Celimax
Retinal Shot Tightening Booster 15ml
Retinal Shot Tightening Booster concentrates Retinal at 0.1 percent with Niacinamide, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, a fast-converting vitamin A booster for a routine already tolerant to resurfacing actives.
No reviews yet15 ml
- Ships from California or direct from Korea
- Korean barcode and batch code intact
- Suited to
- Dehydrated skinSkin that has lost bounceDull, uneven tone
- 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. Ships from California or direct from Korea
You’re $100.00 away from free US shipping.
Next step in this routine
- Cleanse
- Prep
- Treat
- Sealnext
- Morning finish
Medicube PDRN Pink Collagen Capsule CreamSeal the routine in as the last step
$19.99
Also standing in Seal: Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream, $23.52.
- Ships from California or direct from Korea
- 30-day returns
- Free US shipping on orders of $100 or more
- Tracked delivery to your door
Key benefits
- Retinal, the active this serum is built around
- Niacinamide, Adenosine and Hydrolyzed Sponge on the same list, actives
- Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 on the same list, a peptide
- Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 and Tocopherol further down the same list
- Ascorbic Acid and Diisostearyl Malate further down the same list
- Retinal named twentieth on the manufacturer list printed on this page
Key actives
6Niacinamideactive
Niacinamide is vitamin B3, and it is the most studied active in Korean formulation. It is named sixth on this serum's list, alongside Retinal.
20Retinalactive
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 twentieth on this serum's own ingredient list.
23Adenosineactive
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 twenty-third on this serum's list, beside Retinal.
26Hydrolyzed Spongeactive
Hydrolyzed Sponge is processed freshwater sponge, which carries fine silica spicules. In a formula it works as a mild physical exfoliant. It is named twenty-sixth on this serum's list, alongside Retinal.
31Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1peptide
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. The panel names it thirty-first on this serum's list, beside Retinal.
Inside the formula
Inside the formula
- 6Niacinamide
- 20Retinal
- 23Adenosine
- 26Hydrolyzed Sponge
- 31Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Where each key active sits on the declared ingredient list, by entry number. Position is proportion: the further forward, the larger its share.
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 Hydrolyzed Sponge. 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 Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 and Tocopherol.
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 (32): Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Niacinamide, Diisostearyl Malate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polypropylsilsesquioxane, Panthenol, Cetearyl Olivate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Sorbitan Olivate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Lecithin, Carbomer, Arginine, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Tocopherol, Retinal (0.1%), Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Sorbitan Isostearate, Sodium Lactate, Hydrolyzed Sponge, Disodium EDTA, Polysorbate 20, Ascorbic Acid, Glucose, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Ingredient list read from incidecoder.com on 30 August 2026.
32 of 32 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.
- Cetearyl Alcohol fatty alcohol
- Cetearyl Alcohol is a waxy solid, not the drying kind of alcohol. It is a blend of cetyl and stearyl alcohols used to thicken a cream and keep oil and water from separating, and it softens skin as it does so.
- 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.
- Diisostearyl Malate emollient
- Diisostearyl Malate is a thick, glossy ester used to hold pigment in suspension and give a cushioned shine. It is the standard emollient in lip products.
- 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.
- Polypropylsilsesquioxane silicone
- A silicone resin that dries into a hard, water-resistant film. It is what makes a formula stay put through sweat instead of sliding.
- 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.
- Cetearyl Olivate emulsifier
- Cetearyl Olivate is the water-loving half of the olive-derived emulsifier pair. With sorbitan olivate it builds emulsions whose lipid profile is close to skin's own.
- Cetearyl Glucoside emulsifier
- Cetearyl Glucoside is a sugar-derived emulsifier used to hold oil and water together in creams with a light finish.
20 more explained
- Sorbitan Olivate emulsifier
- Sorbitan Olivate is an olive-derived emulsifier, the oil-loving half of the pair sold as Olivem. It holds oil into water and leaves a light, non-waxy feel.
- Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer thickener
- This is the thickener behind most gel-cream textures. It builds a soft, bouncy gel that collapses to a light fluid as it is rubbed in.
- Lecithin emulsifier
- Lecithin is a soy or sunflower-derived phospholipid, the same class of molecule cell membranes are built from. It emulsifies oil into water and is the basis of the liposomes formulators use to carry actives.
- 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.
- 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.
- Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer silicone
- This is a silicone elastomer, a soft springy gel. It fills the look of fine texture and gives the velvety, blurred finish of a primer.
- 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.
- Retinal (0.1%) 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Sorbitan Isostearate emulsifier
- Sorbitan Isostearate is a mild emulsifier that holds water into oil, the direction a cleansing balm or an oil-based cream needs.
- Sodium Lactate humectant
- Sodium Lactate is the salt of lactic acid and one of the components of skin's own natural moisturising factor. At the levels used here it is a humectant and buffer rather than an exfoliant.
- Hydrolyzed Sponge active
- Hydrolyzed Sponge is processed freshwater sponge, which carries fine silica spicules. In a formula it works as a mild physical exfoliant.
- 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.
- Polysorbate 20 emulsifier
- Polysorbate 20 is a solubiliser: it dissolves small amounts of oil or fragrance into a watery formula so nothing separates or floats.
- Ascorbic Acid antioxidant
- Ascorbic Acid is pure vitamin C, the most researched form and also the least stable: it needs a low pH and airtight packaging to stay active. It is an antioxidant used for the look of dullness and uneven tone.
- 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.
- 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 Tetrapeptide-7 peptide
- Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 is a four-amino-acid peptide with a fatty tail, used for the look of fine lines. With palmitoyl tripeptide-1 it forms the pairing sold as Matrixyl 3000.
- EAN (barcode)
- 8809700320812
- Made in
- Republic of Korea
- Volume
- 15 ml
- Category
- Serum & Ampoule
- Actives
- Adenosine, Niacinamide, Panthenol, Peptides, Vitamin C
- 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.
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How it works
The Retinal Shot Tightening Booster is a 15ml serum, used after toner and before moisturizer, morning and evening. The active it is built around is Retinal, named twentieth on its own ingredient list. The same list carries Niacinamide, Adenosine and Hydrolyzed Sponge, 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 Celimax sells in Korea, Retinal and all.
How to use
- Use the Retinal Shot Tightening Booster after toner and before moisturizer, morning and evening.
- Apply The Vita-A Retinal Shot Tightening Booster in your evening skin care routine. Simply take a small amount and gently spread it over areas of concern, allowing it to fully absorb. Retinal makes skin more sensitive to the sun.
- Toner first so the surface is damp, then this, then about a minute before your moisturizer goes over the top.
- Twice a day, every day. Do not stack it with a second serum of the same kind; two hydrating serums in one routine do the work of one.
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.
Reviews
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celimax Retinal Shot Tightening Booster 15ml
How it felt, how your skin took it, what you layer it with. Straight answers help the next person choose.
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Celimax, Korean-market original
The Original Korean Formula serum from Celimax, 15ml 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 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
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