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.
No reviews yet30 ml
$158.33 per 100 ml
- Korean-market formula
- Ships from California or direct from Korea
- Korean barcode and batch code intact
- 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
In stock. Arrives in 3 to 7 business days
We accept
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 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
Inside the formula
Inside the formula
Where does this serum go in my routine?
After toner and before moisturizer, morning and evening. Anything thinner than a serum 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 Retinal and not three changes at once.
Is this the Korean-market serum or a US version?
The Korean-market one, Retinal and all. We match this serum 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 Retinal?
Niacinamide, Adenosine and Caffeine. The order they are printed in on this serum's panel is the order on the box, so you can see where Retinal sits relative to them. Further down the same panel: Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Hexapeptide-2 and Hexapeptide-9.
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 (48): Purified Water, Glycerin, Methylpropanediol, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capryctryglyceride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Cetylhexanoate, Setearylolivate, Polyglyceryl-3methylglucoose Dystearylate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Sorbitanolibate, Acrylate/C10-30alkylacrylate Cross Polymer, Alginine, Macadamia Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Chisel Extract, Xanthan Gum, Cholesterol, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Alan Toin, Retinal (200 Ppm), Silica, Rapherin, Dextrin, Panthenol, Tocopherol, Aluminum/Magnesiumhydroxidestearate, Potassium Ethyl Phosphate, Pentaerythritetra-Di-T-Butylhydroxyhydroxynamate, Caffeine, Dysodiumidithiae, Ectoin, Bakuin, Ceramideenpi, Bottle Extract, Glycosping Ringfide, Palmitoylpentapeptide-4, Hexapeptide-2, Hexapeptide-9, Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-3, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Acetylhexapeptide-8, Capertipeptide-1
Ingredient list read from jolse.com on 10 September 2026.
27 of 48 explained
- Purified 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.
- 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.
- Methylpropanediol humectant
- Methylpropanediol is a small glycol used to hydrate and to help water-soluble actives penetrate the outer layer of skin more evenly. It leaves almost no tack, which suits watery textures.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Sodium Polyacrylate thickener
- Sodium Polyacrylate is a polymer that absorbs many times its weight in water. It thickens a formula and holds water in a gel against the skin.
- Macadamia 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
15 more explained
- 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.
- Retinal (200 Ppm) active
- 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.
- Silica absorbent
- Silica is finely milled mineral, essentially very pure sand. It absorbs oil, stops powders clumping and soft-focuses the look of pores and fine lines.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Caffeine active
- 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.
- Ectoin humectant
- Ectoin is a small molecule that microbes in salt flats and hot springs make to survive extreme conditions. In skincare it holds water tightly around itself, which is why it appears in formulas aimed at reactive, easily dehydrated skin.
- Palmitoylpentapeptide-4 peptide
- 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.
- Hexapeptide-2 peptide
- Hexapeptide-2 is a six-amino-acid peptide used for the look of even tone rather than of lines, which puts it in the smaller group of peptides aimed at pigment.
- Hexapeptide-9 peptide
- Hexapeptide-9 is a six-amino-acid peptide used for the look of firmness and elasticity. It is water soluble and appears in peptide blends rather than alone.
- Tripeptide-1 peptide
- Tripeptide-1 is the copper-free version of the classic three-amino-acid peptide. It is used for the look of firmness in formulas that avoid copper's blue tint.
- Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 peptide
- Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 is a short peptide with a fatty tail added so it can travel through the oily outer layer of skin. It is used for the look of firmness and is almost always paired with palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7.
- Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 peptide
- Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 is a fatted three-amino-acid peptide used for the look of firmness and fine lines. The palmitoyl tail is what lets it cross an oily surface.
- Market
- Korean market, the version sold in Korea
- EAN (barcode)
- 8809562192763
- Made in
- Republic of Korea
- Volume
- 30 ml
- Category
- Serum & Ampoule
- Actives
- Adenosine, Caffeine, Ectoin, Niacinamide, Panthenol, Peptides
- 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.
How to use
- Use it after your toner or essence, when the skin is still slightly damp.
- Take two or three drops, press them over the areas that need the work and then over the rest of the face.
- Seal it with your moisturiser, since an ampoule on its own leaves the surface a little tacky.
- 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.
Complete the routine
- This itemArencia Retinal Booster Shot 30ml$47.50

- Cleanse first, so the next step meets bare skinArencia Fresh Royal Rosehip Cleanser 120g$32.50

- The treatment step of this routineArencia Holy Hyssop Serum 30 50g$57.50

Total for 3 items$137.50
Reviews
No reviews yet. Tell us how much you love the product!
Write a reviewWrite a review
Arencia Retinal Booster Shot 30ml
How it felt, how your skin took it, what you layer it with. Straight answers help the next person choose.
We’re on gram!
Creators trying on authentic Korean skincare routines and products from us.
Rating a shelf of Dr. Althea products one by one.
Jasmine Loo · YouTube
Two hydrating serums side by side, IUNIK and Dr. Althea.
Kristin · YouTube
A walk through the Dr. Althea serum lineup and who each one suits.
auraofmahmuda · YouTube
A blunt first take on the Dr. Althea range.
Lexi Chang · YouTube
A first look at the viral 345 Relief Cream before buying.
Shelley Nayak · YouTube
A first try of the Dr. Althea serum on camera.
Hannah Ziad · YouTube
Arencia, Korean-market original
The Original Korean Formula serum from Arencia, 30ml formulated with Retinal and Niacinamide, 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
Ask an AI assistant about this product
Ask an AI assistant about this product
Opens ChatGPT, Perplexity or Claude in a new tab with the question prefilled. Claude asks you to sign in first.








