Isntree Mugwort Calming Clay Mask Review – Soothing Spa Time

Isntree is K-beauty's favourite nature brand, delivering simple and quality products that celebrate a single ingredient in a format that brings pure results to your skin. Famous for their summer-perfect hyaluronic acid skincare line (with refreshing moisturizers and sunscreen), and restorative green tea skincare.  

Another famous ingredient in both Korean beauty and from Isntree’s tailored skincare is their use of mugwort. Tailored to refresh and calm irritated, oily and acne-prone skin – the most popular and beloved is their Mugwort Calming Clay mask. With a careful combination of 6 different types of clay, infused with mugwort extract and dried leaves (along with a little adzuki bean extract), it’s the ideal, minimalist addition to an oily skin and acne-care routine. What’s the results? Let’s find out! 

Mugwort is a long-standing traditional herbal remedy, known as the Mother of Herbs in the middle ages. It acts as an antioxidant, improves liver health, prevents spasms, is antibacterial and antifungal and more – with a variety of powerful molecules inside it that bring deep relief and treatment.

In skincare, mugwort has been beloved in SE Asia, with a clear ability to soothe, hydrate and improve skin texture. Richly infused with antioxidants, it helps improve skin healing at a rapid pace (ideal for active acne spots and skin irritation). It also helps actively reduce redness and prevent inflammation of the skin, preventing the skin’s over-reaction that can prolong outbreaks. 

Simply put, mugwort is an ideal addition to any acne-prone skincare routine, helping to reduce the size of lesions and keep skin clearer and more refreshed. 

Kaolin Clay: a famous skincare treatment for oily skin and acne, due to its ability to draw excess oils and impurities from the skin, creating a gentle and cooling balance. 

Mugwort extract (and leaf powder): soothing and cooling extract that helps reduce inflammation, itching and redness from skin and improving skin barrier health and healing.

Green tea water: soothing and clarifying extract that helps reduce acne spots, care for pores and balance sebum for clearer skin. 

Korean Chestnut shell extract: firming and brightening extract that helps reduce cellular stress and enhance collagen for more youthful, refreshed skin. 

Willow Bark extract: gently exfoliating and pore restoring extract that helps clear dead skin cells and excess oils, preventing whiteheads from forming on skin. 

Oregano extract: rich in antioxidants to help soothe and hydrate skin, preventing irritation and redness. 

Oat extract: soothing and calming extract that helps clear redness, reduce skin inflammation and creating a stronger and more hydrated skin biome. 

Artichoke extract: refreshing extract rich in vitamins and antioxidants that help protect the skin barrier against environmental agents that can irritate and trigger outbreaks. 

Probiotics: extracted from fermented soybeans, Lactobacillus helps restore balance to the microbiome, giving protective formations that help prevent future skin infections and inflammation. 

Canadian Colloidal Clay: soothing extract that provides deep cleansing action and helps minimize pores for a refreshed, glassy finish. 

This drying clay mask is ideal for oily skin types and acne. It’s not well suited for dry skin types and mature skin that has fine lines, as it risks drawing more moisture from the skin. It’s a refreshing skin treatment for irritated, red and inflamed skin for a clearer and more refreshed finish.

I am notorious for my love of clay masks. They are an exceptional addition to oily skin types, where you just need a break from the heat, the build-up and oily shine that plagues us 24/7. After a long day, I love to come home, clay up and just rest for the hour. 

I started up using this clay mask about twice weekly, to help refresh my pores and balance oils on the skin's surface. It also has mugwort dried leaves inside, which exfoliate as you wash the mask off, leaving your skin feeling baby soft and smooth as butter. 

After two weeks of using this clay mask, you can see an immediate improvement to skin redness and active spots. The balancing clay is not only soothing, but is a great relaxing skincare treatment for bath time, self-care and resetting for the week.

The clay does dry into a hard shell, which can be irritating for dry skin, so I would absolutely recommend this more for oily skin and acne-prone skin that can benefit from the moisture being released from pores. 

This refreshing mugwort clay mask is a high quality addition to any acne-prone and oily skin routine. It's dryer than some other clay masks, but incredibly soothing and has an amazing treatment for active outbreaks and spots.

Want to upgrade your skincare routine with natural, soothing ingredients (sourced from only the finest sources)? Check out the amazing Korean beauty range available on Arktastic!

Want to learn more about Korean beauty? Check out our review of the Isntree famous Green Tea emulsion. Or check out our guide to the power of mugwort and the best mugwort products in K-Beauty!

What Does the Isntree Mugwort Calming Clay Mask do?
It draws out excess sebum and impurities, while mugwort helps soothe redness and calm irritated, acne-prone skin. It's a refreshing skin treatment mask that helps improve oily skin and refresh your pores.

How Often Should You Use the Isntree Clay Mask?
It's formulated to be a gentle, refreshing mask treatment; but can dry out your skin too much with overuse. It's typically a 1-2x weekly treatment for a deeper refreshment.

How long do you leave the mask on?
It's a wash off clay mask, that only requires 10-30min of use to maximise benefits. You can apply during a warm bath to relax and release tension, or just before a shower to easily rinse off in your routine.

Is Mugwort good for Oily and Acne-Prone Skin?
Yes, mugwort is an amazing skincare ingredient specifically for irritated and oily skin. It helps soothe redness and eliminate acne-causing bacteria for refreshed and clearer skin texture.