoliation by natural AHA
obtained from green barley vinegar
‘Green barley vinegar’ is made through the careful 3-step fermentation of green barley. This vinegar containing 3 types of AHA features an outstanding exfoliating effect and helps make the skin smooth.
Green Barley Products
Gotjawal Phytoncide
Botanical energy gained from the ‘lungs’ of Jeju
Phytoncide, the main ingredient for Forest line, features an exceptional skin refreshing and relaxing effect which helps make skin healthy.
1,540,000㎡
Phytoncide is a substance emitted by plants to protect themselves from the outside, and the ingredient used for innisfree Forest For Men, a line dedicated to relaxing men’s skinFull of this phytoncide as ‘Jeju’s lung’, Gotjawal boasts an area of 1,540,000㎡.
Protecting pristine Gotjawal, Jeju
Jeju’s Gotjawal is the largest evergreen forest on the Korean Peninsula and plays a critical role in Jeju’s ecosystem as ‘Jeju’s lung’, which is also its nickname. To preserve Gotjawal from increasing privatization and destruction, innisfree donates 3% of the sales profit from Forest For Men to this forest each year.
As the first outside company to cooperate with Gotjawal Communization Foundation, innisfree helps at the forefront with its donation to switch the privatized part of the forest into joint ownership and preserve the region.
Gotjawal Products
OTHER INGREDIENTS
INGREDIENTS
innisfree,
Captures pristine Jeju
The concept of naturalism made innisfree think about its unique pristine form of nature as the number of late movers has increased rapidly. Nature is something everyone talks about, but nobody really knows about it well enough. innisfree went back to the beginning to find its own special ingredient. After having thought deeply about it, innisfree found its own nature from the closest place nearby. The answer was on the clean island of Jeju and green tea, with which the company have built a close relationship since 20 years before innisfree was born.
In 2010, the idea of naturalism phrased as ‘Natural Benefit from JEJU’ was established. The warm sunlight, fresh air, fertile soil and pure water made Jeju a truly clean island. The soil was rich in iron oxide and organic matters and the volcanic island itself functioned as a natural filter. For such reasons, Jeju was the best place from which to gain good ingredients. The deep connection between innisfree and Jeju Island began with the green tea produced from the organic green tea fields full of Jeju’s energy.
INGREDIENTS’ STORY
Products with heritage
The history of innisfree is called the history of exploring ingredients.
In the process of thinking about nature and through conducting ceaseless research, innisfree focused on the clean island of Jeju and discovered 12 ingredients from the island’s land, sea, water, trees and flowers.
innisfree’s devotion to good ingredients represents the brand’s philosophy, which aims to present customers with a healthy form of beauty through natural products.
Amorepacific is securing outstanding technical capability based on its ceaseless efforts and the following development of exclusive technology and products.
Amorepacific’s in-depth study on heritage ingredients enabled the launch of ginseng and green tea cosmetics.
This also became the foundation of philosophy for several global brands including Sulwhasoo, AMOREPACIFIC and innisfree. Now, the company is offering unprecedented value and beauty to customers around the world.
Green Tea
The center of innisfree, the moisture seed
100% organic fresh green tea water and green tea seed, which are only available from green tea trees that have grown for over 7 years on Jeju’s organic green tea farm, hydrate and nourish skin on the inside keeping it moist and healthy for a long time.
Meet Jeju Green Tea
Green tea has an inseparable relationship with innisfree. It is the brand’s precious ingredient, and the center of the brand.
Over 15 years of research, green tea-derived ingredients have continued to evolve and become a valuable and clean ingredient for skin.
innisfree’s green tea ingredients – 100% Jeju fresh green tea water squeezed from the fresh-picked leaves from Jeju’s green tea field and high-quality green tea seed – helps with the supply and circulation of moisture in skin making it moist and bright with its anti-oxidation effect.
Since 2008, Green Tea Line has become the widely loved signature product and occupies 15% of the brand’s entire sales.
“Every country in the world has at least one unique cup of tea, while Korea does not. I wish to create our own traditional tea culture regardless of the sacrifice required.”
Amorepacific founder
Jangwon Suh Sungwhan
Beautiful commitment to green tea
Amorepacific’s beautiful commitment to green tea began with the determination of Amorepacific founder Jangwon Suh Sungwhan who tenaciously sought to create our own tea culture, which suddenly disappeared despite a 1,000-year long history.
He cultivated the wastelands in Jeju – lands that were neglected and considered barren for farming even up until the 1970s – and finally formed green tea fields after enduring a long and arduous process of clearing away stones one by one from the fields. This was the foundation of the one million pyeong (about 3.3 million square meters) of Dosun Tea Garden, Seogwang Tea Garden, and Hannam Tea Garden in Jeju.
Today, green tea is one of Amorepacific’s main heritage ingredients and a valuable asset.
Jeju was found at long last as the place to cultivate the best green tea and on the island, Seogwipo area has the best conditions to grow green tea plants.
Amorepacific discovered a new value of beauty by using green tea plants cultivated in Jeju combined with history and cutting-edge technology.
-
Volcanic
ash soil 80% - Annual average temperature 14 - 16℃
-
Annual
precipitation 1,600㎜
The best environment found in Jeju green tea field
Geographically, Jeju is subtropical in climate and created by volcanic activities. This is the best place to cultivate green tea.
Among the ‘soil and climate’, which are critical elements in green tea growth, it is the soil that decides the growth of the tea tree as well as the quality of green tea.
Over 80% of Jeju’s earth is volcanic ash soil. The high porosity of this soil facilitates the timely provision of nutrients, moisture and air to green tea. It features 10 times the amount of organic matter compared to normal soil, which also helps greatly with the growth of the tea tree.
In addition, the ideal climate for tea trees to grow includes an annual average temperature of 14-16°C, annual precipitation of 1600mm. The Seogwipo area of Jeju has the best condition for green tea fields.
Green tea research for beautiful skin, the uncharted waters
Amorepacific, which launched the first ever green tea-based cosmetics ‘Meero’ in 1989, studied breeding new varieties of green tea with a focus on functionality since the 2000s.
This was an unknown field in research where no global beauty company had entered as the purpose was to develop new varieties with the perspective of beauty added to the value of green tea for drinking.
The relentless pursuit of research and the development of green tea varieties for more than 15 years led to the birth of Jangwon No. 2 and No. 3 varieties containing high levels of amino acids and catechins that maximize the natural skin benefits of green tea. The two varieties are used in a wide array of Amorepacific products.
Even to this day, Amorepacific is at the forefront of discovering the functionality of green tea and developing new variety with a high concentration of such benefits.
However, it didn’t stop there. Amorepacific is expanding its scope of research into green tea to find materials with new skin benefits.
It focused previously on tea plant leaves that were more commonly used and expanded to various other parts of the plant, improving the level of research.
Tea plant flowers that increase the effect of catechins – green tea’s main compounds with antioxidants and wrinkle-improving properties along with anti-inflammatory benefits – tea plant seeds that have moisturizing benefits containing high levels of plant-derived unsaturated fat, and tea plant roots that have skin regeneration benefits with a high concentration of green tea’s unique saponin. All these materials have a limited harvesting time and are rare, low-yielding materials. They are research assets almost exclusively held by Amorepacific, out of all the global beauty companies, because of its tea gardens.
Green Tea
innisfree Green Tea Line has come to offer 18 products by 2014.
Green Tea Fresh, Green Tea Balancing, Green Tea Moisture are skincare lines providing 3-step moisture solution for 3 skin types, oily, combination and dry. The green Tea Seed Line products include The Green Tea Seed Serum, The Green Tea Seed Cream, The Green Tea Seed Deep Cream, The Green Tea Seed Eye Cream, The Green Tea Seed oil, Green Tea Sleeping Pack and 3 types of Green Tea Mineral Mist. These 18 products use 100% fresh green tea water in place of water.
History of green tea ingredients
innisfree’s considerations for its ingredients start from a discovery that then leads to tenacious research.
innisfree’s love for Green tea is very high, to the level of having separate groups of skilled researchers who travel across Jeju to dig into the earth and identify the qualities of the soil, those who study pesticide-free green tea cultivation that uses a natural prevention to control blight and those who study green tea as an ingredient to make better products.
innisfree has explored and studied green tea for the past 19 years and has been upgrading its benefits continuously.
‘Beauty Green Tea’, the ingredient born for the skin from Jeju innisfree No. 1, "Beauty Green Tea", a specializing moisturizing ingredient developed after the study of 2,401 Korean green tea varieties. We started research to find moisture for ideal skin condition, and created Beauty Green Tea containing high amino acid excellent for hydration and moisture. Fundamentally renewed Fresh Green Tea Water 2.0™ by double squeeze method Fresh Green Tea Water 2.0™ is made by extraction of nourishing ingredients of fresh beauty green tea leaves. It is fundamentally different green tea water of 3.5 times more enriched than the original with 16 kinds of amino acids, and provides excellent moisturizing benefits to the skin
100% Jeju organic fresh green tea water First ever in Korea, ‘fresh green tea water’ is a development achieved after 4 years of research by Amorepacific’s research team. Jeju’s organic green tea leaves are squeezed instead of going through the old heat drying process, and as a result the freshness and purity of nature are captured in the entirety. When fresh green tea water meets Jeju green tea seed, all made from freshly picked green tea leaves in Jeju, the richness of amino acids and minerals fill the skin with abundant moisture.
Jeju green tea seed Green tea seed was discovered during the search for a greater moisturizing power. Green tea seed is unfamiliar as a cosmetics ingredient because it is a rare material that is difficult to find. Green tea seed can be collected from trees that are at least 7 years old. Green tea tree is a taproot species that stretches its roots deeply into the earth to pull up the pure water. The seeds also feature this exceptional water retaining ability. Capturing the energy of the four seasons of Jeju, green tea seed pulls in the moisture lingering outside the skin to hydrate from within.
100% Jeju organic green tea water 100% Jeju organic green tea water is safe and clean as it is extracted from green tea directly produced in Jeju, and from which we can expect a skin hydrating effect. Through Green Tea Line, innisfree started to deliver the vitality of high-purity green tea to skin.
Jeju green tea extract Green tea was used as a cosmetics ingredient from the year 2000 when innisfree was first launched. innisfree Green Tea Balancing is the very first product containing an ingredient extracted from green tea.
Green Tea Products
Bija
Pristine ingredient for clean skin
Ever since the old times, Bija fruit was offered to the king and has also been a rare ingredient used as medicine and wood in folk communities and oriental medicine. Bija fruit features an excellent skin protection effect and is used as the key ingredient for trouble solution.
20 years of patience
It is said that the world has to change twice to see bija fruit.
Bija has long been used as a valuable medicinal ingredient for its outstanding anti-bacterial effects, but it is a rare fruit that requires 20 years of patient waiting.
This valuable fruit was obviously offered to the King as a gift and used as a key medicinal ingredient and wood in the folk community and oriental medicine.
To respect the 20 years of time, innisfree sources bija fruit very carefully.
Instead of harvesting the fruit from the tree, innisfree only uses the ones that have fallen on the ground.
innisfree sources Bija fruit to make Bija Trouble Line through fair-trade with Songdang-ri, Gujwa-eup, Jeju City. This partnership creates jobs for the local community and helps boost the local economy.
Bija Products
Seaweed
Vitality from the clean sea of Jeju
Sea mustard is a brown sea plant rich in marine minerals and nutrients. Its sporophyll, condensed with the plant’s vitality, is fermented with Bio Sea Plant ScienceTM to extract the active components that deliver the life force to the skin.
Bija fruit is also used as the key ingredient for trouble line thanks to its excellent skin protection effect.
Focus on Jeju's clean sea
innisfree turned to the ingredients held in Jeju’s clean sea and consequently began to explore. In the sea brimming with life energy, abundant minerals and nutrients, innisfree focused on sea mustard and gulfweed.
innisfree named the sea mustard ‘marine retinol’ as it is rich in vitamin A, an anti-aging component that helps boost the skin’s inherent vitality, along with 40 other beneficial minerals.
Gulfweed soup, also called ‘momguk’ in Jeju, is a food haenyeos enjoy to refresh their energy after their arduous diving. innisfree discovered that Gulfweed used in the cooking effectively increases the synthesis of collagen and removes toxins from human cells.
Sea plants holding powerful energy are combined with innisfree’s natural anti-aging technology of Bio Healing Science and are recreated as Eco Science Line, a skin invigorating solution. innisfree sources Bija fruit to make Bija Trouble Line through a fair-trade with Songdang-ri, Gujwa-eup, Jeju City. This partnership creates jobs for the local community and helps boost the local economy.
Exceptional vitality of sea plants
applied onto the skin
Sea mustard is a yearly plant. It collects the nutrients for the whole year until it spreads spores. One sporocyst holds several million spores. One spore grows up to 1m after 4 months and forms a forest under the sea.
Sea mustard sporophyll, where the spores are produced and released, is condensed with a powerful vital force and thus became the key ingredient of our natural anti-aging line, Eco Science.
The natural anti-aging ingredient derived from the sporophyll of sea mustard, Jeju’s brown sea plant, and developed with innisfree’s technology boasts excellent anti-aging benefits including firming, anti-wrinkle and anti-oxidation effects. Known by the nickname of ‘Whale Essence’, Eco Science Wrinkle Spot Essence makes deep skin delivery of active components obtained from fermented and low-molecularized Jeju sea mustard sporophyll. This helps to boost the skin's inherent vitality and works particularly on wrinkles to make the skin taut and smooth.
Natural anti-aging ingredient derived
from sea mustard sporophyll
Eco Science evolves another step by discovering the natural anti-aging component from the sporophyll of sea mustard, a brown sea plant of Jeju.
Sporophyll is an organ that produces spores, and sea mustard boasts an incredible reproductivity as a spore can grow up to 1m in 4 months.
Sea mustard sporophyll has been combined with innisfree’s exclusive Bio Sea Plant Science™ and recreated as an essence that boosts skin’s natural vitality.
Natural anti-aging ingredient derived
from sea mustard sporophyll
Eco Science evolves another step by discovering the natural anti-aging component from the sporophyll of sea mustard, a brown sea plant of Jeju.
Sporophyll is an organ that produces spores, and sea mustard boasts an incredible reproductivity as a spore can grow up to 1m in 4 months.
Sea mustard sporophyll has been combined with innisfree’s exclusive Bio Sea Plant Science™ and recreated as an essence that boosts skin’s natural vitality.
Seaweed Products
Orchid
Vitality of orchid to blossom in the cold
The powerful life energy of the Jeju orchid that blooms in the cold winter works on dryness-prone skin with its barrier-strengthening ability to restore the smooth and radiant condition
Jeju orchid and its powerful vitality to bloom in the snow have been recreated as a precious Orchidelixir™ after extensive research and efforts.
Orchidelixir™ featuring an outstanding anti-oxidation effect and active components works on the skin withered by aging and fatigue to densely nourish and relieve aging problems restoring it to a state of health.
Attracted by the powerful vitality
This flowered is named ‘hanran (orchid)’ – han meaning ‘cold’ and ran meaning ‘orchid' - as it blooms on its own in the snowy hills of Mt. Halla in mid-winter.
The Jeju orchid was considered precious even in the old days, as it was the equivalent of 1,500 bags of rice. It is one of the 60 orchid varieties found in Jeju, and it is particularly rare because its seed is invisibly small.
A normal orchid flower lasts for a month, but the bloomed status can be sustained depending on how you control the environment.
Among the orchid varieties, the Jeju orchid has a special gene which allows it to blossom only in a cold environment and has the longest flower duration among its kind. Amorepacific and innisfree focused on the long flower duration of this orchid and developed a product that captures such a unique power and vitality.
The resulting innisfree Orchid Line is being favored as the brand’s main anti-aging solution that delivers a tenacious vitality to endure the harsh cold.
Skin anti-aging with the powerful vitality
Orchid Line is instilled with the vitality of Jeju orchid to achieve dense and firm skin. It is formulated with a valuable ingredient with a boosted antioxidant effect obtained by using hot water extraction, called Orchidelixir™. Orchidelixir™ and functional active components work in skin that has become withered by age and fatigue, to nourish it from within, relieve aging problems and making skin healthy.
Orchid Products
Pomegranate
Ingredient for Women
Pomegranate is one of the fruits known to be beneficial for women’s health.
To grow pomegranate, innisfree uses clean water, pure air and natural fertilizer.
Instead of using an artificial process, the whole fruit is pressed to gain its active components and provide nutrients that are intact without any damage. Fresh pressed pomegranate juice boosts a natural glow on the skin, while pomegranate seed oil builds a protective barrier on the skin’s surface to improve firmness.
Pomegranate Products
Volcanic
Mysterious ingredient found only on Jeju
Jeju volcanic cluster is created when the volcano erupts on the island and the released lava hardens. This ingredient features higher sebum absorption than red clay or mud, removes sebum and waste matter and also supplies minerals. The clean and rare ingredient of Jeju volcanic cluster clears the inside of the pores with its powerful skin purifying ability.
- Pore care
- Sebum removal
- Exfoliation
- Deep
cleansing - Complexion
improvement - Cooling
effect
Enhanced as Super Volcanic
The upgraded Super Volcanic ClustersTM has an 89% stronger sebum removal effect than the original. Encapsulated volcanic cluster removes sebum clogging the pores on the inside as well as dead skin on the outside. Developed based on the fact that sebum release is higher on hotter days, the cooling clay formula lowers the skin temperature and presents a refreshing and brisk sensation from the moment you apply Super Volcanic Pore Clay Mask until after you wash it off. To relieve different pore problems that are as diverse as the customers' skin conditions, the enhanced Super Volcanic Pore Clay mask has been created as a SUPER product that can relieve all 6 pore concerns of pore tightening, sebum removal, exfoliating, deep cleansing, complexion and cooling effect.
Jeju Volcanic cluster sphere™ innisfree has invested much time and efforts in exploring the excellent features of jeju volcanic material, and this new ingredient is newly developed as an effort. This is innifree’s upgraded original material with doubled* oil absorption effect.
Pore killer ‘Super’ VolcanicWith twice the content of Jeju volcanic cluster, the new upgraded version of “Super Volcanic” Pore Mask powerfully absorbs sebum, exfoliates and relieves all pore-related problems.
‘Hard’ volcanic cluster for extremely oily skinThe ‘hard’ type volcanic cluster with an oil-free base for extremely oily skin contains twice the amount of minerals and can absorb sebum and waste matter with a greater power.
Creation of VolcanicFound only on Jeju, volcanic cluster is a rare mineral featuring an outstanding absorption of impurities, which makes it effective for removing sebum as part of pore care.
Volcanic Products
Soybean
Naturally fermented ingredient filled with pristine energy
Naturally fermented at the altitude of 620m in Mt. Halla, Soybean purifies a dull skin tone and lifts up sagginess to build a firm skin barrier and restore the skin’s healthiness.
Once again, Jeju soybean is complete
through natural fermentation
In the aim to produce a more ‘proper’ fermented essence, innisfree chose to await a long 300 days.
The pristine island of Jeju was the place innisfree found as having the best environment to make fermented soybean, which features stronger benefits than normal soybean, which is already a complete food containing 8 essential amino acids for the human body and charged with tenacious vitality.
620m above sea level in Mt. Halla where the temperature and altitude are ideal for fermentation, soybean from Jeju is put into a breathable volcanic clay pot with clean samdasoo water and aged by the sunlight and sea breeze for 300 days.
This precious fermented extract created purely by nature then becomes the ingredient of innisfree Soybean Energy Essence, and the source of strong and healthy skin.
Boosting the skin's energy with the
power of natural fermentation
Created by the power of Jeju’s clean nature, innisfree Soybean Energy Essence quickly invigorates tired skin to keep it firm and healthy. This 6-in-1 solution soothes and moisturizes the skin. It also even strengthens the skin barrier and prevents fine lines to give your skin a strong and bouncy condition.
The new innisfree Soybean Energy Essence Light manages dead skin and pores to purify a dull skin tone while also softening the uneven skin texture to present a healthy look with added clarity.
The benefits of Soybean Energy Essence not only last while you use the product, but continue to maintain the improved skin condition for an extended time like the long period of natural fermentation.
Soybean Products
Hallabong
Origin of Jeju Hallabong
“Hallabong(Jeju Citrus)”, a winter seasonal fruit cultivated on Jeju island, is named after the shape of its pointy stalk end that resembles the peak of Mt. Halla.
Also called as the “honey-coated orange”, this fruit boasts a high sugar content, and is loved as a fancy gift rather than as an easy snack. It has excellent storability with its thick peel, has rich juice, and has a size much bigger that the regular tangerine.
innisfree’s endeavor to make Jeju
Hallabong into cosmetic ingredients
Hallabong, a fruit known for its rich Vitamin C content. Its peel contains various bioflavonoids including hesperidin, an antioxidant for skin.
However, because its peel is thicker than that of other fruits, it was difficult to extract the active ingredients. After testing several techniques, innisfree has discovered that the ultrasonic extraction approach helps soften the peel to effectively extract them. From this tenderized Jeju Hallabong peel, we were able to extract skin brightening components, and finally, use them successfully as cosmetic ingredients.
Benefits of innisfree Brightening
Pore line products
innisfree’s Brightening Pore Line is a brightening solution formulated with Jeju Hallabong peel extract and 3 vitamin derivatives (B3, C, and B5), to treat visible blemishes as well as hidden dark spots and pores. The sun shines on us throughout the year, so just like applying sunscreen every day, provide your skin with a year-round brightening care using Brightening Pore Line filled with Jeju Hallabong peel extract and the active vitamin derivatives.
Hallabong Products
Green Barley
Ingredient for clear skin
Green Barley cleansers remove waste matter from the skin effectively with their high content of dietary fiber and reveal non-flaky, flowing skin
Organic green barley harvested in Jeju
Green barley is one of Jeju's native varieties and a healthy ingredient rich in protein, dietary fiber and nutrients.
Exfoliation by natural AHA obtained from green barley vinegar
Green barley vinegar' is made through the careful 3-step fermentation of green barley. This vinegar containing 3 types of AHA features an outstanding exfoliating effect and helps make the skin smooth.
Green Barley Products
Gotjawal phytoncide
Botanical energy gained from the 'lungs' of Jeju
Phytoncide, the main ingredient for Forest line, features an exceptional skin refreshing and relaxing effect which helps make skin healthy.
1,540,000㎡
Phytoncide is a substance emitted by plants to protect themselves from the outside, and the ingredient used for innisfree Forest For Men, a line dedicated to relaxing men's skin.
Full of this phytoncide as 'Jeju's lung', Gotjawal boasts an area of 1,540,000㎡.
Protecting pristine Gotjawal, Jeju
Jeju’s Gotjawal is the largest evergreen forest on the Korean Peninsula and plays a critical role in Jeju’s ecosystem as ‘Jeju’s lung’, which is also its nickname. To preserve Gotjawal from increasing privatization and destruction, innisfree donates 3% of the sales profit from Forest For Men to this forest each year.
As the first outside company to cooperate with Gotjawal Communization Foundation, innisfree helps at the forefront with its donation to switch the privatized part of the forest into joint ownership and preserve the region.
Gotjawal Products