# COSRX The Retinol 0.5 Oil 20ml A 20ml retinoid facial oil used at night, stocked in the Original Korean Formula. - Brand: COSRX - Product: The Retinol 0.5 Oil 20ml - Price: $37.50 - Availability: In stock - Size: 20 ml - Market: Korean market, the version sold in Korea - Made in: Republic of Korea - EAN (barcode): 8809598454644 - Category: Serums & Ampoules ## Key benefits - On this formula's own list, Squalane shows up near the top. It is a lightweight, non-comedogenic emollient that mimics skin's own lipids. - This one's ingredient list carries Retinol near the top, a retinoid used at night to support skin's natural renewal cycle. - Tocopherol sits near the top on this product's own ingredient list, vitamin E, an antioxidant that also helps stabilise the rest of the formula. ## How it works Delivering a retinoid in an oil rather than a water based cream is a deliberate choice, because the oil base softens how the first few weeks feel for most people. It is a night only step, and the reason is straightforward: retinoids are broken down by light and the routine that goes with them assumes sunscreen the next morning. The build up matters more than the strength: COSRX directs two or three nights a week at first, rising to once a day after three weeks as tolerance builds. That is the difference from a gentler alternative serum, which can be used twice daily from the start but works more slowly. What you can judge is whether fine texture reads softer in the same light after two or three months. ## How to use 1. Use it two or three nights a week at first, and move to once a day after three weeks once skin has built tolerance, which is COSRX's own direction. 2. Apply two or three drops at night after your serum, pressing it over the face and avoiding the eye area. 3. Follow with a moisturizer over the top, since a cream on top makes the first weeks considerably easier. 4. Do not use it on the same night as an exfoliating product, and never in the morning, since light breaks a retinoid down. ## Ingredients 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, Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propanediol, Glycerin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Trehalose, Panthenol, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Glyceryl Stearate, Polysilicone-11, Sodium Sulfite, Tocopherol, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract, Retinol (0.1%), Allantoin, Glyceryl Caprylate, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Wax, Tocotrienols, Stearic Acid, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Palmitic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Sorbitan Isostearate, Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Oil, BHT, Beta-Carotene, Myristic Acid, Lauric Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Glutathione, Sodium Hyaluronate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate ## FAQ ### How do I start with a retinoid? Slowly. COSRX directs two or three nights a week at first, then once a day after three weeks once skin has built tolerance. Put a moisturizer over the top for the first month. Most people who abandon retinoids went nightly from day one and gave up within a week. ### Where does it go in my routine? At night, after your serum and before or under your moisturizer. Never in the morning, since light breaks a retinoid down and the daytime routine is where sunscreen belongs instead. Keep the rest of that evening simple, with no exfoliating step in the same sitting. ### Why an oil rather than a cream? The oil base softens how the first few weeks feel, which is the part that decides whether people keep going. It also means you can control the dose by drops. If you prefer a cream texture, a retinoid cream does the same job with a different feel and a slightly different build up. ### Do I need sunscreen with it? Yes, every single morning. A retinoid routine assumes that last layer is going on, and freshly turned over surface skin is more sensitive to light. If daily sunscreen is not something you will commit to, choose a gentler alternative serum rather than starting a retinoid at all. ### Is this the Korean-market formula? Yes. This is the Original Korean Formula 20ml bottle, the same one sold on Korean shelves. --- Page: https://korean-pharmacy.com/products/cosrx-the-retinol-0-5-oil-20ml