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PDRN Pink Collagen Capsule Cream$19.99The Retinol 0.3 Cream
The step-up strength in COSRX's retinol line, used in the evening only, on skin already used to a retinol. 20 ml.
No reviews yet$28.99
20ml
$14.50 per 10 ml
- Korean-market formula
- Ships from California or direct from Korea
- Korean barcode and batch code intact
- Suited to
- MatureFine linesSensitiveCompromised barrier
- Helps with
- Fine lines and loss of bounceBarrier weaknessDehydrationEarly environmental damage
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How it works
A retinol routine eventually outgrows the strength it started on, and the step after that is what this cream is for. It goes on in the evening only, after cleansing and toner, on skin that has already been using a lower-strength retinol without flaking. A cushioning cream base is what makes a higher strength wearable overnight, and a plain moisturizer over the top makes it more so. Skin that has never used a retinol should not start here; the lower strength in the same line is where that begins. Sunscreen the next morning is part of using a retinol at all.
How to use
- Use the Retinol 0.3 Cream in the evening only, after cleansing and toner, on dry skin.
- A pea for the whole face, kept away from 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.
- Two or three evenings a week to begin with, then more if nothing flakes. Do not start here if you have never used a retinol, and do not use it in the morning.
COSRX The Retinol 0.3 Cream
What does The Retinol 0.3 Cream actually contain, based on its own label?
Retinol appears roughly midway down this jar's own ingredient list, but the list itself carries no declared percentage next to it, so the 0.3 figure in the product name is not something we repeat as a verified number here. Shea butter, soybean oil, and sunflower seed oil sit ahead of the retinol, cushioning the base the retinol sits in. Adenosine and allantoin round out the supporting portion of the list.
Is this retinol cream suitable for skin new to retinol?
Fragrance, essential oil, denatured alcohol, paraben, sulfate surfactants, mineral oil, and added colourant are all absent from this jar's list, which removes some common irritation triggers. Retinol itself, at any strength, tends to cause dryness or flaking as skin adjusts, especially in the first few weeks. Anyone new to retinol should start with less frequent application rather than nightly use from the first day.
How long before results from this retinol cream become visible?
Retinol works on the look of fine lines, texture, and firmness over a period of weeks to months, not days, since it works gradually on skin renewal rather than instantly. Shea butter and the oil base support comfort during that adjustment period rather than speeding up the retinol's own timeline. Consistent nightly or every-other-night use over an extended stretch is what these formulas are built for.
Can I use this alongside a brightening treatment or an exfoliating acid?
Because this cream already carries retinol, layering a separate brightening serum or exfoliating acid on the same night raises the risk of irritation, so alternating them or using a brightening serum in the morning and this cream at night is the more cautious approach. The label itself calls for PM-only use, avoiding the eye area. Introduce any additional active slowly and drop back if skin becomes irritated.
How do I confirm this jar is genuine Korean-market COSRX stock?
The barcode on this jar, 8809598455795, checks out as a real, verifiable Korean-market code. COSRX handles its own verification rather than leaving it to sellers: look up the checker on cosrx.com and enter the batch number and expiration date exactly as printed on the jar. Reading those numbers straight off your own unit is exactly why the system works this way.
Not on the ingredient list below: fragrance or parfum, denatured or SD alcohol, essential oils, parabens, sulfate surfactants, mineral oil or petrolatum and added color.
Full INCI (51): Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Trehalose, Panthenol, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Carbomer, Retinol (0.3%), Tromethamine, Glyceryl Stearate, Polysilicone-11, Sodium Sulfite, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract, Allantoin, Glyceryl Caprylate, Propanediol, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Wax, Tocotrienols, Stearic Acid, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Palmitic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Adenosine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sorbitan Isostearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Oil, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Beta-Carotene, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Myristic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Lauric Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Ascorbic Acid, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Glutathione
Ingredient list read from inkeedecoder.com on 10 September 2026.
51 of 51 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil emollient
- Soybean Oil is a linoleic-rich plant oil used as an emollient. It also carries soy phytosterols and vitamin E.
- 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.
- Tocopheryl Acetate antioxidant
- Tocopheryl Acetate is a stable vitamin E ester that skin converts to tocopherol. It is used as an antioxidant and a light emollient and holds up better than plain vitamin E in a formula.
- 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.
- Trehalose humectant
- Trehalose is a sugar that some desert plants use to survive drying out. In skincare it is a humectant that holds water in the outer layer and helps a formula feel comfortable rather than tight.
- 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.
- Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter emollient
- Shea Butter is the fat pressed from the shea nut, rich in oleic and stearic acids and unsaponifiable plant sterols. It is a heavy emollient and partial occlusive, which is why it sits in balms and night creams rather than in essences.
- 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.
39 more explained
- Dimethicone silicone
- Dimethicone is the most used cosmetic silicone. It forms a breathable film that smooths the surface, slows water leaving skin, and gives the slip that makes a primer or cream feel silky. It is inert and does not penetrate.
- Glyceryl Polymethacrylate film former
- Glyceryl Polymethacrylate is a polymer that forms a smooth, water-holding film and gives a formula a cushioned, non-sticky feel.
- Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate emulsifier
- Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate is a mild sugar-derived emulsifier that holds oil into water and thickens slightly.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Retinol (0.3%) 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.
- Tromethamine pH adjuster
- Tromethamine neutralises acidic thickeners such as carbomer so they gel, and holds a formula near skin-friendly pH. It is used at a fraction of a percent.
- Glyceryl Stearate 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.
- Polysilicone-11 silicone
- A silicone elastomer used as a film former and thickener. It gives a formula a soft cushioned body and helps it cling.
- Sodium Sulfite antioxidant
- A reducing agent used to stop vitamin C and other easily oxidised ingredients from browning in the bottle.
- 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.
- 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.
- Glyceryl Caprylate emulsifier
- Glyceryl Caprylate is a mild emulsifier that also makes a formula less hospitable to microbes, so it is often part of a preservative-free system.
- Propanediol humectant
- Propanediol is a plant-derived glycol used in place of propylene glycol. It hydrates, carries actives into solution, and gives a lighter, less sticky slip than glycerin at the same strength.
- Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Wax occlusive
- Wax from rice bran, a plant alternative to beeswax. It gives sticks and balms their firmness and holds a shape at room temperature.
- Tocotrienols antioxidant
- Tocotrienols are the other half of the vitamin E family, usually from rice or palm. They are oil-soluble antioxidants used alongside tocopherol.
- Stearic Acid fatty acid
- Stearic Acid is a saturated fatty acid from plant fats, and one of the three lipid classes skin's own barrier is built from. In a formula it thickens, stabilises the emulsion and can be turned into a soap-style cleanser by adding a base.
- Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate emulsifier
- Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate is a sugar-derived emulsifier known for a light, non-soapy feel. It builds gel-creams that do not read as rich.
- Palmitic Acid fatty acid
- Palmitic Acid is a saturated fatty acid present in skin's own lipids. It thickens a formula, stabilises the emulsion and softens 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Sodium Hyaluronate humectant
- Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt of hyaluronic acid, and it is what most products labelled hyaluronic actually contain. The salt dissolves more readily and the molecule is smaller, so it sits in the outer layer of skin rather than only on top of it.
- 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.
- 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.
- Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Oil emollient
- Palm Oil is a rich emollient high in palmitic and oleic acids. In skincare it is more often a source material for esters and emulsifiers than an ingredient on its own.
- Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid humectant
- Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid cut into much shorter fragments. The smaller the fragment, the further into the outer layer it can settle, which is why serums stack several sizes together instead of using one.
- 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.
- Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer humectant
- Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer is hyaluronic acid linked into a mesh. It holds water in a soft gel on the surface rather than sinking in, and it releases that water slowly through the day.
- Myristic Acid fatty acid
- Myristic Acid is a saturated fatty acid used to thicken and, with a base added, to build the foam in a soap-style cleanser.
- Hyaluronic Acid humectant
- Hyaluronic Acid is a sugar chain the body already makes, and one gram of it can hold several litres of water. In a formula it is a humectant that pulls water to the surface of skin and holds it in a film, which is what makes skin look plumper while it is there.
- Lauric Acid fatty acid
- Lauric Acid is the coconut fatty acid that gives soap-style cleansers their dense foam. It is not well suited to blemish-prone skin at high levels.
- Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate humectant
- Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid modified to be part oil-loving, so it clings to skin instead of rinsing away. Formulators call it the one that stays put.
- 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.
- Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil emollient
- Meadowfoam Seed Oil is over 95 percent long-chain fatty acids, which makes it exceptionally stable against going rancid. It is an emollient that leaves a soft, sealed feel.
- 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid antioxidant
- 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid is a stable vitamin C derivative that skin converts to ascorbic acid. It survives in a formula far better than pure vitamin C and works at a gentler pH, so it suits skin that finds the pure acid uncomfortable.
- Glutathione antioxidant
- Glutathione is a small peptide the body uses as one of its main antioxidants. In skincare it is used as an antioxidant and for the look of dullness; it is unstable in water, so formulas that carry it are usually built around protecting it.
- Market
- Korean market, the version sold in Korea
- EAN (barcode)
- 8809598455795
- Made in
- Republic of Korea
- Volume
- 20ml
- Category
- Moisturizer / Retinol Treatment Cream
- Actives
- Adenosine, Allantoin, Glutathione, Hyaluronic Acid, Panthenol, Retinol, Rice Extract, Shea Butter, Sodium Hyaluronate, Trehalose, Vitamin C
- Ships from
- California or Korea
LightTextureRich
MatteFinishDewy
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.
Key benefits
- Retinol sits on the list, with no declared percentage on this jar's own ingredients.
- Shea butter and soybean and sunflower seed oils cushion the retinol delivery.
- Tocopherol and tocopheryl acetate are the antioxidant pair on this jar's list.
- Adenosine and allantoin round out the treatment base.
Inside the formula
Inside the formula
51
Ingredients declared
No fragrance
on the list
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COSRX The Retinol 0.3 Cream
How it felt, how your skin took it, what you layer it with. Straight answers help the next person choose.
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COSRX, Korean-market original
Retinol Treatment Cream, 20 ml, with soybean oil and tocopherol 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 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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