Where does this cream go in my routine?

As the last skincare step, morning and evening, over serum. Anything thinner than a cream 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 Retinol and not three changes at once.

What else is on the list besides Retinol?

Allantoin, Adenosine and Tocopherol. The order they are printed in on this cream's panel is the order on the box, so you can see where Retinol sits relative to them. Further down the same panel: Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Sulfite and Tocotrienols.

COSRX

The Retinol 0.3 Cream (Deep Wrinkle Care Boost)

Name: COSRX The Retinol 0.3 Cream (Deep Wrinkle Care Boost)
Brand: COSRX
Price: 26.99 USD
Availability: OutOfStock

The step-up strength in COSRX's retinol line at 0.3%, sold in the wrinkle care pack, used a few nights a week in the evening before easing into nightly use.

Reviewed by Nurcan Saglam, licensed dermo-cosmetic expert (Paris)

No reviews yet

$26.99

Korean-market formula
Ships from California or direct from Korea
Korean barcode and batch code intact

Suited to: Dry skinCompromised barrierDehydrated skinSensitive skin

Helps with: Shoppers looking for Retinol in a creamRoutines that want Retinol and Allantoin in one stepFilling the cream step with a Korean-market formula

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Key benefits

Retinol, the active this cream is built around
Allantoin and Adenosine on the same list, actives
Tocopherol and Tocopheryl Acetate on the same list, antioxidants
Sodium Sulfite and Tocotrienols further down the same list
Beta-Carotene and Ascorbic Acid further down the same list
Retinol named twentieth on the manufacturer list printed on this page

Key actives

6Tocopherolantioxidant

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. The panel names it sixth on this cream's list, beside Retinol.

All products with Tocopherol

7Tocopheryl Acetateantioxidant

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. The panel names it seventh on this cream's list, beside Retinol.

All products with Tocopheryl Acetate

20Retinolactive

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 is the entry this cream is named after, and the list carries it.

All products with Retinol

26Allantoinactive

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. The panel names it twenty-sixth on this cream's list, beside Retinol.

All products with Allantoin

36Adenosineactive

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 thirty-sixth on this cream's list, beside Retinol.

All products with Adenosine

Inside the formula

Ingredients declared

No fragrance

on the list

6Tocopherol20Retinol26Allantoin36Adenosine

6Tocopherol
20Retinol
26Allantoin
36Adenosine

Where each key active sits on the declared ingredient list, by entry number. Position is proportion: the further forward, the larger its share.

1 of 2

COSRX The Retinol 0.3 Cream (Deep Wrinkle Care Boost)

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.

How it works

The Retinol 0.3 Cream (Deep Wrinkle Care Boost) is a cream, used as the last skincare step, morning and evening, over serum. The active it is built around is Retinol, named twentieth on its own ingredient list. The same list carries Allantoin, Adenosine and Tocopherol, so the active is not the only thing on it worth naming. How much of the Retinol stays on the skin, and for how long, is decided by the cream format rather than by the list alone. COSRX sells this Retinol cream in Korea, and this is that version.

How to use

Use the Retinol 0.3 Cream in the evening only, on dry skin, after cleansing and toner.
A pea covers the whole face. Keep it off the eyelids and out of the creases beside the nose.
Toner first, this second, and a plain moisturizer over the top on the nights skin feels tight.
Two or three evenings a week at first. Do not layer it with an exfoliating acid, and never use it in the morning.

Worth knowing

Patch test this cream on a small area and wait a day before using it more widely, especially with Retinol on the list.
Retinol is on this list, so keep this cream to the evening and build the nights up slowly rather than starting nightly.

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COSRX The Retinol 0.3 Cream (Deep Wrinkle Care Boost)

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COSRX, Korean-market original

It carries retinol with shea butter, soybean oil and sunflower seed oil in the base, which is what makes a higher strength wearable overnight.

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 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
People with dry, flaky skin are more likely to see a benefit from using vitamin E because it enhances moisturization.
Amy Kassouf, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic