Medicube
PDRN Pink Collagen Capsule Cream$19.99The Retinol 0.5 Oil
A retinol oil on a squalane base, used in the evening only as the last step, on skin already used to a retinol.
No reviews yet$24.99
- 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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$19.99
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- 30-day returns
- Free US shipping on orders of $100 or more
- Tracked delivery to your door
How it works
The Retinol 0.5 Oil is a cream, used as the last skincare step, morning and evening, over serum. The active it is built around is Retinol, named fourth on its own ingredient list. The same list carries BHT, Tocotrienols 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.
Key benefits
- Retinol, the active this cream is built around
- BHT, Tocotrienols, Tocopherol and Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone on the same list, antioxidants
- Squalane and Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil further down the same list
- Di-C12-13 Alkyl Malate and Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Oil further down the same list
- Retinol named fourth on the manufacturer list printed on this page
Key actives
4Retinolactive
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. The name on the box points at it, and it is named fourth on this cream's own ingredient list.
6BHTantioxidant
BHT is a synthetic antioxidant used in traces to stop the oils in a formula going rancid. It protects the product, not the skin. It is named sixth on this cream's list, alongside Retinol.
7Tocotrienolsantioxidant
Tocotrienols are the other half of the vitamin E family, usually from rice or palm. They are oil-soluble antioxidants used alongside tocopherol. It is named seventh on this cream's list, alongside Retinol.
8Tocopherolantioxidant
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. It is named eighth on this cream's list, alongside Retinol.
10Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanoneantioxidant
A synthetic molecule built on the same phenol shape as vanillin, with a long chain added so it stays in the oil phase. It is used as an antioxidant. The panel names it tenth on this cream's list, beside Retinol.
COSRX The Retinol 0.5 Oil
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?
BHT, Tocotrienols 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: Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone, Squalane and Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil.
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 (10): Squalane, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Di-C12-13 Alkyl Malate, Retinol (0.5%), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, BHT, Tocotrienols, Tocopherol, Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Oil, Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone
Ingredient list read from incidecoder.com on 9 September 2026.
10 of 10 explained
- Squalane emollient
- Squalane is the stable, saturated version of squalene, a lipid human skin already makes. It is a light emollient that absorbs quickly, does not oxidise, and is one of the few oils widely considered safe for blemish-prone skin. Most cosmetic squalane is now from sugarcane or olive rather than shark.
- 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.
- Di-C12-13 Alkyl Malate emollient
- A malic acid ester with two medium chain alcohols. It is a light, tacky emollient often used to wet pigments and to hold colour in place.
- Retinol (0.5%) 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.
- 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.
- BHT antioxidant
- BHT is a synthetic antioxidant used in traces to stop the oils in a formula going rancid. It protects the product, not the skin.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone antioxidant
- A synthetic molecule built on the same phenol shape as vanillin, with a long chain added so it stays in the oil phase. It is used as an antioxidant.
- Market
- Korean market, the version sold in Korea
- Made in
- Republic of Korea
- Category
- Moisturizer
- Actives
- Retinol, Squalane
- 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.
Inside the formula
Inside the formula
10
Ingredients declared
No fragrance
on the list
4Retinol6BHT7Tocotrienols8Tocopherol10Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone
- 4Retinol
- 6BHT
- 7Tocotrienols
- 8Tocopherol
- 10Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone
Where each key active sits on the declared ingredient list, by entry number. Position is proportion: the further forward, the larger its share.
How to use
- Use the Retinol 0.5 Oil in the evening only, as the last step, over your moisturizer.
- Two or three drops warmed between the fingertips and pressed over the face, avoiding the eye area.
- Moisturizer goes on first, the oil seals it, and nothing goes on after it.
- Two or three evenings a week at first, then once a day after three weeks once skin has built tolerance, which is COSRX's own direction. Do not use it in the morning or on the same night as an exfoliating acid.
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COSRX The Retinol 0.5 Oil
How it felt, how your skin took it, what you layer it with. Straight answers help the next person choose.
COSRX, Korean-market original
The Original Korean Formula cream from COSRX, formulated with Retinol and BHT, 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.
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 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
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