COSRX
The Retinol 0.1 Cream
COSRX's entry-strength 0.1% retinol cream, used in the evening only, a few nights a week to start before building up toward nightly use.
No reviews yet- Ships from our California warehouse
- Duties prepaid
- Suited to
- MatureFine linesSensitiveCompromised barrier
- Helps with
- Fine lines and loss of bounceBarrier weaknessDehydrationEarly environmental damage
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- 30-day returns
- Free US shipping on orders of $100 or more
- Dispatched within 2 business days
How it works
Retinol is the one active that has to be introduced slowly, so the useful question about a retinol cream is where it starts rather than how strong it goes. This is the entry-strength cream in COSRX's retinol line, and it carries retinol with shea butter, soybean oil and sunflower seed oil cushioning it. It goes on in the evening only, after cleansing and toner, and a plain moisturizer can go over the top. Skin new to retinol does better on two or three evenings a week for the first month, then more often if nothing flakes. Sunscreen the next morning is part of using a retinol at all.
Key benefits
- Retinol sits mid-list, with no declared percentage on this jar's own ingredients.
- Shea butter and soybean and sunflower seed oils cushion the retinol delivery.
- Ethyl Ascorbic Acid and glutathione are on the list as antioxidant partners.
- Adenosine and allantoin round out the treatment base.
Key actives
Retinol
the treatment active in the name; no percentage is declared on this jar's own list
Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
a stable vitamin C derivative
Glutathione
an antioxidant on the list
COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream
What strength retinol is actually in The Retinol 0.1 Cream?
The Retinol 0.1 Cream is a nighttime retinol treatment where retinol itself is declared at 0.1% on this jar's own ingredient list, sitting behind a cushioning base of shea butter, soybean oil and sunflower seed oil. 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid and glutathione appear further down the same list as antioxidant partners to the retinol. Adenosine and allantoin round out a formula built to soften a beginner-strength retinol's usual dryness. It reads as an entry point into retinol rather than a maximum-strength jar.
Is this a good first retinol for sensitive skin?
This jar's own list carries no added fragrance, no essential oil, no denatured alcohol, no paraben, no sulfate surfactant, no mineral oil, and no added colourant, which helps with a retinol product that's already asking skin to tolerate an active ingredient. Retinol at any declared strength can still cause dryness or peeling on skin new to it, so starting a few nights a week rather than nightly is a reasonable approach. Anyone pregnant or breastfeeding should ask a doctor before using a retinol product at all.
How quickly will I notice a change in texture?
Retinol works gradually, encouraging skin's own surface renewal over repeated nights rather than in one use, so texture changes with this cream build over weeks of consistent PM application, not a single overnight session. The shea butter, soybean and sunflower oils on the list are there specifically to cushion that build-up period. Expect an adjustment phase in the first couple of weeks before nightly use feels routine.
Can I use vitamin C or exfoliating acids the same night?
Because retinol is on this jar's own list, most routines apply it as the last PM step after cleansing and reserve vitamin C or exfoliating acids for a separate morning or alternate-night slot rather than combining them in the same application. Daytime sunscreen matters more than usual once a retinol product is in rotation, since renewed skin is more sensitive to sun. Whether it can sit under a separate moisturizer the same night isn't something this list settles on its own, so start light and watch how skin responds.
How do I verify this jar is the real Korean import?
This jar's own barcode, 8809598454781, is the intact Korean-market code COSRX ships on this SKU, not a number swapped in for a different market. COSRX handles verification itself: cosrx.com has a page where you enter the batch number and expiration date stamped on your unit. Reading those two numbers straight off your own box, rather than trusting a description in a listing, is the check actually worth doing.
- Ships from
- California
Duties are prepaid. Nothing is owed at delivery. Returns are accepted for 30 days, by mail.
Orders ship from our California warehouse, dispatched within 2 business days, and arrive in 3 to 5 days. Shipping is free on orders of $100 or more.
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 - 2Customs
Duty paid by us before it enters the US - 3California
Ships domestically, no international leg
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.
Import duties are paid by us before the parcel reaches you, so nothing is owed at the door, 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.
Payment and security
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How to use
- Use the Retinol 0.1 Cream in the evening only, after cleansing and toner, on dry skin.
- A pea for the whole face, kept clear of the eyelids and the corners of the nose and mouth.
- Toner first, this second, then a plain moisturizer over the top if skin wants one.
- Start at two evenings a week and build up slowly. Do not pair it with an exfoliating acid, and do not use it in the morning.
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COSRX, Korean-market original
Retinol Treatment Cream, 20 ml, with Ethyl Ascorbic Acid and glutathione on the list.
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.
COSRX verifies units itself. Find the verification page on cosrx.com and enter the batch number and expiration date printed on your unit. Read them off the package rather than from us, which is the point.
Source: COSRX FAQ
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 Using topical vitamin C can result in less cell damage and better-looking skin.
Melissa Piliang, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic
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