Where does this cream go in my routine?

As the last skincare step, morning and evening, over serum. Anything thinner than a cream goes on before it, and anything richer goes on after. If you are adding it to a routine you already like, give it a week on its own first, so what you see is the Retinol and not three changes at once.

What else is on the list besides Retinol?

Niacinamide, Adenosine and Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate. The order they are printed in on this cream's panel is the order on the box, so you can see where Retinol sits relative to them. Further down the same panel: Oligopeptide-2, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate and Pentaerythrityl Tetra-di-t-butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate.

Anua

Retinol Gua Sha Cream

Name: Anua Retinol Gua Sha Cream
Brand: Anua
Price: 26.99 USD
Availability: OutOfStock

Anua Retinol Gua Sha Cream is a cream with Retinol, used as the last skincare step, morning and evening, over serum.

Reviewed by Nurcan Saglam, licensed dermo-cosmetic expert (Paris)

No reviews yet

$26.99

Korean-market formula
Ships from California or direct from Korea
Korean barcode and batch code intact

Suited to: Dry skinCompromised barrierDehydrated skinSensitive skin

Helps with: Shoppers looking for Retinol in a creamRoutines that want Retinol and Niacinamide in one stepFilling the cream step with a Korean-market formula

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Key benefits

Retinol, the active this cream is built around
Niacinamide and Adenosine on the same list, actives
Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate and Oligopeptide-2 on the same list, peptides
Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate and Pentaerythrityl Tetra-di-t-butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate further down the same list
Tris(Tetramethylhydroxypiperidinol) Citrate and Tocopherol further down the same list
Retinol named twentieth on the manufacturer list printed on this page

Key actives

20Retinolactive

Retinol is the alcohol form of vitamin A and the strongest retinoid available without a prescription. Skin converts it in two steps to retinoic acid, and it is used at night, at low percentages, for the look of fine lines and rough texture. It is the entry this cream is named after, and the list carries it.

All products with Retinol

34Niacinamideactive

Niacinamide is vitamin B3, and it is the most studied active in Korean formulation. It is named thirty-fourth on this cream's list, alongside Retinol.

All products with Niacinamide

84Adenosineactive

Adenosine is a nucleoside that Korea's own cosmetic authority recognises as a wrinkle-care functional ingredient, which is why it appears on so many Korean lists at a low level. It is used for the look of fine lines and is stable and well tolerated. The panel names it eighty-fourth on this cream's list, beside Retinol.

All products with Adenosine

91Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetatepeptide

This is a two-amino-acid peptide, sold as Syn-Ake, used for the look of expression lines. Its structure was modelled on a component of snake venom, though nothing of the venom itself is in it. The panel names it ninety-first on this cream's list, beside Retinol.

All products with Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate

99Oligopeptide-2peptide

Oligopeptide-2 is a short synthetic peptide, water soluble like most of the unmodified oligopeptides. It is supplied as one component of a blend. The panel names it ninety-ninth on this cream's list, beside Retinol.

All products with Oligopeptide-2

Inside the formula

103

Ingredients declared

No fragrance

on the list

20Retinol34Niacinamide84Adenosine91Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl99Oligopeptide-2

20Retinol
34Niacinamide
84Adenosine
91Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl
99Oligopeptide-2

Where each key active sits on the declared ingredient list, by entry number. Position is proportion: the further forward, the larger its share.

1 of 4

Anua Retinol Gua Sha Cream

Not on the ingredient list below: fragrance or parfum, denatured or SD alcohol, parabens, sulfate surfactants, mineral oil or petrolatum and added color.

Full INCI (103): Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isononyl Isononanoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Castor Oil/IPDI Copolymer, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Hexyldecyl Myristoyl Methylaminopropionate, Squalane, Arginine, Carbomer, Lithospermum Erythrorhizon Root Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Butylene Glycol, Retinol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Brassica Campestris (Rapeseed) Sterols, Glycerin, Cholesterol, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Phytosteryl/Behenyl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Aluminum/Magnesium Hydroxide Stearate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-di-t-butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Chitosan, Tris(Tetramethylhydroxypiperidinol) Citrate, Behenyl Alcohol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Tocopherol, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Vinyl Dimethicone, Pentylene Glycol, Panthenol, Water, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate, Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate, C12-16 Alcohols, Palmitic Acid, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Water, Polyisobutene, Sorbitan Oleate, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Butylene Glycol, Retinol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Brassica Campestris (Rapeseed) Sterols, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cholesterol, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Phytosteryl/Behenyl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Aluminum/Magnesium Hydroxide Stearate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-di-t-butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Chitosan, Tris(Tetramethylhydroxypiperidinol) Citrate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Water, Butylene Glycol, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol, Adenosine, Tromethamine, Sodium Phytate, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Extract, Dextrin, Glycerin, Water, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Anemarrhena Asphodeloides Root Extract, Tocopherol, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Pullulan, Butylene Glycol, Water, Oligopeptide-2, Water, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Collagen

64 of 103 explained

Water solvent: Water is the base almost every serum, toner and cream is built on. It dissolves the water-loving ingredients and sets how light the finished texture feels. On an INCI list it is usually first, which only means it is the largest single ingredient by weight.
Butylene Glycol humectant: Butylene Glycol is a small glycol that does two jobs at once: it holds water in the top layer of skin and it dissolves plant extracts and actives that plain water cannot. It also thins a formula, which is why watery Korean essences lean on it.
Glycerin humectant: Glycerin is the most used humectant in skincare. It draws water into the outer layer of skin and holds it there, and it is one of the very few ingredients whose hydrating effect is settled science rather than marketing. Higher amounts feel tacky, which is why it is usually blended.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride emollient: Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is the light fraction of coconut oil, with the heavy parts removed. It is the workhorse emollient of modern formulas: it softens skin, dissolves oil-soluble actives and absorbs without the greasy weight of a whole plant oil.
Isononyl Isononanoate emollient: Isononyl Isononanoate is a branched ester used as a dry emollient. It spreads far for its weight and leaves almost no residue, which is why it appears in formulas that have to feel weightless.
1,2-Hexanediol humectant: 1,2-Hexanediol is a glycol used for two reasons: it holds water like glycerin, and it makes a formula harder for microbes to live in, so less traditional preservative is needed. Korean formulas use it heavily for that second reason.
Castor Oil/IPDI Copolymer film former: A polymer built from castor oil. It forms a flexible, glossy film, so it is used in lip and long-wear formulas for shine and staying power.
Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil emollient: Sunflower Seed Oil is high in linoleic acid, the fatty acid dry and blemish-prone skin is often short of. It is a light, non-fragrant emollient and one of the better tolerated plant oils.
Squalane emollient: Squalane is the stable, saturated version of squalene, a lipid human skin already makes. It is a light emollient that absorbs quickly, does not oxidise, and is one of the few oils widely considered safe for blemish-prone skin. Most cosmetic squalane is now from sugarcane or olive rather than shark.
Arginine amino acid: Arginine is an amino acid that does two jobs here: it holds water in the outer layer of skin, and it neutralises acidic gelling agents, which is why it often stands in for a synthetic pH adjuster.
Carbomer thickener: Carbomer is a synthetic polymer that only gels once a base neutralises it, which is why arginine or tromethamine sits nearby on the list. It gives the clear, non-stringy gel texture a xanthan formula cannot reach.
Lithospermum Erythrorhizon Root Extract plant extract: Purple gromwell root, long used in Korean and Chinese herbal practice. The root is deep red-purple, so it colours a formula, and it is used for the look of reactive skin.

52 more explained

Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate ferment: Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate is the ferment with the bacterial cells broken open, so their contents are in the formula too. It is a conditioning ferment used in barrier-focused products.
Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Oil fragrance component: German chamomile essential oil, deep blue from its azulene content. It scents a formula as well as conditioning it.
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil emollient: Macadamia Seed Oil is unusually high in palmitoleic acid, a fatty acid that human sebum also contains, which is why it absorbs faster than most nut oils. It is a cushioning emollient for dry skin.
Retinol active: Retinol is the alcohol form of vitamin A and the strongest retinoid available without a prescription. Skin converts it in two steps to retinoic acid, and it is used at night, at low percentages, for the look of fine lines and rough texture. It can leave skin flaking while it acclimatises.
Hydrogenated Lecithin emulsifier: Hydrogenated Lecithin is lecithin with its unsaturated bonds filled in, which makes it far more stable. It emulsifies and is the standard shell for the liposomes that carry actives into the outer layer of skin.
Brassica Campestris (Rapeseed) Sterols emollient: Phytosterols are plant sterols, structurally close to the cholesterol in skin's own lipid layer. They soften skin and help the oil phase of a formula hold together.
Cholesterol barrier lipid: Cholesterol is the third of the three lipids the outer layer of skin is built from, with ceramides and fatty acids. Formulas that carry all three are following the ratio skin itself holds.
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate emulsifier: Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate is a sugar-derived emulsifier and solubiliser, mild enough to be a standard choice in Korean essences. It dissolves small amounts of oil into water without any tightening feel.
Phytosteryl/Behenyl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate barrier lipid: An amino-acid-based lipid built on plant sterols. It structures the oil phase of a cream and echoes the lipid mix that already sits between skin cells.
Aluminum/Magnesium Hydroxide Stearate dispersant: A mineral soap used to suspend powders and thicken an oil phase, which is what stops pigment settling to the bottom of a bottle.
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-di-t-butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate antioxidant: This is a stabiliser that keeps the oils and fragrance in a formula from oxidising. Its job is the shelf life of the product rather than any effect on skin.
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate emulsifier: Potassium Cetyl Phosphate is an emulsifier prized for keeping powdered ingredients evenly suspended, which is why tinted and mineral-powder textures use it.
Chitosan film former: Chitosan comes from the shells of crustaceans. It carries a positive charge, so it clings to skin and hair as a thin film, and it is a shellfish-derived ingredient.
Tris(Tetramethylhydroxypiperidinol) Citrate antioxidant: A hindered-amine antioxidant used to keep a formula from breaking down in light and air. It works on the product rather than on skin.
Behenyl Alcohol fatty alcohol: Behenyl Alcohol is a long-chain fatty alcohol used to thicken and stabilise a cream. It gives a richer, more velvety body than cetyl alcohol.
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate emollient: Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate is a light ester emollient that gives a dry, silky finish and disperses pigment evenly.
Niacinamide active: Niacinamide is vitamin B3, and it is the most studied active in Korean formulation. It is used at roughly 2 to 5 percent for the look of uneven tone and visible pores, and it is water soluble, stable and comfortable beside almost every other active, which is why it turns up in so many lists.
Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone silicone: Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone is a high-shine silicone used where a formula needs gloss without stickiness.
Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin) emollient: Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin) is a synthetic hydrocarbon emollient. It gives a smooth, silicone-like glide and is completely stable, so it does not go rancid.
Tocopherol antioxidant: Tocopherol is vitamin E. It is an oil-soluble antioxidant that protects the oils in a formula from going rancid and works on skin as an emollient, and it is regularly paired with vitamin C because each keeps the other going for longer.
Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2 emollient: Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2 is a thick synthetic emollient built to mimic the lipids in skin's own surface. It is used in balms for a cushioned, sealing feel.
Vinyl Dimethicone silicone: Vinyl Dimethicone is a silicone used as a building block of the crosspolymer gels that give a formula its soft, blurring feel.
Pentylene Glycol humectant: Pentylene Glycol hydrates and, like the other longer-chain glycols, makes a formula less hospitable to microbes so the preservative system can be lighter. It also improves how evenly a product spreads.
Panthenol humectant: Panthenol is pro-vitamin B5: skin converts it to pantothenic acid. It is a humectant that holds water and leaves skin feeling soft and less tight, and it is one of the ingredients formulators reach for when a formula also contains something harsh.
Hydrolyzed Collagen protein: Hydrolyzed Collagen is collagen broken into fragments small enough to dissolve in water. It cannot become collagen in skin; what it does is hold water at the surface and leave a smooth, conditioned film.
Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate emulsifier: Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate is a mild plant-derived emulsifier for oil-in-water creams.
Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate emulsifier: A polyglycerin ester with a long fatty chain. It emulsifies and thickens at the same time, which is how a cream gets body without wax.
C12-16 Alcohols fatty alcohol: C12-16 Alcohols is a blend of medium-chain fatty alcohols used to thicken and stabilise an emulsion.
Palmitic Acid fatty acid: Palmitic Acid is a saturated fatty acid present in skin's own lipids. It thickens a formula, stabilises the emulsion and softens skin.
Glyceryl Stearate emulsifier: Glyceryl Stearate is glycerin joined to stearic acid, and one of the most used emulsifiers in skincare. It holds oil and water together and thickens the result, and it softens skin at the same time.
Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer thickener: This is a pre-neutralised polymer thickener that gels on contact with water and stabilises an emulsion without heat.
Polyisobutene film former: Polyisobutene is a synthetic polymer that forms a flexible, water-resistant film. It gives gloss and holds a formula in place, which is why it appears in lip products and long-wear textures.
Sorbitan Oleate emulsifier: Sorbitan Oleate is an emulsifier for water-in-oil formulas. It keeps a rich cream or a cleansing oil from separating.
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside surfactant: Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside is a sugar-derived cleansing surfactant. It foams modestly and is mild enough for low-pH cleansers built for reactive skin.
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer thickener: This is a synthetic thickener that gels quickly and holds an emulsion stable across a wide pH range. It gives a light, non-tacky body.
Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax occlusive: Carnauba wax comes from a Brazilian palm leaf and is the hardest wax in common cosmetic use. A small amount raises the melting point of a stick sharply.
Coptis Japonica Root Extract plant extract: Coptis Japonica is a traditional East Asian medicinal root, bright yellow from its berberine content. In skincare its extract is used for the look of congested, oily skin.
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6 thickener: Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6 is a thickener chosen for a notably fresh, bouncy gel feel that breaks down to water on the skin.
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate emulsifier: Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate is an amino-acid-derived emulsifier. It holds oil and water together and is mild enough for formulas built for reactive skin.
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer thickener: This is a carbomer relative with fatty side chains, so it thickens and stabilises an emulsion at the same time. It gives a light gel-cream body rather than a heavy one.
Ethylhexylglycerin preservative booster: Ethylhexylglycerin softens skin and boosts a preservative system, which is why it is nearly always sitting beside phenoxyethanol or 1,2-hexanediol. It also cuts down the odour bacteria produce, so it turns up in deodorising products.
Adenosine active: Adenosine is a nucleoside that Korea's own cosmetic authority recognises as a wrinkle-care functional ingredient, which is why it appears on so many Korean lists at a low level. It is used for the look of fine lines and is stable and well tolerated.
Tromethamine pH adjuster: Tromethamine neutralises acidic thickeners such as carbomer so they gel, and holds a formula near skin-friendly pH. It is used at a fraction of a percent.
Sodium Phytate chelator: Sodium Phytate is a rice-derived chelator used in place of EDTA. It ties up trace metals so the formula stays stable and its colour and scent hold.
Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Extract plant extract: Cocoa Extract carries polyphenols and a little caffeine. It is used as an antioxidant plant extract and gives a faint warm tint.
Dextrin thickener: Dextrin is a starch fragment used to thicken and to give a formula a light, powdery finish. It is also a common carrier for powdered extracts.
Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate peptide: This is a two-amino-acid peptide, sold as Syn-Ake, used for the look of expression lines. Its structure was modelled on a component of snake venom, though nothing of the venom itself is in it.
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene emollient: Hydrogenated Polyisobutene is a stabilised synthetic hydrocarbon used in place of mineral oil. It is an emollient that leaves a smooth, cushioned film.
Anemarrhena Asphodeloides Root Extract plant extract: Anemarrhena Asphodeloides is a root used in Korean traditional practice. Its extract is used as a conditioning plant extract.
Pullulan film former: Pullulan is a fermentation-derived polysaccharide that dries to a tight film, which is why it produces a temporary, visible tightening feel on the skin.
Oligopeptide-2 peptide: Oligopeptide-2 is a short synthetic peptide, water soluble like most of the unmodified oligopeptides. It is supplied as one component of a blend.
Collagen protein: Collagen is the structural protein that makes up most of the dermis. Applied on top it is far too large to enter skin, so in a formula it works as a humectant and a smoothing film former.

How it works

The Retinol Gua Sha Cream is a cream, used as the last skincare step, morning and evening, over serum. The active it is built around is Retinol, named twentieth on its own ingredient list. The same list carries Niacinamide, Adenosine and Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, so the active is not the only thing on it worth naming. How much of the Retinol stays on the skin, and for how long, is decided by the cream format rather than by the list alone. Anua sells this Retinol cream in Korea, and this is that version.

How to use

Use the Retinol Gua Sha Cream as the last skincare step, in the evening, over serum.
A pea for the face and another for the neck. Warm it between fingertips first so it spreads in one pass.
It closes the routine at night, and in the morning it is the layer sunscreen goes over. Retinol is the entry that puts this step in the evening rather than the morning.
Start at two or three evenings a week and build up from there, because retinol is on this list. Do not use it in the same routine as another retinoid or a resurfacing acid.

Worth knowing

Patch test this cream on a small area and wait a day before using it more widely, especially with Retinol on the list.
Retinol is on this list, so keep this cream to the evening and build the nights up slowly rather than starting nightly.

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Anua Retinol Gua Sha Cream

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Anua, Korean-market original

The Original Korean Formula cream from Anua, formulated with Retinol and Niacinamide, shipped from California or direct from Korea.

Verify your unit when it arrives

Korean-market stock with the original barcode and batch code intact, exactly as it left Korea.

Anua uses a holographic QR seal that only the HiddenTag app can read. Install HiddenTag from your phone’s app store and scan the seal on the box. A camera app alone will not resolve it.

Source: Anua packaging, HiddenTag scheme

On the unit itself

The Korean-market barcode, unaltered from the retail package.
The manufacturer’s batch code, exactly as the maker printed it.

정품Genuine article, Korean-market stock

What professionals say

What skin-care professionals say about the key actives in this formula, quoted from the medical sources linked beside each.

Vitamin A has a molecular structure that's tiny enough to get into the lower layers of your skin, where it finds and boosts collagen and elastin, which is a protein that strengthens your skin's flexibility.
Wilma Bergfeld, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic
In skin, different peptides can encourage different things, from collagen formation to a reduction in inflammation to helping with wound healing depending on their structure.
Whitney Hovenic, MDDouble board-certified dermatologist and Mohs surgeon, Women's Health

1 more professional perspective

Niacinamide helps reduce the appearance of pores in a few ways. By strengthening the skin barrier and improving elasticity, pores appear less noticeable and more even.
Ashlyn YankeAesthetician, Cleveland Clinic