SKINFOOD Tea Tree Emulsion, Toner & Bubble Foam Review

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SKINFOOD Tea Tree Clearing Emulsion, Clearing Toner & Soft Bubble Foam Review

SKINFOOD Tea Tree line is probably one of the brand’s most underrated. I see so many people rave about the peach sake products, or the cucumber line, or the tomato products, or the royal honey ones. When I had the opportunity to try a few products, I decided to go with the line that I haven’t heard much about and selected Tea Tree Emulsion, Toner and Bubble Foam. Besides, it’s been a while since I shared a k-beauty review, so now’s a good time to help you guys discover something new. SKINFOOD skincare is generally pretty affordable, aside from a few lines that use more premium ingredients. With holidays coming up, I figured some of you might be looking for ways to pamper the skin or maybe buy a beauty gift for someone you love.

SKINFOOD Tea Tree line is marketed for people with troubled or acne-prone skin. The products are designed with skin-soothing ingredients that will help calm the redness, combat the breakouts, gently cleanse away the impurities, and rebalance the oil production.

Soft Tea Tree Soft Bubble Foam ($14 for 6.76 oz) is best used as a second step of your cleansing routine after a balm or an oil cleanser. Alternatively, you could also use this to wash your face in the morning to rinse the residue from your overnight products. Don’t buy this if you need your cleanser to double up as a makeup remover, because on its own I found that it’s not going to remove much product, if any, but it does a good job washing away oil, dirt, and debris. Unfortunately, this cleanser did not work well for me, because it registered too high on pH strips. I stopped using alkaline cleansers a while back, so I had to give this one a new loving home.

You will LOVE it if:

• You prefer skincare with hygienic pump dispensers.
• Your skin looks dull and congested.
• You prefer skincare with no added fragrance.
• You avoid alcohol in skincare.

You will HATE it if:

• You prefer low pH cleansers.
• You are sensitive to any of the ingredients.
• You are looking for a makeup remover.

Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Lauryl Betaine, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Extract, Lauric Acid, Propylene Glycol, Arginine, Myristic Acid, Sodium Cocoyl Apple Amino Acids, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Hydroxide, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Disodium Edta, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol, Enantia Chlorantha Bark Extract, Oleanolic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Malic Acid, Sodium Lactate, Sodium Citrate, Sucrose, Urea, Tartaric Acid.

Tea Tree Clearing Toner ($15 for 5.1 oz) is pretty self-explanatory. If you are familiar with Korean toners, then keep in mind that this one is more in line with the Western brands. This toner is not suitable for patting with your hands, or for the 7-skin layering method, because it’s a bit drying [intentionally]. The formula works as an astringent to tone, purify, and blast the skin with some antibacterial ingredients, preparing it for better absorption of the products that will follow.  I apply a couple pumps to a cotton round and quickly swipe across my face in the morning to sort of wake up the skin. It does leave my face looking matte and feeling cool.

You will LOVE it if:

• You prefer skincare with hygienic pump dispensers.
• You prefer unscented skincare.
• Your skin looks dull and congested.
• You prefer skincare with no added fragrance.
• You avoid alcohol in skincare.

You will HATE it if:

• You are sensitive to any of the ingredients.
• You have very dry skin.

Ingredients: Water, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Beta-Glucan, 1,2-Hexanediol, Panthenol, Pentylene Glycol, Peg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Salix Nigra (Willow) Bark Extract, Butylene Glycol, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Disodium Edta, Hizikia Fusiforme Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Enantia Chlorantha Bark Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Seed Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Oleanolic Acid, Phenoxyethanol.

Swatches from Top to Bottom: Skinfood Soft Tea Tree Soft Bubble Foam, Tea Tree Clearing Emulsion, Tea Tree Clearing Toner.

Tea Tree Clearing Emulsion ($12 for 4.6 oz) – if you are lost in k-beauty lingo, emulsion is just another word for moisturizer, and it’s used to hint about the product’s consistency and use. Emulsions tend to be runnier, thinner, and milkier than creams and lotions, and are generally marketed for people with oily, combination, and problem skin. Emulsions are also very easy to layer with other products, because they don’t feel heavy on the skin. This emulsion contains some very nice antioxidant, antibacterial, skin-soothing, and moisturizing ingredients, including super popular Centella Asiatica, but at the same time it feels lightweight. It never makes my skin feel like it’s suffocating, and I believe that it helped reduce the redness from my hormonal breakouts.

You will LOVE it if:

• You prefer skincare with hygienic pump dispensers.
• Your pores get clogged easily from regular moisturizers.
• Your skin looks dull and congested.
• You prefer skincare with no added fragrance.
• You avoid alcohol in skincare.

You will HATE it if:

• You are sensitive to any of the ingredients.
• You have very dry skin.

Ingredients: Water, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Extract, Cyclopentasiloxane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cyclohexasiloxane, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Beta-Glucan, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Peg-100 Stearate, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Salix Nigra (Willow) Bark Extract, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Extract, Arginine, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Hizikia Fusiforme Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Xanthan Gum, Enantia Chlorantha Bark Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Seed Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Oleanolic Acid, Phenoxyethanol.

BOTTOM LINE:

Most k-beauty products, especially from road shop brands [Korean equivalent of ‘drugstore’ brands] like SKINFOOD, are often heavily scented and contain a lot of added fragrance. This line is an exception. These products are aimed for people with troubled, sensitized skin, and added fragrance will do more harm than good. While all three products smell fairly strongly of tea tree, that scent is purely from the natural essential oils, not synthetics. Additionally, to boost the line’s antibacterial properties, all of the products are housed in hygienic pump packaging. Considering that the majority of SKINFOOD moisturizers come in jars, this was clearly done intentionally with troubled skin in mind. Very thoughtful indeed!

Keep in mind, these are not anti-aging products. SKINFOOD Tea Tree line specifically targets troubled skin, acne, and excess oil production, so it’s best for people who are not experiencing any advanced signs of aging, because these products won’t help much with that. Although they can be incorporated into an anti-aging routine, like if you maybe use a toner as part of your AM lineup, or the emulsion layered under a rich sunblock.

Have you tried any SKINFOOD products? What is the last Korean beauty product that impressed you? Do you use any products with tea tree in your routine? Let me know in the comments below!