Retinol 3X Lifting Serum 25ml
HERA Retinol 3X Lifting Serum is a 25ml serum whose ingredient list carries Retinol alongside Niacinamide and Allantoin.
No reviews yet25 ml
$67.00 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 Niacinamide in one stepFilling the serum step with a Korean-market formula
In stock. Arrives in 3 to 7 business days
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How it works
The Retinol 3X Lifting Serum is a 25ml serum, used after toner and before moisturizer, morning and evening. The active it is built around is Retinol, named twenty-eighth on its own ingredient list. The same list carries Niacinamide, Allantoin and Adenosine, 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. HERA sells this Retinol serum in Korea, and this is that version.
Key benefits
- Retinol, the active this serum is built around
- Niacinamide, Allantoin and Adenosine on the same list, actives
- Tocopherol on the same list, an antioxidant
- Tocopheryl Acetate and Carnosine further down the same list
- Sodium Sulfite and Beta-Carotene further down the same list
- Retinol named twenty-eighth on the manufacturer list printed on this page
How to use
- Apply a few drops to clean, toned skin morning and night, then follow with cream to seal it in.
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.
Does this serum contain fragrance?
Yes. The ingredient list names Fragrance and Parfum. They sit on the panel printed on this page, so you can read the position for yourself before you buy. If fragrance components are something you avoid, this serum is not the one.
What else is on the list besides Retinol?
Niacinamide, Allantoin and Adenosine. 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: Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate and Carnosine.
Not on the ingredient list below: denatured or SD alcohol, essential oils, parabens, sulfate surfactants, mineral oil or petrolatum and added color.
Full INCI (51): Water / Aqua / Eau, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Trehalose, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Panthenol, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Carnosine, Polysilicone-11, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Wax, Cetearyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Fragrance / Parfum, Sodium Sulfite, Niacinamide, Tromethamine, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract, Retinol, Allantoin, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glyceryl Stearate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Metaphosphate, Adenosine, Stearic Acid, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Palmitic Acid, Sorbitan Isostearate, Propanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Beta-Carotene, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Xanthan Gum, Myristic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Lauric Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Soluble Collagen
Ingredient list read from int.hera.com on 10 September 2026.
51 of 51 explained
- Water / Aqua / Eau 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.
- 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.
- Dimethicone silicone
- Dimethicone is the most used cosmetic silicone. It forms a breathable film that smooths the surface, slows water leaving skin, and gives the slip that makes a primer or cream feel silky. It is inert and does not penetrate.
- 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.
- 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.
- Trehalose humectant
- Trehalose is a sugar that some desert plants use to survive drying out. In skincare it is a humectant that holds water in the outer layer and helps a formula feel comfortable rather than tight.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
39 more explained
- Glyceryl Polymethacrylate film former
- Glyceryl Polymethacrylate is a polymer that forms a smooth, water-holding film and gives a formula a cushioned, non-sticky feel.
- Carnosine antioxidant
- Carnosine is a small peptide of two amino acids that acts as an antioxidant, particularly against the sugar-driven damage formulators call glycation. It is used for the look of dull, sallow skin.
- Polysilicone-11 silicone
- A silicone elastomer used as a film former and thickener. It gives a formula a soft cushioned body and helps it cling.
- 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.
- Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer thickener
- This is the thickener behind most gel-cream textures. It builds a soft, bouncy gel that collapses to a light fluid as it is rubbed in.
- 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.
- Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate emulsifier
- Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate is a mild sugar-derived emulsifier that holds oil into water and thickens slightly.
- Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Wax occlusive
- Wax from rice bran, a plant alternative to beeswax. It gives sticks and balms their firmness and holds a shape at room temperature.
- 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.
- Carbomer thickener
- Carbomer is a synthetic polymer that only gels once a base neutralises it, which is why arginine or tromethamine sits nearby on the list. It gives the clear, non-stringy gel texture a xanthan formula cannot reach.
- Fragrance / Parfum fragrance
- Fragrance, or Parfum, is a single declaration standing for a whole scent blend, which can be dozens of materials. Regulators allow it as a trade secret, so a list showing only this word does not say what the scent is made of. It is the most common trigger named by people with reactive skin.
- Sodium Sulfite antioxidant
- A reducing agent used to stop vitamin C and other easily oxidised ingredients from browning in the bottle.
- 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.
- Tromethamine pH adjuster
- Tromethamine neutralises acidic thickeners such as carbomer so they gel, and holds a formula near skin-friendly pH. It is used at a fraction of a percent.
- Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract 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.
- Retinol 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.
- Allantoin active
- Allantoin is a comfrey-derived compound used to condition skin and soften the outer layer so it feels smoother. It is one of the standard additions to a formula built for easily irritated skin.
- Glyceryl Caprylate emulsifier
- Glyceryl Caprylate is a mild emulsifier that also makes a formula less hospitable to microbes, so it is often part of a preservative-free system.
- 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.
- 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.
- Sodium Metaphosphate chelator
- A phosphate salt that ties up metal ions in water. It also stops the calcium and magnesium in hard water from flattening a cleanser foam.
- 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.
- Stearic Acid fatty acid
- Stearic Acid is a saturated fatty acid from plant fats, and one of the three lipid classes skin's own barrier is built from. In a formula it thickens, stabilises the emulsion and can be turned into a soap-style cleanser by adding a base.
- Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate emulsifier
- Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate is a sugar-derived emulsifier known for a light, non-soapy feel. It builds gel-creams that do not read as rich.
- Palmitic Acid fatty acid
- Palmitic Acid is a saturated fatty acid present in skin's own lipids. It thickens a formula, stabilises the emulsion and softens skin.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein protein
- Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein is plant protein cut into water-soluble fragments. It forms a light conditioning film that holds water at the surface.
- 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.
- Myristic Acid fatty acid
- Myristic Acid is a saturated fatty acid used to thicken and, with a base added, to build the foam in a soap-style cleanser.
- 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.
- Lauric Acid fatty acid
- Lauric Acid is the coconut fatty acid that gives soap-style cleansers their dense foam. It is not well suited to blemish-prone skin at high levels.
- 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.
- 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 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.
- Soluble Collagen protein
- Soluble Collagen is collagen kept in its intact triple-helix form and dissolved rather than cut up. It sits on the surface as a water-holding film.
- Market
- Korean market, the version sold in Korea
- EAN (barcode)
- 8800283635423
- Made in
- Republic of Korea
- Volume
- 25 ml
- Category
- Serum & Ampoule
- Actives
- Adenosine, Allantoin, Collagen, Hyaluronic Acid, Niacinamide, Panthenol, Retinol, Rice Extract, Shea Butter, Sodium Hyaluronate, Trehalose
- 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.
- This list names Fragrance and Parfum, so skip it if fragrance components are something you avoid.
- 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 itemHERA Retinol 3X Lifting Serum 25ml$167.50
- The last step of the morning, over everything elseHERA UV Protector Tone-Up SPF50+ PA++++ 50ml #Peach$57.50
- From the same Korean-market lineHERA Homme Black Active Special Set$157.50
Total for 3 items$382.50
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HERA Retinol 3X Lifting Serum 25ml
How it felt, how your skin took it, what you layer it with. Straight answers help the next person choose.
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HERA, Korean-market original
The Original Korean Formula serum from HERA, 25ml formulated with Retinol and Niacinamide, 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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