Innisfree Launched A Sustainability-Focused Version Of This Cult-Famous Serum

Depending on where you live, Innisfree's Intensive Hydrating Serum probably needs very little introduction. A cult favorite at Sephora here in the states, one bottle of the green tea facial serum was sold every five seconds according to global data gathered by the brand between 2010 and 2018, with more than 25 million units sold worldwide. On the other hand, Innisfree's new Intensive Hydrating Serum Paper Edition does require a proper meet and greet — since the brand-new, limited-edition launch features that same fan-favorite formula, but with an eco-friendlier makeover.

Available at Sephora.com on Aug. 18 and in-store Aug. 21, the $39 Intensive Hydrating Serum Paper Edition ditches the formula's trademark green bottle, opting instead for innovative paper-and-plastic packaging. (It also says "Hello, I'm Paper Bottle" on the front, just in case you forget.) It's about more than just a paper label, though. The Intensive Hydrating Serum Paper Edition uses 51.8 percent less plastic than the original packaging, with its pump created from 10 percent recycled polypropylene.

"The Paper Edition of Green Tea Intensive Hydrating Serum is part of the brand’s mission to globally reduce plastic and increase recyclability of product packaging as a reflection of Innisfree’s ongoing commitment to deliver sustainable beauty to customers," Cecilia Park, head of Innisfree's education team, tells The Zoe Report over email. "Globally, Innisfree’s core mission is to practice recycling, reusing, and composting materials, as well as reducing the use of plastic and vinyl throughout our packaging — starting with our limited-edition products, such as the Paper Edition of Green Tea Intensive Hydrating Serum. Gradually over time, we will expand to repackaging all of our regular products using less plastic and vinyl."

For now, this sustainability-focused initiative reminds shoppers that they can, in fact, recycle the Intensive Hydrating Serum Paper Edition once they've worked their way through the serum. "To recycle the product, simply peel off the paper label, and gently pull the outer paper mold into halves, then recycle them accordingly. Just be sure to remove the metal spring from the plastic tube!" explains Park.

Below, the new Innisfree Intensive Hydrating Serum Paper Edition, available both on the beauty brand's website and at Sephora for a limited time.

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