The Amorepacific Vintage Single Extract Essence and the Isntree Green Tea Fresh Toner are both packed with potent green tea leaf extract, but the latter is a fraction of the price. Read on as we compare the two formulas.
Green tea is one of the best natural skin care ingredients out there because it excels at so many things. It has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties that make it a great ingredient for soothing redness, irritation, and breakouts. The tannins in green tea also have astringent properties that can help reduce the production of excess sebum. Then the ingredient is a rich source of antioxidants that help skin fend off free radicals that cause damage and speed up the aging process.
The powerful ingredient is why Amorepacific’s Vintage Single Extract Essence, which only has six ingredients – green tea leaf extract being the star – is such a prized skin care possession. The anti-aging formula is designed to target and treat fine lines and wrinkles, as well as improve skin tone and clarity. Renee of Gothamista has raved about it on her YouTube channel, calling it a “real treat” for her skin and it gets frequent mentions on skin care-related Reddit threads.
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The only thing that might keep you from clicking “add to cart” and slathering it all over your face? A 4.05 oz bottle costs $145, which is a splurge to be sure. Thankfully, we’ve recently discovered a product that’s pretty similar, and it costs a whole lot less: the Isntree Green Tea Fresh Toner, priced at just $20 for 6.76 oz.
The Similarities
Like the Amorepacific essence, green tea leaf extract sourced from Jeju Island, an island off of South Korea, is the main attraction of the Isntree toner; the formula contains 80% of the ingredient. It’s unclear exactly how much green tea is found in the Amorepacific formula, but considering the brevity of the ingredient list, it’s safe to say that it’s a very concentrated amount.
Thanks to all that green tea goodness, both of the formulas have a natural tea scent and a brown-ish hue.
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Like the Vintage Single Extract Essence, the Green Tea Fresh Toner is nourishing and designed to protect, brighten, and clear up the complexion. In addition to the green tea, the essence contains glycerin, a humectant, to moisturize, while the toner contains hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid, also a humectant.
The Differences
Let’s talk about the major one: price. If you’re wondering why the Amorepacific essence is so expensive, we have one idea. In order to give their green tea even more oomph during production, the leaves are fermented for 50 days and then buried in the earth in an onggi (Korean earthenware) for another 50 days before being slowly extracted for 24 hours. That’s quite the process!
And then of course the obvious difference is product type. Yes, one is an essence and one is a toner, but because the green tea is so concentrated in both, you’re still going to reap similar benefits. However, the Isntree goes a step further to help balance skin with ingredients like willow bark extract. It also includes additional soothing ingredients like centella asiatica water, allantoin, and blueberry fruit extract.
