Isntree Mugwort Calming Powder Wash for oily skin
Artemisia Vulgaris Leaf Powder Artemisia Princeps Leaf Powder
Papain
Sea Salt
Zea Mays Starch
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Average
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for oily skin; other products fit it better.
- Giornale Italiano Di Dermatologia E Venereologia, 2015
- Medicina Oral, Patologia Oral Y Cirugia Bucal, 2020
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily skin: shine, enlarged pores, blackheads, and blemishes. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Offers moderate exfoliation for your oily skin due to the presence of papain and sea salt, which help manage oiliness and gently decongest the pores. Allantoin provides a soothing effect, ensuring comfort during use.
- Sodium cocoyl isethionate aids in cleansing, but the formula lacks stronger ingredients for comprehensive oil control, which could further enhance results for your oily skin.
- The product is safe for your oily skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing components.
How to apply
- Use your enzyme powder cleanser as part of your AM or PM weekly routine. Start using it 1x per week and increase to daily use if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply this enzyme powder cleanser in your routine after the regular cleanser and before the hydrating toner, serum, and moisturizer.
- Gently mix the enzyme powder cleanser with water in your hands to create a lather. Massage it softly over your face without rubbing .
- Apply the enzyme powder cleanser to clean, slightly damp skin for the best results .
- Avoid the sensitive eye area and do a patch test before your first use to ensure your skin is happy.
People Say
★4.8Overall rating based on 900+ reviewsThis powder wash is highly regarded for its gentle exfoliation and non-stripping finish, leaving skin smooth and soft. Users with sensitive and acne-prone skin frequently report a soothing effect that reduces redness. While the individual sachets are convenient for travel, some users find the product expensive for the quantity and criticize the packaging waste. It is generally recommended as a second cleanser rather than for makeup removal.
Highlights
Gentle exfoliation Mostly Mentioned
- “skin feels incredibly smooth”
- “perfect mixture of exfoliation”
- “removes dead skin without damage”
- “softens rough skin”
Convenient travel packaging Often Mentioned
- “perfect for travel”
- “easy to pack”
- “convenient for on-the-go”
- “love the individual packets”
Non-stripping finish Often Mentioned
- “doesn't dry skin out”
- “face doesn't feel stripped”
- “leaves skin moist”
- “no tight feeling”
Expensive for quantity Often Mentioned
- “price point is steep”
- “wish bottle was bigger”
- “expensive for daily use”
- “small quantity”
Soothing and calming Sometimes Noted
- “calms my sensitive skin”
- “reduces redness”
- “soothes inflammation”
- “gentle on acne”
Excessive packaging waste Sometimes Noted
- “too much plastic waste”
- “not eco-friendly”
- “wasteful individual packets”
- “bad for landfill”
Difficult packet usability Rarely Noted
- “packaging gets soggy”
- “hard to open with wet hands”
- “paper dissolves if wet”
- “risky to store in shower”
Unpleasant scent Rarely Noted
- “strange strong odor”
- “smell is earthy”
- “scent is off-putting”
- “herbal smell isn't for everyone”
Sources: lovi.care, iherb.com, oliveyoung.com, yesstyle.com, stylevana.com, reddit.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Isntree Mugwort Calming Powder Wash work for oily skin?
This cleanser works moderately well for oily skin by offering gentle exfoliation and cleansing that help manage oiliness and clear pores safely. It is unlikely to cause irritation, but an oily skin type needs stronger oil-controlling ingredients like niacinamide for the best results.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for oily skin?
Papain and sea salt help manage oiliness and gently decongest your pores, while allantoin provides a soothing effect. This cleanser needs stronger ingredients for comprehensive oil control, such as niacinamide, to better suit oily skin.
What does Mugwort Leaf Powder do for oily skin?
Mugwort Leaf Powder helps calm red, irritated skin and brings relief to oily skin through its anti-inflammatory effects. This type of skin needs ingredients that reduce swelling and regulate oil without clogging pores.
What does Papain do for oily skin?
Papain helps clear oily skin by gently lifting away dead cells and surface buildup to leave your face feeling smooth. This ingredient helps reduce clogged pores and flakes, though it may occasionally cause mild irritation if your skin barrier is sensitive.
Giornale Italiano Di Dermatologia E Venereologia, 2015Archives of Dermatological Research, 2001
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This enzyme powder cleanser goes into a weekly routine for oily skin, starting at once a week after removing makeup and before a cleansing mask. Oily skin also needs stronger ingredients for comprehensive oil control to further enhance results.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this enzyme powder cleanser as part of your weekly routine, keeping it separate from your daily retinol treatment to avoid over-exfoliating your oily skin. It is unlikely to irritate your skin thanks to its soothing components, but an oily skin routine also needs stronger ingredients for comprehensive oil control.
How often should I use this cleanser?
Start by using this enzyme powder once a week, and if your oily skin tolerates it well and shows good results, you can carefully use it more often.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for oily skin, as it gently sweeps away oil and dead skin while soothing the face. However, because it lacks stronger oil-controlling ingredients, oily skin types often benefit from added clay or salicylic acid for deeper pore management.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
A fixed combination of hydroxypinacolone retinoate, retinol glycospheres, and papain glycospheres in aqueous gel applied once daily for 12 weeks achieved a 41% mean reduction in GAGS score and a 40.8% mean reduction in total lesions, with 15.3% of patients experiencing mild to moderate local side effects, in 94 evaluable patients with comedonal-papular, mild to moderate acne of the face.
Giornale Italiano Di Dermatologia E Venereologia, 2015A topical gel containing chitosan, chlorhexidine, allantoin, and dexpanthenol significantly reduced postoperative pain, trismus, swelling, and analgesic consumption, while improving wound healing after third molar surgery compared to a placebo.
Medicina Oral, Patologia Oral Y Cirugia Bucal, 2020Sodium cocoyl isethionate micelles are too large to penetrate stratum corneum aqueous pores, resulting in significant steric hindrance that prevents skin barrier perturbation and explains its skin mildness.
Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2007Artemisia princeps-derived nanovesicles accelerate cell proliferation, decrease senescence-associated beta-galactosidase activity, inhibit MMP-1 activity more effectively than EGCG, and increase procollagen type I expression in human dermal cells and skin models.
Journal of Extracellular Biology, 2025Artemisia annua aqueous extract increased the itching threshold, inhibited TSLP expression, and promoted FLG mRNA expression in in vitro and in vivo models.
Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2024Artemisia Capillaris Thunb. extract protects human HaCaT keratinocytes from UVB-induced apoptosis and inflammation by suppressing the cGAS/STING signaling pathway.
Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology. B, Biology, 2024Topical papain treatment may slightly decrease pain within 30 minutes in humans stung by Chrysaora chinensis compared to placebo.
Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, 2016Reflux extraction of Carica papaya leaves yielded higher antioxidant capacity and superior in vitro wound-healing activities including fibroblast proliferation, cell migration, and collagen synthesis in human skin fibroblasts compared to ultrasonic-assisted extraction and agitation.
Molecules, 2020Carica papaya leaf extracts obtained via supercritical fluid and conventional methods demonstrated antioxidant and cytoprotective effects on skin fibroblasts against oxidative stress, driven by their respective lipophilic and hydrophilic constituents.
Molecules, 2021Hydrolyzed corn starch containing maltotetraose activated the NRF2 pathway, upregulated antioxidant-responsive genes, increased NRF2 protein expression and nuclear translocation, and reduced reactive oxygen species levels in human keratinocytes exposed to oxidative stress.
PloS One, 2026
Why other products fit oily skin better
A moisturizing cream containing 2% l-carnitine and 5% EGCG significantly reduced sebum levels and improved skin hydration in ninety subjects with seborrhea over 4 weeks, showing greater anti-sebum efficacy in the combination group compared to the l-carnitine group alone.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023
Ingredients
Zea Mays Starch, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Palmitate, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Diglycerin, Papain, Sea Salt, Artemisia Princeps Leaf Powder, Allantoin, Maltodextrin, Water
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.