When Numbuzin swept the 2022 Olive Young Awards, it wasn't the brand's marketing that won voters over — it was these toner pads. In a K-beauty market saturated with centella products, the Centella Re-Leaf Green Toner Pads stood out because they weren't just another cica-infused liquid. They were something genuinely different: a dual-sided pad where one surface is literally embedded with cica leaf material, turning the act of toning into a soothing, exfoliating ritual that feels like it belongs in a Korean dermatology clinic.
The formula is built on an 89% plant extract base. Centella asiatica extract leads the INCI list — not water, as in most skincare products, but the actual botanical extract. Licorice root extract sits second, and houttuynia cordata (heartleaf) third. This is an unusual and impressive formulation choice. Most K-beauty toner pads use water as their base and add extracts further down the ingredient list at much lower concentrations. Having three potent soothing botanicals as the formula's foundation means the essence saturating each pad is essentially a concentrated botanical treatment.
Centella asiatica is the anchor of K-beauty's soothing category for good reason. Its key actives — madecassoside, asiaticoside, madecassic acid, and asiatic acid — have robust clinical evidence for anti-inflammatory activity, wound healing acceleration, and barrier repair. Licorice root brings its own anti-inflammatory punch via glabridin and glycyrrhizin, plus meaningful brightening properties that help fade post-inflammatory marks. Heartleaf, the third botanical pillar, adds antibacterial and antioxidant activity that's particularly relevant for acne-prone skin. Deeper in the list, allantoin, panthenol, betaine, and water lily and hyacinth extracts round out the soothing-and-hydrating supporting cast so the daily swiping calms rather than strips.
The dual-sided pad is where the product really differentiates itself, and it's the answer to the assumption that toner pads are just gimmicky liquid-toner-on-cotton. The textured side is made with actual cica leaf material — not just a patterned cotton pad. When you swipe it across your face, it provides a gentle physical exfoliation that feels satisfying without being abrasive. Flip the pad, and the smooth bamboo side delivers a soothing, hydrating pass that seals in the botanical essence. Using both sides in sequence creates a two-step toning experience: exfoliate, then calm. It takes maybe thirty seconds and feels like you've done something genuinely beneficial for your skin — a physical function a liquid toner simply can't replicate.
The pads come saturated — almost oversaturated, honestly. When you pull one from the jar, it drips (a small pair of tongs is included for hygienic removal). Some users find this generous; others wish for slightly less essence per pad. The liquid itself is lightweight and watery, absorbing quickly without stickiness. After both sides are used, skin feels immediately calmer, slightly dewy, and noticeably less red. For users who deal with daily irritation from heat, pollution, or mask-wearing, the instant soothing effect is addictive — and it's the single most repeated point across the roughly 2,000 reviews, which average 4.5 stars.
Clinical testing (brand-sponsored) reports impressive numbers: a 28.6% reduction in excess oil, a 28% reduction in blackheads, and a 26.9% reduction in whiteheads after four weeks of use. While these are brand claims rather than independent studies, the combination of gentle daily exfoliation, antibacterial botanicals, and oil-regulating heartleaf makes these results plausible and consistent with what the formula composition would predict.
The formula does include essential oils — tea tree, rosemary, grapefruit peel, and geranium — at the bottom of the INCI list. This is where a second myth is worth correcting: that any essential oil disqualifies a product from being soothing. At these bottom-of-the-list concentrations, the tea tree actually contributes to the antibacterial profile, and most people won't react. But for individuals with essential oil sensitivities or very reactive skin, these are worth noting, and it's the reason the pads aren't a confident fungal-acne-safe pick. The scent that results is a mild, herbal-green aroma that fades in minutes — pleasant if you enjoy botanical scents, potentially off-putting if you don't. Reassuringly, the formula is vegan and pregnancy-safe.
At $18 for 70 pads, the per-use cost works out to roughly $0.26 per pad — reasonable for a multi-functional product that replaces a toner, light exfoliant, and calming treatment. If you use one pad daily, the jar lasts about two and a half months. The biodegradable pad material is an eco-conscious touch that doesn't compromise functionality.
These toner pads have earned their cult following. They deliver genuine multi-step skincare in a grab-and-go format that respects both your time and your skin. The 89% plant extract concentration isn't marketing fluff — you can see it in the INCI list, where three potent botanicals lead before any humectants or solvents. For oily, combination, and acne-prone skin that needs daily calming without heaviness, this is one of the best products to come out of K-beauty in recent years. The dual-sided pad could easily have been a gimmick — a texture printed on cotton and marketed as innovation — but the embedded cica-leaf material genuinely changes how the product works, giving you a real exfoliate-then-soothe sequence in a single thirty-second step. That, plus a botanical base concentrated enough to justify the '89%' on the front of the jar, is why the format spread as fast as it did. Award wins fade; the reason people keep repurchasing is that the pads actually earn their place in a routine.
