Retinol Shot Tightening Serum
Retinol Shot Tightening Serum runs Retinol at 0.1 percent alongside Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 and Copper Tripeptide-1, a night-use serum for a routine ready to work on fine lines and rough texture.
No reviews yet30 ml
$49.97 per 100 ml
- Korean-market formula
- Ships from California or direct from Korea
- Korean barcode and batch code intact
- Suited to
- SensitiveDryNormalCombination
- Helps with
- Rough, flaky or wind-chapped textureRough texture and visible fine linesPost-exfoliation sensitivityFine lines and loss of bounce
In stock. Arrives in 3 to 7 business days
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How it works
Retinol Shot Tightening Serum is Celimax's concentrated, fast-absorbing booster (30ml). Panthenol is pro-vitamin B5, included to keep the skin barrier feeling supple and to soften the rough, flaky patches that show up on dry or wind-chapped skin during a Korean skincare routine's colder months. Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil is a plant-derived carrier oil chosen for its emollient, skin-softening feel, the kind of cold-pressed oil a facial cleansing oil or lip oil leans on instead of a heavier mineral base. The concentrated, fast-absorbing texture sinks in without a greasy residue, leaving skin feeling hydrated and primed for the moisturizer layered on top. It sits in a Korean routine as the targeted boost step, best layered under a moisturizer once or twice a day for a concentrated boost.
Key benefits
- Panthenol for barrier-softening
- Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil for emollient carrier oil
- Retinol for vitamin A derivative
- Concentrated, fast-absorbing texture built for a targeted boost step
- Authentic Korean-market formula, sourced as the same version sold on Korean retail shelves
- Layers cleanly under a moisturizer once or twice a day for a concentrated boost
Inside the formula
Inside the formula
What is the Retinol Shot Tightening Serum?
Retinol Shot Tightening Serum is Celimax's concentrated, fast-absorbing booster (30ml), formulated as targeted boost step in a Korean skincare routine. It suits sensitive, dry, normal skin types, and it is sourced here as the authentic Korean-market formula rather than a US-shelf reformulation.
How should I use the Retinol Shot Tightening Serum?
Press a few drops into cleansed skin morning and evening, then follow with a moisturizer to lock the boost in. Working it in this order keeps the concentrated, fast-absorbing texture behaving the way Celimax formulated it to, rather than rushing straight to the next step in the routine.
How often should I use this booster?
Once or twice a day, layered under a regular moisturizer for a concentrated boost. Consistency across a full skin cycle of several weeks matters far more than an occasional use for a booster like this one, since most of its benefit shows up with steady, repeated application.
Who is this booster best suited for?
This booster is best suited for sensitive, dry, normal, combination skin, particularly anyone dealing with rough, flaky or wind-chapped texture. Use at night only and introduce two or three nights a week before moving to nightly use.
What are the key ingredients in this booster?
The formula lists Panthenol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil and Retinol among its ingredients, alongside the rest of the base that carries them across the skin. Each one is named here in the exact form it appears on Celimax's own ingredient list, not inferred from the product name.
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, Methylpropanediol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Panthenol, Polypropylsilsesquioxane, C14-22 Alcohols, Glyceryl Stearates, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Hydrolyzed Sponge, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tocopherol, Retinol (0.1%), Allantoin, Arginine, Undecane, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Lauryl Glucoside, Polyglyceryl-6 Laurate, Adenosine, Tridecane, Disodium EDTA, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract, Myristyl Glucoside, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Pvm/Ma Copolymer, Butylene Glycol, Beta-Carotene, Glucose, Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Nonapeptide-1, Hexapeptide-9, Dipeptide-2, Copper Tripeptide-1, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Ingredient list read from incidecoder.com on 30 August 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- C14-22 Alcohols fatty alcohol
- C14-22 Alcohols is a declaration for a mixture of long-chain fatty alcohols. They thicken a cream and hold the emulsion together.
- Glyceryl Stearates 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.
- 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.
- Hydrolyzed Sponge active
- Hydrolyzed Sponge is processed freshwater sponge, which carries fine silica spicules. In a formula it works as a mild physical exfoliant.
- 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.
30 more explained
- 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.
- 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.
- Retinol (0.1%) 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Undecane solvent
- A light plant-derived hydrocarbon that evaporates, almost always paired with tridecane. Together they give the dry, fast-disappearing feel volatile silicones used to provide.
- 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.
- C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside emulsifier
- C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside is a sugar-derived emulsifier used in mild, plant-based cream bases.
- Lauryl Glucoside surfactant
- A sugar surfactant made from glucose and a fatty alcohol. Glucosides carry no charge, which is what makes them mild, and they give a soft low foam.
- Polyglyceryl-6 Laurate emulsifier
- Six glycerin units joined to lauric acid. Polyglyceryl esters are the mild, PEG-free way to hold oil and water together.
- 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.
- Tridecane solvent
- A plant-derived hydrocarbon used with undecane as a volatile silicone alternative. It spreads a formula thin and then leaves.
- 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.
- Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract plant extract
- Carrot Root Extract carries carotenoids, which give it a strong orange colour. It is used as an antioxidant extract and can tint a formula.
- Myristyl Glucoside surfactant
- A sugar surfactant with a slightly longer fatty chain than lauryl glucoside, so it feels a little richer. It carries no charge and is mild.
- 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.
- Pvm/Ma Copolymer film former
- PVM/MA Copolymer is a film-forming polymer used to hold a formula in place and, in a mask, to give the peel-off film its strength.
- 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.
- Beta-Carotene antioxidant
- Beta-Carotene is an orange plant pigment and a vitamin A precursor. It is used as an antioxidant and it tints a formula, which is often why it is there.
- 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.
- 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.
- Nonapeptide-1 peptide
- Nonapeptide-1 is a nine-amino-acid peptide used for the look of uneven tone rather than for firmness, which makes it unusual among cosmetic peptides.
- 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.
- Dipeptide-2 peptide
- Dipeptide-2 is a two-amino-acid peptide used mainly in eye formulas, for the look of puffiness rather than of lines.
- Copper Tripeptide-1 peptide
- Copper Tripeptide-1 is three amino acids bound to a copper ion, and the classic firming peptide in cosmetic chemistry. It is blue in solution, which is often why a serum carrying it is tinted, and it is used for the look of firmness and fine lines.
- Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5 peptide
- Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5 is a four-amino-acid peptide used in eye products for the look of puffiness and crepiness.
- Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 peptide
- Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 is a six-amino-acid peptide used for the look of expression lines, particularly around the eyes. It is the peptide sold under the name Argireline and is water soluble and stable.
- Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-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.
- Market
- Korean market, the version sold in Korea
- Made in
- Republic of Korea
- Volume
- 30 ml
- Category
- Serum & Ampoule
- Actives
- Adenosine, Allantoin, Panthenol, Peptides, Retinol
- 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.
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 the Retinol Shot Tightening Serum after toner and before moisturizer, morning and evening.
- If you're new to retinol, start slow. For the first two weeks, apply celimax's Vita-A Retinol Shot every other night after cleansing. Usually around week three, you can begin applying the serum nightly. Smooth a thin, even layer over your entire face. There's no need to go overboard; just a small amount does the job!
- 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
- Use at night only and introduce two or three nights a week before moving to nightly use.
- Patch test on the inner arm before a first full-face application if skin tends to react easily.
- Store away from direct sunlight and high heat to keep the texture and scent stable over time.
- Introduce one new active at a time when adding this into an existing routine.
Complete the routine
- This itemCelimax Retinol Shot Tightening Serum$14.99
- Cleanse first, so the next step meets bare skincelimax Derma Nature Fresh Blackhead Jojoba Cleansing Oil 150ml$27.50
- An as-needed step, in place of the prep layercelimax JI WOO GAE Heartleaf BHA Peeling Pad 50P$22.50
Total for 3 items$64.99
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Celimax Retinol Shot Tightening Serum
How it felt, how your skin took it, what you layer it with. Straight answers help the next person choose.
Celimax, Korean-market original
Shop Retinol Shot Tightening Serum (30ml), the authentic Korean-market booster from Celimax formulated with Panthenol, sourced for the Korean market rather than a US-shelf reformulation.
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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