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Not yet assessed for Large Pores
What Makes This Different
It declares its heartleaf (10,000 ppm) and PHA (500 ppm) doses, pairs them with eight hyaluronic acid forms, panthenol and adenosine, and keeps the formula free of fragrance, alcohol and oils, positioning pore care as calming and hydration rather than astringency.
isoi
isoi Heartleaf Pore Mask Review
Gentle Heartleaf Pore Sheet
mask sheet-mask k beauty Paraben Free Fungal Acne Safe Vegan Not Cruelty Free
A gentle, fragrance-free and alcohol-free heartleaf sheet mask that calms and hydrates oily, easily irritated skin, making pores look smoother for a few hours. It declares its doses, 1% heartleaf and 0.05% PHA, and the second number tells you the pore benefit comes from hydration and soothing, not exfoliation. A solid, affordable mask, though not a pore treatment.
Made in South Korea Launched 2025 All-year use
Run it through our tools Clashes with my routine? Pregnancy-safe? Find a cheaper dupe Patch-test it first
Launched in 2025, this mask has almost no independent reviews, and the brand's pore-improvement percentages come from its own testing. The assessment is based on the full YesStyle ingredient list and the declared heartleaf and PHA doses.
Verdicts All dehydration products →All sensitivity products →
How well it fits each concern
Verdict by concern tap a concern for the case
Good choicefor DehydrationIn your profileYou chose · Panthenol (Vitamin B5) is a reference standard by mechanism for dehydration; this sheet mask carries it high in the ingredient list.
The case for it
- Panthenol has trial-supported standing for this concern.
- It is present at an effective concentration, declared or high in the ingredient list.
- The formula carries none of the triggers this concern is sensitive to.
Same rule for everyone. “Good choice” is the verdict on 9,564 of 45,024 concern verdicts across the catalog; rule R5 decided 9,072 of them. As of September 25, 2026, engine 5.1.1.
Brand or formulator? Disclose a concentration or correct a fact →
Show the work
- Rule
- R5 — Trial-supported or guideline-supported active, adequately or plausibly dosed. · the full register
- Carrying active
- Panthenol
- Standing
- supported — its mechanism is established
- Form
- adequate — studied range 2.5%, from the trials on the row; needs leave-on contact
- Tolerability
- gentle
- Row checked
- against its sources on July 17, 2026 (evidence table ev-2026.09-r228)
The studies behind the evidence row
- Cosmetic Ingredient Review assessment of panthenol / dexpanthenol — humectant and moisturizer that raises stratum-corneum water content — reference work
Good choicefor SensitivityIn your profileYou chose · No fragrance, drying alcohol, declarable allergens or sensitising preservatives in this sheet mask — the profile sensitive skin looks for.
The case for it
- Houttuynia Cordata Extract has no evidence row yet for this concern — it is in the research queue.
- The formula carries none of the triggers this concern is sensitive to.
What would change this: A researched evidence row for the lead active would replace this with a verdict.
Same rule for everyone. “Good choice” is the verdict on 1,938 of 45,024 concern verdicts across the catalog; rule F2 decided 1,938 of them. As of September 25, 2026, engine 5.1.1.
Brand or formulator? Disclose a concentration or correct a fact →
Show the work
- Rule
- F2 — Gentle = no weighted deduction fired and fit ≥ 90. · the full register
- Carrying active
- Houttuynia Cordata Extract
- Standing
- not assessed
- Form
- plausible (declared 10%)
- Tolerability
- gentle
Also listed for Large Pores and Excess Oiliness — the actives here (Houttuynia Cordata (Heartleaf) are in our research queue for those concerns; there is no verdict until their evidence rows are written. That is a gap in our table, not a mark against the product.
As a maskNot judged: what a mask is for — works within its wear time, benefit outlasts the mask, comes off cleanly — cannot yet be measured from the ingredient list (only intensity without injury can).
A verdict is DermApproved’s assessment of how well a product’s ingredients fit a concern — never a claim about what the product treats. Evidence dots and collected reviews sit beside it and are never blended in. Rules 0.5.1 · evidence table ev-2026.09-r228 · how we decide
Assessment
Pros & Cons
Pros
- ✓ Declares 1% heartleaf (10,000 ppm)
- ✓ Fragrance-free, alcohol-free and oil-free
- ✓ Eight hyaluronic acid forms plus glycerin and trehalose
- ✓ Panthenol and allantoin soothe reactive skin
- ✓ Makes pores look smoother through hydration
- ✓ Around two dollars per sheet
Cons
- ✗ PHA at 0.05% is too low to exfoliate
- ✗ Pore-improvement claims come from brand testing
- ✗ Effects are temporary
- ✗ Marketing cites ten hyaluronic acids, the list shows eight
- ✗ Too new for meaningful user reviews
Review
Full Review
isoi's description of the Heartleaf Pore Mask includes two numbers that are worth reading carefully: heartleaf extract at 10,000 ppm and PHA at 500 ppm. The first is a respectable dose for a sheet mask, one percent of a well-liked soothing botanical. The second is much smaller. Five hundred parts per million is 0.05 percent, and polyhydroxy acids like gluconolactone generally need several percent to exfoliate. That small number is the key to understanding this mask. Despite the word pore in the name, it works through calming and hydration, not by clearing pores.
That is not a criticism. For many people with oily, congested skin that also reacts easily, a gentle, hydrating mask is more useful than another exfoliant. The formula is thoughtfully simple. After water come butylene glycol, glycerin and 1,2-hexanediol, then houttuynia cordata extract, the Jeju heartleaf of the name, in fifth place. Polyglycerin-3 and trehalose add humectancy, panthenol and allantoin soothe, and adenosine offers a light anti-ageing extra. The list ends with eight forms of hyaluronic acid: hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid, sodium hyaluronate, hydroxypropyltrimonium hyaluronate, sodium acetylated hyaluronate, hyaluronic acid, hydrolyzed sodium hyaluronate, a crosspolymer and potassium hyaluronate. The marketing mentions ten types, but eight appear in the published list. There is no fragrance, no alcohol and no oil.
Heartleaf has become one of Korean skincare's most popular calming ingredients, largely because it suits oily, acne-prone skin that also flushes or stings easily. Its flavonoids, including quercetin derivatives, have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity in laboratory studies. At one percent in an occlusive sheet, it contributes a calming effect that many people with reactive, congested skin appreciate.
In use, the thin sheet is well soaked with a light, slightly gel-like essence. It feels cool and comfortable, with no sting, which is exactly what you want from a mask marketed for sensitive skin. After ten to twenty minutes, skin looks calmer and more even, and pores on the cheeks and nose look softer. That softening comes from hydration: well-hydrated skin reflects light more evenly and plumps slightly around each pore opening, making pores less obvious. The effect lasts several hours, longer if a light moisturiser goes on top.
The brand cites its own four-week testing showing improvements in pore depth, count and area. Those figures come from company-run studies and have not been independently published, so they are best read as marketing. Pore size is largely determined by genetics, oil production and skin elasticity, and no sheet mask changes it permanently. For real pore and blackhead care, a leave-on salicylic acid or retinoid used on other nights is the more effective partner, and this mask fits comfortably alongside either because it adds no irritation.
The mask is a particularly good choice in a few situations: after a day in the sun or wind, when skin feels hot and tight; alongside acne treatments that leave skin dry and reactive; or simply as a calming weekly ritual for combination skin. Because it is fragrance-free and alcohol-free, it is one of the safer sheet masks for sensitive skin.
Getting the most from each sheet is straightforward. Apply it to skin that is still slightly damp from toner, which helps the essence spread evenly. Smooth the sheet firmly around the nose, where it tends to lift, because that is where most people want the pore-smoothing effect. Remove it before it dries completely, around the twenty-minute mark at most, since a drying sheet can start to pull water back out of the skin. Then pat the leftover essence into the face, neck and backs of the hands rather than wasting it.
It also helps to think about how the mask fits a weekly routine for oily, congested skin. A sensible pattern is a gentle cleanser morning and night, a leave-on salicylic acid two or three evenings a week, a light moisturiser and sunscreen daily, and this mask on the evenings in between, when skin needs a break from actives. That combination addresses clogged pores directly with the BHA while the mask keeps skin calm and hydrated, reducing the chance of the dryness and redness that often follow acne treatments.
Chilling a pouch in the fridge before use adds a pleasant cooling effect, which is especially welcome in summer or after exercise, and can make flushed, overheated skin look calmer faster.
On value, StyleKorean lists a pack of five at about ten and a half dollars, roughly two dollars a sheet, which is reasonable for a well-formulated Korean mask. Single sheets are also sold.
isoi, founded in 2006 and known mainly for its Bulgarian rose products, launched this mask in 2025. The brand publishes its full ingredient list and declared doses, which is commendable. User reviews are still scarce, and no independent testing exists.
The verdict: a well-made, gentle hydration mask with a real dose of heartleaf and an honest, if small, dose of PHA. Buy it for calm, comfortable, smoother-looking skin, not for exfoliation.
Formula
Key Ingredients
The hero actives that drive this product's performance.
| Ingredient | Function | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Houttuynia Cordata Extract (10,000 ppm (1%)) | Jeju heartleaf declared at 1%, fifth in the list right after the humectants, bringing the soothing, anti-redness character the mask is named for. | Not yet assessed |
| Gluconolactone (500 ppm (0.05%)) | The PHA on the pouch, declared at 500 ppm, which is far below exfoliating strength and mainly contributes to the mask's mildly acidic pH. | Not yet assessed |
| Sodium Hyaluronate | One of eight hyaluronic acid forms at the end of the list, adding a slippery, water-binding layer that the sheet holds against the skin. | Established mechanism for Dehydration · established mechanism |
| Panthenol | Supports barrier comfort with allantoin and trehalose, suiting skin that feels irritated around congested pores. | Established mechanism for Dehydration · established mechanism |
| Adenosine | A Korean wrinkle-care ingredient included at a low level as a light anti-ageing extra. | Not yet assessed |
Ingredient standings describe the active at treatment-level doses and vehicles; this product's own condition grades weigh its actual formula.
Full INCI List
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Polyglycerin-3, Trehalose, Panthenol, Carbomer, Arginine, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Xanthan Gum, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Ethylhexylglycerin, Gluconolactone, Adenosine, Allantoin, Pentylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Potassium Hyaluronate
✓ Pregnancy Safe ✓ Fragrance Free✓ Alcohol Free✓ Oil Free✓ Silicone Free✓ Paraben Free✓ Sulfate Free✗ Cruelty Free✓ Vegan✓ Fungal Acne Safe
Compatibility
Skin Match
Best For
Works For
Routine Step
treatment
Time of Day
AM & PM
Layering Tips
Apply after toner for 10-20 minutes, pat in the remaining essence, then seal with a light moisturiser.
Results Timeline
Immediate: calmer, hydrated skin with smoother-looking pores for several hours. Regular use keeps congested, easily irritated skin comfortable; pore size does not change.
A BHA or retinoid on other nights for pore careA light gel moisturiserDaily sunscreen
Planning a combo? Check it against what you already use
Sample AM Routine
- Cleanser
- Toner
- THIS PRODUCT (occasionally)
- Moisturiser
- Sunscreen
Sample PM Routine
- Cleanser
- Toner
- isoi Heartleaf Pore Mask
- Moisturiser
Evidence
Science & Expert Perspective
The Science
Sheet masks increase stratum corneum hydration mainly through occlusion, holding humectants such as glycerin, butylene glycol, polyglycerin-3 and trehalose against the skin. Improved hydration temporarily plumps the tissue around follicular openings and makes pores less visible, though pore size itself is governed by sebum output, genetics and dermal support.
Houttuynia cordata extract contains flavonoids such as quercetin, hyperoside and quercitrin, along with other polyphenols, which have shown anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects in laboratory studies. It is widely used in Korean skincare for oily, sensitive and acne-prone skin, though controlled clinical data are limited.
Gluconolactone is a polyhydroxy acid that loosens surface corneocytes and has humectant properties; clinical studies have used concentrations of several percent for exfoliating and acne-related benefits. At 500 ppm (0.05 percent), its role here is closer to pH adjustment and mild humectancy than exfoliation.
Hyaluronic acid in multiple forms binds water at the skin surface; hydrolyzed and acetylated forms may enhance retention and spread, while cationic hydroxypropyltrimonium hyaluronate adheres more strongly to skin. Panthenol and allantoin support barrier comfort, and adenosine is a Korean-registered wrinkle-care ingredient with modest clinical support when used regularly.
Dermatologist Perspective
Dermatologists generally view sheet masks as cosmetic hydration aids that temporarily improve how skin looks and feels. Fragrance-free, alcohol-free masks with soothing ingredients are considered suitable for sensitive and acne-prone skin, particularly for patients using drying treatments. For enlarged-looking pores and comedones, clinical guidance favours salicylic acid, retinoids and sun protection. Clinicians often caution that pore-shrinking claims describe temporary visual effects rather than structural change.
Guidance
Usage & Recommendations
How to Use
After cleansing and toning, open the pouch and unfold the sheet. Align it with your eyes and mouth, smooth it over the face and press out air bubbles. Leave on for 10 to 20 minutes, then remove and pat the remaining essence into the skin. Follow with a light moisturiser. Use two or three times a week, or more often during dry or irritated spells.
Value Assessment
At about $10.50 for five sheets from StyleKorean, the mask costs roughly two dollars per use, fair value for a fragrance-free, alcohol-free formula with a declared 1% heartleaf dose, eight hyaluronic acid forms and soothing agents. Its pore benefits are hydration-based, so the value lies in calm, comfortable skin rather than exfoliation. isoi's transparent labelling supports confidence.
Who Should Buy
People with oily, combination or sensitive skin that gets congested and irritated, who want a gentle, fragrance-free mask to calm and hydrate, especially alongside acne or pore treatments.
Who Should Skip
Anyone expecting a mask to exfoliate or clear blackheads should use a leave-on BHA instead. Those wanting lasting pore reduction will not find it in a sheet mask.
Ready to try isoi Heartleaf Pore Mask?
Buy at Amazon ♥ Details
Product Details
Texture
A thin sheet soaked in a light, slightly gel-like clear essence.
Scent
Unscented.
Packaging
A green pouch with a leaf and water-drop design, sold singly or in packs of five.
dewynatural
What to Expect on First Use
Cool and comfortable with no sting; after 10-20 minutes skin looks calmer and pores on the cheeks and nose look softer. The effect lasts several hours when sealed with moisturiser.
How Long It Lasts
One use per sheet.
Best Season
All Year
Background
The Story Behind This Product
isoi launched the Heartleaf Pore Mask in 2025 as part of its pore-focused range, riding the popularity of Jeju heartleaf (houttuynia) as a soothing ingredient for oily, easily irritated skin.
About isoi Established Brand (5–20 years)
isoi is a Korean clean-beauty brand founded in 2006, known for Bulgarian rose oil formulas and a minimal-additive philosophy. It has a loyal following in Korea and publishes full ingredient lists, but no independent clinical studies of its individual products have been published.
Brand founded: 2006 · Product launched: 2025
Myth vs. Reality
Common Myths
Myth
The PHA in this mask exfoliates pores.
Reality
It is declared at 500 ppm (0.05 percent), far below exfoliating strength; the benefit comes from hydration and soothing.
Myth
A pore mask can shrink pores permanently.
Reality
Hydration and calming make pores look smaller for a few hours, but pore size itself does not change.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
How much heartleaf is in the isoi Heartleaf Pore Mask?
The brand declares 10,000 ppm of houttuynia cordata extract, which is 1 percent.
Does the isoi Heartleaf Pore Mask exfoliate?
Barely. It contains PHA at 500 ppm (0.05 percent), which is too low to exfoliate meaningfully.
Is the isoi Heartleaf mask fragrance-free?
Yes, and it is also free of alcohol and oils.
Can sensitive skin use the isoi Heartleaf Pore Mask?
Yes. Its fragrance-free, alcohol-free formula with heartleaf, panthenol and allantoin is well suited to sensitive skin.
How long should I leave the isoi Heartleaf mask on?
10 to 20 minutes, then remove it and pat in the remaining essence.
Does the isoi Heartleaf Pore Mask shrink pores?
It makes pores look smoother temporarily by hydrating and calming the skin, but it does not change pore size.
Reviews
What Reviewers Tend to Say
Recurring themes our editors read across retailer reviews of this product — summaries in our words, not quotations, and not a substitute for your own patch test.
No review summary for this product yet.