This review contains affiliate links* I’ve been super impatient to tell you guys all about my latest K-beauty obsession: the Rootree Cryptherapy Revital Toner truly deserve its own, in-depth review – it’s been a wonderful addition to my skincare routine!
I often feel like Korean toners are somewhat overrepresented on this blog in terms of reviews, and fear that this may seem a bit over the top to some people. Truly, I get it – how many toners does one girl need? It feels like I told you about my undying love for the Isntree Green Tea Toner just yesterday, doesn’t it?
But, just remember, this is basically part of my job: getting to know the latest and most interesting Asian skincare products and telling you all about them, letting you then decide for yourself whether or not the product introduced here may be something for you to try out as well. I am in no way trying to imply that every human on this planet needs to have a dozen toners in their skincare kit! And, also – I’m totally almost done with the Isntree Toner and still love it deeply. When it comes to my skincare, I’m a lot more open to polyamory than when it comes to my actual love life.
Cue the Rootree Cryptherapy Revital Toner, the latest paramour to join that evergrowing harem of Korean toners. Rootree is a brand that has been on my radar for a long time already, but it’s always been pretty much impossible to get my hands on this Korean near-organic brand. “Near-organic” because I am uncertain as to their claims of being organic, given that they don’t carry any international labels that fully certify the organic origin of their ingredients. “Organic-adjacent” could maybe be a different way of talking about Rootree, at least for as long as I cannot fully guarantee their organic status.
But, ah, I’m getting ahead of myself: let’s first get to know a bit more about the Rootree Cryptherapy Revital Toner and what is so special about the types of ingredients Rootree uses for their very unique Cryptherapy skincare range.
Rootree Cryptherapy Revital Toner – the Basics
“Made in Forest” is the motto of the Rootree brand, and in this case, it isn’t just a vaguely romantic-sounding marketing phrase. Rootree strongly relies on ingredients directly derived from a number of trees that grow on Jeju Island in Korea, something that makes the brand truly unique. For the Cryptherapy skincare range, Japanese cedar extract, Cryptomeria Japonica in Latin, is the name-giving star ingredient. Cryptomeria or sugi in Japanese, is seen as Japan’s national tree and a symbol of both beauty and longevity.
Cryptomeria extract is particularly high in phytoncides, antimicrobal organic substances derived from trees (they are what gives pines their intense camphoric aroma!), said to boost not just the trees’, but also humans’ immune system. Fun fact: in Japan, shinrinyoku – “forest bathing” – is seen as a way to absorb these phytoncides by “bathing” in the healthy air fragrant with the aroma of the sugi trees. Cryptomeria extract is said to boost the skin’s ability to fight off bacteria and strengthen the skin barrier.
Here is the full list of ingredients for the Rootree Cryptherapy Revital Toner:
“Water, Glycerin, Alcohol, Propanediol, Glycereth-26, Sorbitol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Carbomer, Arginine, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Mentha Arvensis Leaf Extract, Cryptomeria Japonica Leaf Extract, Chamaecyparis Obtusa Leaf Extract, Brassia Napus Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Fragrance, Disodium EDTA, Glyceryl Acrylate/ Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Hyaluronic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Sprout Extract, Benzyl Alcohol, Bambusa Arundinacea Juice, Ethylhexylglycerin.”
Ok, so just to get this out of the way first: yes, this toner contains alcohol – I know this is a no-go for many of you guys. However, I really want to stress that despite the alcohol content, which is definitely noticeable from the scent alone, I never felt this toner to be stripping or skin-aggravating at all!
Apart from the not-so-great alcohol content, this toner is chock full of hydrating and super intriguing ingredients: glycerin, castor oil and hyaluronic acid are of course classic humectants, “water-grabbing” ingredients. Bamboo leaf water hydrates deeply, and rapeseed as well as wheat sprout extract provide antioxidant and elasticity-improving care.
The Cryptherapy skincare range is targeted towards oilier skin types with pore and texture issues, and the Rootree Cryptherapy Revital Toner is meant to provide refreshing, light hydration. According to Rootree, it contains 83% ingredients that are of natural origin, though they do not state whether or not those are organic.
As I’ve said: it’s a bit difficult to determine whether or not Rootree can be called “organic”, but this is a general problem for many natural and/or “green” beauty brands from Korea. The only Korean brands I can 100% guarantee as certified organic are: Whamisa (link leads to German blog article), URANG and CHOBS, since they carry independent labels such as BIDH or Ecocert.
This toner comes in a sturdy, frosted plastic bottle, with a cap that is supposed to be wood, but, well, I’m pretty sure it’s made from plastic. It still looks pretty though!
Rootree Cryptherapy Revital Toner – Why I Love It
I was nervous about using this toner since, as I wrote above, it does contain alcohol and yes, you can actually smell it when you open the bottle. In general, the scent of the Rootree Cryptherapy Revital Toner takes a bit of getting used to, since it’s a bit pungent and “woodsy”, which of course makes sense given the whole brand philosophy of “forest ingredients.”
Despite my apprehension, the Rootree Cryptherapy Revital Toner has just kind of blown me away when it comes to its hydrating and skin-smoothing abilities. Firstly, its thicker gel texture instantly melts into water when it comes in contact with the skin, thus sinking deeply into the skin without leaving any sticky residue at all. I’ve rarely seen a thick K-beauty toner absorb as rapidly as this one, so it has been wonderful during this humid summer heat!
After applying a layer of this toner, my skin always feels extra soft and smooth, it’s so lovely! This plays well with other toners and hydrating serums and is just perfect for a multi-layer routine in my eyes. It feels hydrating without being overpowering, a great toner for dehydrated skin that is either combo or on the oilier side. Dry skin types will like this if they are mostly after hydration, but may need something more nourishing in terms of serum and moisturiser.
I’ve been reaching for the Rootree Cryptherapy Revital Toner a lot these past weeks, and it’s almost managed to knock out my forever favourite hydrating toner, the Whamisa Deep Rich Toner – at least for the warmer months of the year, the Rootree toner just feels so much lighter, while providing equally intense hydration.
Rootree Cryptherapy Revital Toner – the Bottom Line
From the pretty packaging down to the intriguing, unique ingredients, the Rootree Cryptherapy Revital Toner has been a wonderful, positive skincare surprise! I wasn’t sure if the alcohol content would turn my skin off and cause problems, but nope, I’ve still been super happy with the toner’s performance: deeply hydrating and oh so lightweight, this one is a keeper!
By the way, I am also trialing my way through a few samples of the Rootree Camphorganic skincare range meant for mature and dehydrated skin, and I’ve been loving the Camphorganic Refreshing Emulsion* (US purchase link only!) in particular. Hopefully I can find a way to purchase a full-sized version at some point, it’s so damn good.
The Rootree products are sadly very difficult to find outside of Korea, especially for us Europeans. This Amazon shop* seems to ship internationally, and the toner retails for a reasonable 24.85$. Northern Americans can also buy the Rootree Cryptherapy Revital Toner at Beautytap* from what I understand.
Europeans are geoblocked from seeing the purchase pages for Rootree for some silly reason (I hate geoblocking so much!), so for me the Beautytap link just turns up a blank page. I am so bummed about Beautytap becoming more and more exclusively for American customers only, it used to be such a great international K-beauty shop. Anyway, let me know if you can see the product page in your country when you click the link, curious to know who it works for!
A big thank you to the lovely podcast listener who gifted me this toner after hearing how much I wanted to try out the brand – it’s just amazing when someone does something kind like that. He works at Beautytap, so he’s “right at the source” for all sorts of delicious K-beauty goodness – more reviews of some other Beautytap-exclusive treasures to come, so watch this space.
Let me know in the comments: Have you tried anything from Rootree yet?
Take care guys!
Sugarpeaches
*Affiliate Links, meaning I earn a small commission if you decide to use the link to purchase an item. This does not raise the purchase price for you, and it helps me and my blog to grow – so, thank you for supporting me in this way!
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