APLB
Mandelic Acid Retinol Ampoule Serum 40ml
APLB Mandelic Acid Retinol Ampoule Serum is a 40ml ampoule whose ingredient list carries Retinol alongside Madecassic Acid and Asiaticoside.
No reviews yet40 ml
$81.25 per 100 ml
- Korean-market formula
- Ships from California or direct from Korea
- Korean barcode and batch code intact
- Suited to
- Congested skinUneven textureDehydrated skinSensitive skin
- Helps with
- Shoppers looking for Retinol in an ampouleRoutines that want Retinol and Madecassic Acid in one stepFilling the ampoule step with a Korean-market formulaAnyone who wants the Retinol ampoule sold on Korean shelves
In stock. Arrives in 3 to 7 business days
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You’re $100.00 away from free US shipping.
- 30-day returns
- Free US shipping on orders of $100 or more
- Tracked delivery to your door
How it works
The Mandelic Acid Retinol Ampoule Serum is a 40ml ampoule, used after toner and before moisturizer, morning and evening. The active it is built around is Retinol, named eighth on its own ingredient list. The same list carries Madecassic Acid, Asiaticoside and Asiatic Acid, 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 ampoule format rather than by the list alone. This is the Original Korean Formula, the ampoule APLB sells in Korea, Retinol and all.
Key benefits
- Retinol, the active this ampoule is built around
- Madecassic Acid, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid and Allantoin on the same list, actives
- Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate and Mandelic Acid further down the same list
- Saccharomyces Ferment and BHT further down the same list
- Retinol named eighth on the manufacturer list printed on this page
- Original Korean Formula, the ampoule sold on Korean shelves
How to use
- Apply after toner and before moisturizer. Pat or smooth it over a cleansed face and let it absorb before the next step, AM and PM.
Where does this ampoule go in my routine?
After toner and before moisturizer, morning and evening. Anything thinner than an ampoule 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.
Is this the Korean-market ampoule or a US version?
The Korean-market one, Retinol and all. We match this ampoule to its Korean barcode before it reaches the shelf, which is the check that tells you which market release you are holding.
What else is on the list besides Retinol?
Madecassic Acid, Asiaticoside and Asiatic Acid. The order they are printed in on this ampoule's panel is the order on the box, so you can see where Retinol sits relative to them. Further down the same panel: Allantoin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate and Mandelic Acid.
Not on the ingredient list below: fragrance or parfum, denatured or SD alcohol, essential oils, silicones, parabens, sulfate surfactants, mineral oil or petrolatum and added color.
Full INCI (42): Water, Centella Asiatica Leaf Water, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Glycerin, Diethoxyethyl Succinate, Mandelic Acid, Retinol, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, BHT, Madecassic Acid, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Squalane, Solanum Melongena (Eggplant) Fruit Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Extract, Beta-Glucan, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Extract, Artemisia Annua Extract, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Extract, Saccharomyces Ferment, Dipropylene Glycol, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Trideceth-10, Cellulose Gum, Disodium EDTA, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Inulin, Cellulose, Glucose, Fructose, Panthenol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, 1,2-Hexanediol
Ingredient list read from jolse.com on 10 September 2026.
42 of 42 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.
- Centella Asiatica Leaf Water plant extract
- Centella Asiatica Leaf Water is the distilled water of the centella leaf, used in place of plain water as a formula base. It is far more dilute than the extract, so it sets the base rather than supplying the actives.
- 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.
- Propanediol humectant
- Propanediol is a plant-derived glycol used in place of propylene glycol. It hydrates, carries actives into solution, and gives a lighter, less sticky slip than glycerin at the same strength.
- 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.
- Diethoxyethyl Succinate solvent
- Diethoxyethyl Succinate is a solvent that helps water-resistant actives spread and sink in evenly. It also leaves a light, silky feel.
- Mandelic Acid exfoliant
- Mandelic Acid is an AHA with a molecule roughly twice the size of glycolic, so it penetrates more slowly and evenly. It is the AHA used where a formula has to suit darker or easily reactive 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.
- Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil emollient
- Soybean Oil is a linoleic-rich plant oil used as an emollient. It also carries soy phytosterols and vitamin E.
- BHT antioxidant
- BHT is a synthetic antioxidant used in traces to stop the oils in a formula going rancid. It protects the product, not the skin.
- Madecassic Acid active
- Madecassic Acid is the fourth centella triterpene. A list that names all four is telling you the extract was standardised rather than simply pressed, which is the difference between a cica claim and a cica formula.
- Asiaticoside active
- Asiaticoside is one of the four active triterpenes isolated from centella and the most studied of them. Korean formulas name it separately when they want to show which fraction of the plant they standardised.
30 more explained
- Asiatic Acid active
- Asiatic Acid is the third of centella's four triterpenes and the aglycone form, meaning it has no attached sugar. It is oil soluble, so it turns up in cica creams and balms more than in watery layers.
- 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.
- Solanum Melongena (Eggplant) Fruit Extract plant extract
- Eggplant Fruit Extract carries nasunin, the antioxidant pigment in aubergine skin. It is used as an antioxidant plant extract.
- Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Extract plant extract
- Tea Tree Leaf Extract is the water-based extract rather than the essential oil, so it is far milder and much less aromatic. It is used in formulas for blemish-prone skin.
- Beta-Glucan polysaccharide
- Beta-Glucan is a polysaccharide from oats or yeast. It holds a large amount of water, forms a soothing film, and is one of the ingredients formulators reach for in products aimed at reactive skin.
- Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract plant extract
- Sea Buckthorn Fruit Extract is high in vitamin C and carotenoids, which give it a strong orange colour. It is used as an antioxidant extract.
- Nelumbo Nucifera Extract plant extract
- Lotus extract with the plant part unstated. Lotus carries flavonoids and alkaloids, and its extracts are used as conditioning antioxidant botanicals.
- Artemisia Annua Extract plant extract
- Artemisia Annua is sweet wormwood, a mugwort relative. Its extract is used in Korean formulas for the look of reactive skin.
- Oryza Sativa (Rice) Extract plant extract
- Rice Extract is the anchor of the Korean rice-skincare category. It carries starches, amino acids and ferulic acid, and it is used for the look of dullness and for a soft, blurred finish.
- Saccharomyces Ferment ferment
- Saccharomyces Ferment is a brewer's yeast ferment. It supplies amino acids, sugars and B vitamins and is used as a conditioning, hydrating ferment.
- Dipropylene Glycol humectant
- Dipropylene Glycol is a glycol used as a solvent and a light humectant. Its main job is keeping the rest of the formula dissolved and the texture fluid rather than adding hydration of its own.
- Sodium Citrate pH adjuster
- Sodium Citrate is the salt of citric acid, used as a buffer: it holds a formula at a steady pH rather than pushing it in one direction. It is also a mild chelator.
- Sodium Hyaluronate humectant
- Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt of hyaluronic acid, and it is what most products labelled hyaluronic actually contain. The salt dissolves more readily and the molecule is smaller, so it sits in the outer layer of skin rather than only on top of it.
- Allantoin active
- Allantoin is a comfrey-derived compound used to condition skin and soften the outer layer so it feels smoother. It is one of the standard additions to a formula built for easily irritated skin.
- Trideceth-10 emulsifier
- An ethoxylated fatty alcohol used as an emulsifier and solubiliser. It dissolves small amounts of oil or fragrance into a watery formula without clouding it.
- Cellulose Gum thickener
- Cellulose Gum is plant cellulose modified to dissolve in water. It thickens, holds particles in suspension and gives a smooth, slippery body.
- Disodium EDTA chelator
- EDTA is a chelator: it locks up trace metal ions from water and packaging that would otherwise turn a formula cloudy, off-colour or rancid. It does nothing to skin and appears at a fraction of a percent.
- Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer film former
- This is a polymer that forms a moisture-holding film on the surface, usually supplied with glycerin and propylene glycol as a hydrating complex.
- Citric Acid pH adjuster
- Citric Acid is used in tiny amounts to bring a formula to the pH its actives need, not as an exfoliant at that level. It is an AHA, so at much higher concentrations it can also exfoliate.
- Xanthan Gum thickener
- Xanthan Gum is a polysaccharide made by fermenting sugar. It thickens a watery formula into a gel and holds the whole thing in suspension so nothing separates. Too much of it and a serum turns stringy, which is why it appears in fractions of a percent.
- Inulin polysaccharide
- Inulin is a plant fructan, most often from chicory root. It holds water and, in a formula, feeds the beneficial bacteria on the surface.
- Cellulose absorbent
- Cellulose is plant fibre. In a formula it thickens, absorbs oil and, in a sheet mask, is often the fabric itself.
- Glucose humectant
- Glucose is a simple sugar used as a humectant and as food for the ferment ingredients in the same formula. It hydrates mildly and adds a soft slip.
- Fructose humectant
- Fructose is a simple sugar used as a light humectant. It holds water in the outer layer and often arrives as part of a fruit or honey extract.
- 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.
- 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.
- Hydroxyacetophenone preservative booster
- Hydroxyacetophenone is an antioxidant that also strengthens a preservative system, so a formula needs less traditional preservative. Korean formulas pair it with 1,2-hexanediol constantly.
- Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate thickener
- Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate is a polymer thickener that holds a gel stable even with a lot of salt or acid in the formula.
- Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate active
- Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate is a water-soluble salt derived from licorice root. It is the licorice fraction Korean formulas use for the look of redness, and it is far more stable in water than the whole extract.
- 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.
- Market
- Korean market, the version sold in Korea
- EAN (barcode)
- 8809874684055
- Made in
- Republic of Korea
- Volume
- 40 ml
- Category
- Serum & Ampoule
- Actives
- Allantoin, Beta-Glucan, Centella Asiatica, Licorice Root, Panthenol, Retinol, Rice Extract, Sea Buckthorn, Sodium Hyaluronate, Squalane, Tea Tree
- Ships from
- California or Korea
Orders ship from California or direct from Korea with tracked delivery to your door, and both routes carry the same Korean-market release. Shipping is free on orders of $100 or more. Returns are accepted for 30 days, by mail.
We split shipments free, so one out-of-stock item never holds up the rest of your order.
Where this unit came from
- 1Seoul
Bought as Korean-market stock - 2Barcode
Listed against the Korean barcode on its box - 3California or Korea
Ships to you from either, as the same Korean-market release
We stock the version of a formula that is sold in Korea, not the release a brand prepares for another market under the same name. The barcode in the specification above is the Korean-market one and it is printed on the box you receive.
Every unit keeps its original barcode and batch code intact, so the unit in your hands can be checked against the brand’s own records.
Every order ships from California or direct from Korea, and returns run for 30 days.
Every claim on this page traces to the unit in the box, the barcode, the batch code and the price you can read for yourself.
Inside the formula
Inside the formula
Worth knowing
- Patch test this ampoule 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 ampoule to the evening and build the nights up slowly rather than starting nightly.
- Citric Acid and Mandelic Acid on this list makes this ampoule an exfoliating step, so do not stack it with another one on the same night.
Complete the routine
- This itemAPLB Mandelic Acid Retinol Ampoule Serum 40ml$32.50
- Seal the routine in as the last stepAPLB Lactic Acid Retinol Facial Cream 55ml$32.50
- The treatment step of this routineAPLB AHA BHA PHA Glutathione Cica Ampoule Serum 50ml$52.50
Total for 3 items$117.50
Reviews
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APLB Mandelic Acid Retinol Ampoule Serum 40ml
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APLB, Korean-market original
The Original Korean Formula ampoule from APLB, 40ml formulated with Retinol and Madecassic Acid, shipped from California or direct from Korea.
Verify your unit when it arrives
Verify your unit when it arrives
Korean-market stock with the original barcode and batch code intact, exactly as it left Korea.
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 professionals say
What skin-care professionals say about skin care, quoted from the medical sources linked beside each.
Your skin barrier is basically your outer layer of the skin.
Melissa Piliang, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic Pretty much every step of a Korean skin care routine is going to have some component of hydration.
Alok Vij, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic
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