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.

Is this the Korean-market cream or a US version?

The Korean-market one, Retinol and all. We match this cream to its Korean barcode before it reaches the shelf, which is the check that tells you which market release you are holding.

What else is on the list besides Retinol?

Niacinamide, Adenosine and BHA. 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: BHT, Cholesterol and Ceramide NP.

Frankly

Retinol 0.1 Wrinkle Repair Cream 30ml

Name: Frankly Retinol 0.1 Wrinkle Repair Cream 30ml
Brand: Frankly
SKU: 7420581509
Price: 45.0 USD
Availability: InStock

Retinol is declared at 0.1 percent on this 30ml cream, thirty-first on the list, with niacinamide fifth and shea butter sixth: an evening cream that sets its retinoid in a buffered emollient base.

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$45.00

30 ml

$150.00 per 100 ml

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

Suited to: Congested skinUneven textureDry skinCompromised barrier

Helps with: Shoppers looking for Retinol in a creamRoutines that want Retinol and Niacinamide in one stepFilling the cream step with a Korean-market formulaAnyone who wants the Retinol cream sold on Korean shelves

One-time purchase

$45.00

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How it works

The Retinol 0.1 Wrinkle Repair Cream is a 30ml cream, used as the last skincare step, morning and evening, over serum. The active it is built around is Retinol, named thirty-first on its own ingredient list. The same list carries Niacinamide, Adenosine and BHA, 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. This is the Original Korean Formula, the cream Frankly sells in Korea, Retinol and all.

Key benefits

Retinol, the active this cream is built around
Niacinamide and Adenosine on the same list, actives
BHA on the same list, an exfoliant
BHT on the same list, an antioxidant
Cholesterol and Ceramide NP further down the same list
Beta-Glucan and Laminaria Japonica Extract further down the same list

Inside the formula

Ingredients declared

No fragrance

on the list

1 of 3

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.
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.
Cyclohexasiloxane silicone: Cyclohexasiloxane is a volatile silicone used for a light, fast-spreading feel that leaves nothing behind.
Hydrogenated Polydecene emollient: Hydrogenated Polydecene is a synthetic hydrocarbon emollient used in place of mineral oil. It is stable, has no scent, and gives a cushioned slip without oxidising.
Niacinamide active: Niacinamide is vitamin B3, and it is the most studied active in Korean formulation. It is used at roughly 2 to 5 percent for the look of uneven tone and visible pores, and it is water soluble, stable and comfortable beside almost every other active, which is why it turns up in so many lists.
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.
Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil emollient: Macadamia Seed Oil is unusually high in palmitoleic acid, a fatty acid that human sebum also contains, which is why it absorbs faster than most nut oils. It is a cushioning emollient for dry skin.
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.
Cetyl Alcohol fatty alcohol: Cetyl Alcohol is a waxy fatty alcohol from coconut or palm, unrelated to drying ethanol. It thickens creams, stabilises the emulsion and leaves skin feeling softer.
Laminaria Japonica Extract plant extract: Laminaria Japonica is kombu kelp. Its extract carries alginates, minerals and iodine, and it is used as a hydrating, mineral-rich ingredient.
Eclipta Prostrata Leaf Extract plant extract: Eclipta Prostrata is false daisy, long used in Ayurvedic and East Asian practice. Its extract is used as a conditioning plant extract, most often in scalp and hair formulas.
Centella Asiatica Extract plant extract: Centella Asiatica is the plant behind the whole cica category, sold as gotu kola or Madagascar centella. Its extract is the anchor of Korean formulas built for easily reddened skin, and its work is done by four triterpenes: asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic acid and madecassic acid.

39 more explained

Ficus Carica (Fig) Fruit Extract plant extract: Fig Fruit Extract carries fruit sugars, mild acids and a protein-digesting enzyme. It is used as a hydrating extract with a light smoothing effect.
Piper Methysticum Leaf/Root/Stem Extract plant extract: Kava extract, from the Pacific pepper plant. It carries kavalactones and is used as a conditioning plant extract.
Panax Ginseng Berry Extract plant extract: Extract of the ginseng fruit rather than the root. The berry carries a different balance of ginsenosides and is harvested for only a short window each year.
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.
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.
Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate emulsifier: Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate is a plant-derived emulsifier used to stabilise creams with a light finish.
Polyacrylate-13 thickener: Polyacrylate-13 is a pre-neutralised thickener that gels instantly and holds an emulsion together, so a formula can be built without heat.
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.
Behenyl Alcohol fatty alcohol: Behenyl Alcohol is a long-chain fatty alcohol used to thicken and stabilise a cream. It gives a richer, more velvety body than cetyl alcohol.
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate emulsifier: Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate is a sugar-derived emulsifier and solubiliser, mild enough to be a standard choice in Korean essences. It dissolves small amounts of oil into water without any tightening feel.
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer silicone: This is a silicone elastomer, a soft springy gel. It fills the look of fine texture and gives the velvety, blurred finish of a primer.
Cetearyl Olivate emulsifier: Cetearyl Olivate is the water-loving half of the olive-derived emulsifier pair. With sorbitan olivate it builds emulsions whose lipid profile is close to skin's own.
Sorbitan Olivate emulsifier: Sorbitan Olivate is an olive-derived emulsifier, the oil-loving half of the pair sold as Olivem. It holds oil into water and leaves a light, non-waxy feel.
Stearyl Alcohol fatty alcohol: Stearyl Alcohol is a solid fatty alcohol used to thicken and stabilise creams. Like the other fatty alcohols it is an emollient, not a solvent.
Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate emulsifier: Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate is a mild sugar-derived emulsifier used to keep oil dispersed in a watery formula.
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.
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate emulsifier: Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate is an amino-acid-derived emulsifier. It holds oil and water together and is mild enough for formulas built for reactive skin.
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.
Retinol(0.1%) 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.
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene emollient: Hydrogenated Polyisobutene is a stabilised synthetic hydrocarbon used in place of mineral oil. It is an emollient that leaves a smooth, cushioned film.
Glyceryl Stearate SE emulsifier: Glyceryl Stearate SE is the self-emulsifying grade, supplied with a little soap already built in so it can hold an emulsion with less help. It thickens and softens like the plain form.
Methylpropanediol humectant: Methylpropanediol is a small glycol used to hydrate and to help water-soluble actives penetrate the outer layer of skin more evenly. It leaves almost no tack, which suits watery textures.
Ethylhexyl Palmitate emollient: Ethylhexyl Palmitate is a palm-derived ester used as a light emollient and a solvent for pigment. It gives a smooth, non-greasy slip.
Cholesterol barrier lipid: Cholesterol is the third of the three lipids the outer layer of skin is built from, with ceramides and fatty acids. Formulas that carry all three are following the ratio skin itself holds.
Xanthan Gum thickener: Xanthan Gum is a polysaccharide made by fermenting sugar. It thickens a watery formula into a gel and holds the whole thing in suspension so nothing separates. Too much of it and a serum turns stringy, which is why it appears in fractions 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.
Fructooligosaccharides humectant: Fructooligosaccharides are short fructose chains used as humectants and as food for the skin's own resident microbes.
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.
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.
Beta-Glucan polysaccharide: Beta-Glucan is a polysaccharide from oats or yeast. It holds a large amount of water, forms a soothing film, and is one of the ingredients formulators reach for in products aimed at reactive skin.
Ceramide NP barrier lipid: Ceramide NP is the most used cosmetic ceramide, the same class of lipid that makes up roughly half the mortar between cells in the outer layer of skin. Added to a cream it slots into that structure, which is why ceramide formulas feel less leaky rather than merely greasy.
Polyquaternium-51 film former: Polyquaternium-51 is a polymer, sometimes sold as Lipidure, built on the same phosphorylcholine structure as a cell membrane. It holds water in a film on the surface and gives a distinctive soft, dry finish.
BHA exfoliant: BHA is short for beta hydroxy acid, which on a Korean list almost always means salicylic acid or one of its salts. It is the oil-soluble exfoliant class, the one that can work inside a pore.
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.
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.
Polysorbate 20 emulsifier: Polysorbate 20 is a solubiliser: it dissolves small amounts of oil or fragrance into a watery formula so nothing separates or floats.
Phytosteryl/Isostearyl/Cetyl/Stearyl/Behenyl Dimer Dilinoleate emollient: This is a heavy plant-sterol ester used in balms and cleansing oils. It softens skin, holds pigment and gives a thick, cushioned glide.
Hydroxyacetophenone preservative booster: Hydroxyacetophenone is an antioxidant that also strengthens a preservative system, so a formula needs less traditional preservative. Korean formulas pair it with 1,2-hexanediol constantly.
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.

How to use

Take a small amount after your serum and press it over the face, working outward from the centre.
Go lighter over the nose and forehead if those areas run oily, and heavier on the cheeks if they run dry.
Let it settle for a minute before makeup so nothing rolls up over it.
Avoid using more than you need on a warm day, because a cream that never fully settles is what makes makeup slide.

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.

Complete the routine

This itemFrankly Retinol 0.1 Wrinkle Repair Cream 30ml$45.00
From the same Korean-market lineFRANKLY Glow Filter Tone Up Cream 50ml$32.50
The treatment step of this routineFRANKLY PDRN Bounce Ball Serum 30ml$55.00

Total for 3 items$132.50

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FRANKLY Retinol 0.1 Wrinkle Repair Cream 30ml

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Frankly, Korean-market original

The Original Korean Formula cream from Frankly, 30ml formulated with Retinol and Niacinamide, shipped from California or direct from Korea.

Verify your unit when it arrives

Korean-market stock with the original barcode and batch code intact, exactly as it left Korea.

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 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