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KOREAN PHARMACY

Arencia Retinal Booster Shot 30ml

Niacinamide is seventh on this 30ml ampoule's list, and the retinal the name points at is declared at 200 ppm, twenty-fourth, with a block of a dozen peptide sequences closing the panel.

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$47.50
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Suited to
Dry skinCompromised barrierDehydrated skinSkin that has lost bounce
Helps with
Shoppers looking for Retinal in a serumRoutines that want Retinal and Niacinamide in one stepFilling the serum step with a Korean-market formulaAnyone who wants the Retinal serum sold on Korean shelves

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How it works

The Retinal Booster Shot is a 30ml serum, used after toner and before moisturizer, morning and evening. The active it is built around is Retinal, named twenty-fourth on its own ingredient list. The same list carries Niacinamide, Adenosine and Caffeine, so the active is not the only thing on it worth naming. How much of the Retinal stays on the skin, and for how long, is decided by the serum format rather than by the list alone. This is the Original Korean Formula, the serum Arencia sells in Korea, Retinal and all.

Key benefits

  • Retinal, the active this serum is built around
  • Niacinamide, Adenosine and Caffeine on the same list, actives
  • Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 on the same list, a peptide
  • Hexapeptide-2 and Hexapeptide-9 further down the same list
  • Tripeptide-1 and Tripeptide-3 further down the same list
  • Retinal named twenty-fourth on the manufacturer list printed on this page

Key actives

Retinalactive

Retinal is retinaldehyde, a vitamin A derivative one chemical step closer to retinoic acid than retinol is. It is yellow-orange and unstable in light, so products carrying it are usually opaque. The name on the box points at it, and it is named twenty-fourth on this serum's own ingredient list.

Niacinamideactive

Niacinamide is vitamin B3, and it is the most studied active in Korean formulation. It is named seventh on this serum's list, alongside Retinal.

Adenosineactive

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 eighteenth on this serum's list, beside Retinal.

Caffeineactive

Caffeine constricts small blood vessels near the surface, which is why eye products use it for the look of puffiness and shadow. It is water soluble and works only while it is on the skin. It is named thirty-third on this serum's list, alongside Retinal.

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4peptide

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 is the five-amino-acid peptide originally sold as Matrixyl. It is used for the look of fine lines and is one of the longest-standing cosmetic peptides. It is named fortieth on this serum's list, alongside Retinal.

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Arencia Retinal Booster Shot 30ml

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How to use

  1. Use it after your toner or essence, when the skin is still slightly damp.
  2. Take two or three drops, press them over the areas that need the work and then over the rest of the face.
  3. Seal it with your moisturiser, since an ampoule on its own leaves the surface a little tacky.
  4. Do not use it in place of your moisturiser, and do not start with a full pipette on skin that has not had it before.

Worth knowing

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

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We’re on gram!

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Korean-market original

The Original Korean Formula serum from Arencia, 30ml formulated with Retinal and Niacinamide, held in the United States and shipped domestically.

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.

Match the batch code on the box against the code printed on the bottle or tube itself; the two are stamped separately and should agree.

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 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
  • It has also been proven that caffeine stimulates lipolysis, which Lupo et al postulated may contribute to improvements in lower eyelid sagging and puffiness.

    Stacey J. PilkingtonDO, Azeal Dermatology Institute, The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology
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

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