Haruharu
wonder Black Rice Night Knight Retinol Serum 20ml
Black Rice Night Knight Retinol Serum is a 20 ml serum from haruharu wonder, built on retinol at 0.08 percent alongside bakuchiol and adenosine, used after toner or essence and before moisturizer, best reserved for the evening given the retinol.
No reviews yet20 ml
$25.00 per 10 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 serumRoutines that want Retinol and Bakuchiol in one stepFilling the serum step with a Korean-market formulaAnyone who wants the Retinol serum sold on Korean shelves
In stock. Arrives in 3 to 7 business days
We accept
You’re $100.00 away from free US shipping.
- 30-day returns
- Free US shipping on orders of $100 or more
- Tracked delivery to your door
How it works
The Black Rice Night Knight Retinol Serum is a 20ml serum, used after toner and before moisturizer, morning and evening. The active it is built around is Retinol, named sixteenth on its own ingredient list. The same list carries Bakuchiol, Adenosine and Aspergillus Ferment, 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 serum format rather than by the list alone. This is the Original Korean Formula, the serum Haruharu sells in Korea, Retinol and all.
Key benefits
- Retinol, the active this serum is built around
- Bakuchiol and Adenosine on the same list, actives
- Aspergillus Ferment on the same list, a ferment
- Ceramide NP on the same list, a barrier lipid
- Oryza Sativa (Rice) Extract and Phyllostachys Pubescens Shoot Bark Extract further down the same list
- Panax Ginseng Root Extract and Hydrogenated Polyisobutene further down the same list
How to use
- Use it after toner or essence and before moisturizer, AM and/or PM. Apply a pea-sized amount over the face, avoiding the eye area, since bakuchiol is gentler than retinol but still benefits from being introduced a few nights a week at first.
Where does this serum go in my routine?
After toner and before moisturizer, morning and evening. Anything thinner than a serum 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 serum or a US version?
The Korean-market one, Retinol and all. We match this serum 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?
Bakuchiol, Adenosine and Aspergillus Ferment. The order they are printed in on this serum's panel is the order on the box, so you can see where Retinol sits relative to them. Further down the same panel: Ceramide NP, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Extract and Phyllostachys Pubescens Shoot Bark Extract.
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 (33): Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Bakuchiol, C14-22 Alcohols, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Extract (2,000ppm), Arginine, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Phyllostachys Pubescens Shoot Bark Extract (1,000ppm), Disodium EDTA, Retinol (0.08%), Aspergillus Ferment, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Xanthan Gum, Adenosine, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Glyceryl Stearate, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Ceramide NP, Dipropylene Glycol, Stearyl Alcohol, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Glucose, Hydroxyacetophenone, Butylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Cyclodextrin
Ingredient list read from jolse.com on 10 September 2026.
33 of 33 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Bakuchiol active
- Bakuchiol is a compound from the babchi seed, used as a plant-derived alternative to retinol. It is oil soluble, stable in daylight and does not carry retinol's acclimatisation period, which is why sensitive-skin formulas choose it.
- C14-22 Alcohols fatty alcohol
- C14-22 Alcohols is a declaration for a mixture of long-chain fatty alcohols. They thicken a cream and hold the emulsion together.
- Potassium Cetyl Phosphate emulsifier
- Potassium Cetyl Phosphate is an emulsifier prized for keeping powdered ingredients evenly suspended, which is why tinted and mineral-powder textures use it.
- C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside emulsifier
- C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside is a sugar-derived emulsifier used in mild, plant-based cream bases.
- Oryza Sativa (Rice) Extract (2,000ppm) plant extract
- Rice Extract is the anchor of the Korean rice-skincare category. It carries starches, amino acids and ferulic acid, and it is used for the look of dullness and for a soft, blurred finish.
- 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.
21 more explained
- Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer thickener
- This is a carbomer relative with fatty side chains, so it thickens and stabilises an emulsion at the same time. It gives a light gel-cream body rather than a heavy one.
- Phyllostachys Pubescens Shoot Bark Extract (1,000ppm) plant extract
- Moso bamboo shoot extract. Bamboo concentrates silica as it grows, so the extract is used as a hydrating, mineral-bearing ingredient.
- 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.
- Retinol (0.08%) 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.
- Aspergillus Ferment ferment
- Aspergillus Ferment is a mould ferment, from the same organism family used to make soy sauce and sake. It supplies amino acids and organic acids and is used as a conditioning ferment.
- 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.
- Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate emulsifier
- Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate is a mild sugar-derived emulsifier that holds oil into water and thickens slightly.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate emulsifier
- Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate is a plant-derived emulsifier used to stabilise creams with a light finish.
- 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.
- Dipropylene Glycol humectant
- Dipropylene Glycol is a glycol used as a solvent and a light humectant. Its main job is keeping the rest of the formula dissolved and the texture fluid rather than adding hydration of its own.
- 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.
- Panax Ginseng Root Extract plant extract
- Ginseng Root Extract is the signature ingredient of Korean traditional skincare, carrying ginsenosides. It is used for the look of tired, dull skin, and brands often ferment it to break the ginsenosides into smaller forms.
- Glucose humectant
- Glucose is a simple sugar used as a humectant and as food for the ferment ingredients in the same formula. It hydrates mildly and adds a soft slip.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Cyclodextrin solvent
- A ring-shaped sugar with a hollow centre. Formulas use it to hold an oil, a fragrance or an unstable active inside the ring, which keeps it stable and slows its release.
- Market
- Korean market, the version sold in Korea
- EAN (barcode)
- 8809532222186
- Made in
- Republic of Korea
- Volume
- 20 ml
- Category
- Serum & Ampoule
- Actives
- Adenosine, Bakuchiol, Ceramide NP, Ginseng, Retinol, Rice Extract
- 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. The barcode in the specification above is the Korean-market one and it is printed on the box you receive.
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
Worth knowing
- Patch test this serum 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 serum to the evening and build the nights up slowly rather than starting nightly.
Complete the routine
- This itemHaruharu wonder Black Rice Night Knight Retinol Serum 20ml$50.00
- The treatment step of this routineharuharu wonder Black Rice Serum 30ml$52.50
- Prep after cleansing, before the treatment stepharuharu wonder Black Bamboo Mist 150ml$50.00
Total for 3 items$152.50
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haruharu wonder Black Rice Night Knight Retinol Serum 20ml
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Haruharu, Korean-market original
The Original Korean Formula serum from Haruharu, 20ml formulated with Retinol and Bakuchiol, 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.
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 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
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