isoi

isoi is a South Korean skincare brand founded in 2009 by Jinmin Lee [1]. It builds naturally derived skincare for sensitive and acne-prone skin, pairing plant-based ingredients with formulation technology developed in Germany. The brand is styled in capitals as ISOI on its own channels, and its name is given as a play on the phrase "I'm So i" [4]. It remains active, operating direct-to-consumer sites for global and US customers alongside distribution through retailers such as Olive Young Global.

The company positions itself within K-beauty and clean beauty, summed up in its tagline "Meet the True K-beauty, Powered by Plant" [7]. Its parent and copyright holder is recorded as Jayeonin [2].

isoi traces directly to its founder's own skin troubles. According to the brand, Jinmin Lee developed a serious skin disorder, and using steroid cream to calm the irritation made her condition worse — to the point that washing her face would sting. After reading that synthetic chemical ingredients disrupt the skin's natural balance, she travelled through Europe in search of gentler solutions and found the German natural-cosmetics brand LOGONA. Lee began distributing LOGONA in Korea and eventually became president of LOGONA Korea. Following years in the natural skincare industry, she founded isoi in 2009 on the principle of using only premium-quality ingredients [2].

A retailer reproducing the brand's English copy frames the same origin plainly: isoi "was founded by CEO Jinmin Lee — who struggled with acne and set out to create the skincare she wished existed" [4].

isoi describes its approach as natural skincare elevated by technology rather than "just another 'natural' skincare brand" [4]. The company organises its philosophy around four stated pillars: no chemical ingredients, premium-quality ingredients, hypoallergenic cosmetics, and delivering results. Its mission, as the brand puts it, is to "include safe yet effective formulas only, to deliver the essentials our skin needs, and to build healthy skin habits" [2].

The brand targets sensitive- and acne-prone-skin consumers and is associated with both the K-beauty and clean-beauty movements. Its following is concentrated in its home market; a European retailer carrying the line described it as "a very popular brand in Korea! Not known yet in Europe" [6], a signal of strong domestic recognition alongside limited awareness abroad.

isoi's best-known product is its Bulgarian Rose Blemish Care Up Serum, a brightening and anti-blemish serum built around Bulgarian rose oil. The brand also markets the ACNI Dr. 1st Speedy Spot for trouble-prone skin, the Moisture Dr. Cream, and the Cica Double Effect Ampoule aimed at redness and irritation. Bulgarian rose oil is the line's signature ingredient — described by one retailer as sourced from the Kazanlak Valley in Bulgaria — alongside oils and extracts such as macadamia seed, jojoba, lavender, gotu kola and chamomile.

The company attributes much of its formulation work to a research lab it established in Germany, where, it says, technological research on natural cosmetics first developed [2]. It cites the German natural-cosmetics scientist Heinz Jürgen Weiland in connection with this work, quoting him that adding naturally derived ingredients alone "doesn't make a difference on the skin, but combined with our technology, ISOI has advanced both the application and performance of natural skincare products" [2].

On ethics and safety, brand copy reproduced by an authorised retailer states that isoi products are EWG-verified, hypoallergenic and tested as safe (citing Dermatest and EWG), with clean formulations rated 1–2 on the EWG Hazard Scale [4]. The same source describes the range as sustainably sourced and cruelty-free, and free of parabens and harsh synthetics; the brand's Malaysian distributor additionally displays a Korea Vegan emblem.

isoi presents its Bulgarian Rose Blemish Care Up Serum as a long-running bestseller at Olive Young, South Korea's largest beauty retailer. The brand's own site states it has been the best-selling anti-blemish serum there "for 12 years" [1]. An older figure of nine consecutive years appears in retailer copy tied to Olive Young Global [8]; both are time-relative claims that increase year to year, and the brand site carries the more recent number.

isoi is active. It runs direct-to-consumer storefronts for global (www.isoi.com) and US customers, and its products are sold through Olive Young Global and a range of international specialty retailers [1]. The brand maintains current social accounts, including Instagram (@isoi_global) and TikTok (@isoi_official). Its core market is South Korea, with international distribution still expanding.