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 Tetrahydropiperine. 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: Pentaerythrityl Tetra-di-t-butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Tocopherol and Phloretin.

goodal

Black Carrot Vita-A Retinol Cream 50ml

Name: goodal Black Carrot Vita-A Retinol Cream 50ml
Brand: goodal
SKU: 9094992429
Price: 42.5 USD
Availability: InStock

goodal Black Carrot Vita-A Retinol Cream is a cream built around Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract, sized at 50ml, a cream texture, in the Korean-market formula sold at Olive Young in Seoul.

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$42.50

50 ml

$85.00 per 100 ml

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 Niacinamide in one stepFilling the cream step with a Korean-market formulaAnyone who wants the Retinol cream sold on Korean shelves

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$42.50

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How it works

The Black Carrot Vita-A Retinol Cream is a 50ml cream, used as the last skincare step, morning and evening, over serum. The active it is built around is Retinol, named forty-fifth on its own ingredient list. The same list carries Niacinamide, Adenosine and Tetrahydropiperine, 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 goodal sells in Korea, Retinol and all.

Key benefits

Retinol, the active this cream is built around
Niacinamide, Adenosine and Tetrahydropiperine on the same list, actives
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-di-t-butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate on the same list, an antioxidant
Tocopherol and Phloretin further down the same list
Beta-Carotene and Tocopheryl Acetate further down the same list
Retinol named forty-fifth on the manufacturer list printed on this page

Inside the formula

Ingredients declared

No fragrance

on the list

1 of 4

64 of 68 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.
Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract (20%) 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Vinyl Dimethicone silicone: Vinyl Dimethicone is a silicone used as a building block of the crosspolymer gels that give a formula its soft, blurring feel.
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.
Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract plant extract: Amur cork tree bark, another traditional berberine-bearing herbal ingredient. It is yellow and appears in blends aimed at the look of congested skin.
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.

52 more explained

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.
Betaine humectant: Betaine is a sugar-beet-derived humectant that cells use to hold water. In a formula it hydrates and takes the edge off cleansers and acids, which is why it often appears alongside them.
Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil emollient: Jojoba Oil is a liquid wax rather than a true oil, and its structure is close to human sebum, which is why it absorbs so readily. It is an emollient that leaves a soft, non-greasy finish.
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.
Portulaca Oleracea Extract plant extract: Portulaca Oleracea is purslane. Its extract is unusually high in omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants for a plant, and Korean formulas use it for the look of reddened, reactive skin.
Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract plant extract: Rosemary Leaf Extract carries rosmarinic and carnosic acids, both effective antioxidants. It is often there to keep the oils in a formula from going rancid.
Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract plant extract: Chamomile Flower Extract is one of the oldest ingredients in skincare, carrying bisabolol and chamazulene. It is used for the look of redness in formulas for reactive skin.
Glycine Soja (Soybean) Seed Extract plant extract: Soybean Seed Extract carries isoflavones, plant sterols and soy proteins. It is used as a conditioning antioxidant extract.
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.
Canola Oil emollient: Canola Oil is pressed from rapeseed. It is a light, high-oleic oil used to soften skin and to carry oil-soluble ingredients.
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.
Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed Oil(0.4Ppm) emollient: Carrot seed oil, pressed from the seed rather than the root. It is used as a conditioning oil and carries its own earthy scent.
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.
Jojoba Esters emollient: Jojoba Esters are jojoba wax rebuilt into a softer, meltable form. They condition skin and give body to balms without the heaviness of a butter.
Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate emulsifier: Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate is a mild sugar-derived emulsifier that holds oil into water and thickens slightly.
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.
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.
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.
Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Wax occlusive: Sunflower seed wax, used to firm up sticks and balms. It is softer than carnauba and gives a less brittle set.
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate antioxidant: This is a stabiliser that keeps the oils and fragrance in a formula from oxidising. Its job is the shelf life of the product rather than any effect on skin.
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.
Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate thickener: Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate is a polymer thickener that holds a gel stable even with a lot of salt or acid in the formula.
Dimethiconol silicone: Dimethiconol is a high-molecular-weight silicone that leaves a longer-lasting smooth film than dimethicone. It is used for lasting slip and shine.
Trisiloxane silicone: Trisiloxane is a very short silicone chain, so it is thin and volatile. It spreads a formula quickly and leaves almost nothing behind.
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.
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.
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.
Polyglycerin-3 humectant: Polyglycerin-3 is a short chain of glycerin units used as a gentler, less sticky humectant. It also helps oils and water stay blended.
Ectoin humectant: Ectoin is a small molecule that microbes in salt flats and hot springs make to survive extreme conditions. In skincare it holds water tightly around itself, which is why it appears in formulas aimed at reactive, easily dehydrated skin.
Retinol(1,522Iu) 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.
Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer absorbent: A spherical polymer powder. The spheres roll under the fingers, absorb a little oil and scatter light, which softens the look of pores and fine lines.
Polyvinyl Alcohol film former: Polyvinyl Alcohol is the polymer behind peel-off masks: it dries into a continuous film that lifts away in one piece.
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.
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.
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.
Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate humectant: Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid joined to a silicon-based group. It hydrates and leaves a smoother, silkier finish than hyaluronic acid alone.
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate 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.
Tetrahydropiperine active: Tetrahydropiperine is a modified form of piperine, the pungent compound in black pepper. It is used in traces to help other actives spread and sink in more evenly.
Potassium Hyaluronate humectant: Potassium Hyaluronate is another salt of hyaluronic acid, used for the same reason as the sodium form: it dissolves easily and holds a large amount of water in the outer layer of skin.
Phloretin antioxidant: Phloretin is a flavonoid from apple and pear trees. It is used as an antioxidant and is often paired with vitamin C and ferulic acid.
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.
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.
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate humectant: Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate carries a positive charge, and skin carries a slight negative one, so it is attracted to the surface and stays through rinsing. It is the hyaluronic used where a formula gets washed off.
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.
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.
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.
Arginine amino acid: Arginine is an amino acid that does two jobs here: it holds water in the outer layer of skin, and it neutralises acidic gelling agents, which is why it often stands in for a synthetic pH adjuster.
Phenylpropanol solvent: Phenylpropanol is an aromatic alcohol with a faint hyacinth smell. It works as a solvent and strengthens a preservative system, so it appears in formulas built without parabens.
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.
Caprylyl Glycol preservative booster: Caprylyl Glycol is a glycol that conditions skin and, more importantly, strengthens a preservative system so less of the traditional preservative is needed. It appears in most modern formulas built without parabens.

How to use

After serum, take a small amount of Black Carrot Vita-A Retinol Cream 50ml and warm it briefly between your fingers.
Smooth it over the face and neck as the last step of your routine.
Give it a few minutes to settle before applying sunscreen or makeup.
Give Black Carrot Vita-A Retinol Cream 50ml a moment to settle rather than layering the next product straight on top while it is still wet.

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 itemgoodal Black Carrot Vita-A Retinol Cream 50ml$42.50
Prep after cleansing, before the treatment stepgoodal Heartleaf Hyaluron Soothing Toner 350ml$27.50
Seal the routine in as the last stepgoodal Ice Heartleaf Hyaluron Soothing Cream 75ml$37.50

Total for 3 items$107.50

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goodal Black Carrot Vita-A Retinol Cream 50ml

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goodal, Korean-market original

goodal Black Carrot Vita-A Retinol Cream names Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract on its own manufacturer ingredient list, in the Korean-market formula sold at Olive Young in Seoul.

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