innisfree
Retinol Cica Repair Ampoule 30ml
innisfree's Retinol Cica Repair Ampoule lists Retinol alongside Asiaticoside and Madecassic Acid, applied at night after toner as a concentrated treatment layer for skin building tolerance to retinol.
No reviews yet30 ml
$133.33 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 Asiaticoside in an ampouleRoutines that want Asiaticoside and Niacinamide in one stepFilling the ampoule step with a Korean-market formulaAnyone who wants the Asiaticoside ampoule 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 Retinol Cica Repair Ampoule is a 30ml ampoule, used after toner and before moisturizer, morning and evening. The active it is built around is Asiaticoside, named twenty-first 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 Asiaticoside stays on the skin, and for how long, is decided by the ampoule format rather than by the list alone. This is the Original Korean Formula, the ampoule innisfree sells in Korea, Asiaticoside and all.
Key benefits
- Asiaticoside, the active this ampoule is built around
- Niacinamide, Allantoin, Adenosine and Madecassic Acid on the same list, actives
- Asiatic Acid and Retinol further down the same list
- Salicylic Acid and Acetyl Tetrapeptide-11 further down the same list
- Asiaticoside named twenty-first on the manufacturer list printed on this page
- The Korean-market release of this ampoule, confirmed against its Korean barcode
How to use
- Apply two to three drops after toner or essence and before your moisturizer, once or twice a day. Press it into the face and neck with clean palms rather than rubbing, and give it a minute to absorb before layering a cream on top.
Where does this ampoule go in my routine?
After toner and before moisturizer, morning and evening. Anything thinner than an ampoule 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 Asiaticoside and not three changes at once.
Is this the Korean-market ampoule or a US version?
The Korean-market one, Asiaticoside and all. We match this ampoule 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 Asiaticoside?
Niacinamide, Allantoin and Adenosine. The order they are printed in on this ampoule's panel is the order on the box, so you can see where Asiaticoside sits relative to them. Further down the same panel: Madecassic Acid, Asiatic Acid and Retinol.
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 (35): Distilled Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Dibutyl Adipate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Cholesterol, Allantoin, Glycine Soja Oil, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Methyl Stearoyl Taurate, Propanediol, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Camellia Sinensis Seed Extract, Asiatic Acid, Retinol (500 IU/G), Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate, Hyaluronic Acid, Mannitol, Ceramide NP, Beta-Glucan, Beta-Carotene, Phytosphingosine, BHT, Salicylic Acid, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-11
Ingredient list read from inkeedecoder.com on 10 September 2026.
33 of 35 explained
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Dibutyl Adipate emollient
- Dibutyl Adipate is a light ester emollient used as a solvent for UV filters and pigments and to keep a formula from feeling tacky.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Glycine Soja Oil emollient
- Soybean Oil is a linoleic-rich plant oil used as an emollient. It also carries soy phytosterols and vitamin E.
21 more explained
- 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.
- Sodium Methyl Stearoyl Taurate surfactant
- A taurine-based surfactant. Taurates foam well while staying mild, and they keep working in hard water where a soap does not.
- 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.
- Daucus Carota Sativa 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Asiaticoside active
- Asiaticoside is one of the four active triterpenes isolated from centella and the most studied of them. Korean formulas name it separately when they want to show which fraction of the plant they standardised.
- Madecassic Acid active
- Madecassic Acid is the fourth centella triterpene. A list that names all four is telling you the extract was standardised rather than simply pressed, which is the difference between a cica claim and a cica formula.
- Camellia Sinensis Seed Extract plant extract
- Green tea seed extract, from the seed rather than the leaf, so it carries saponins and sterols instead of catechins. It is used as a conditioning extract.
- Asiatic Acid active
- Asiatic Acid is the third of centella's four triterpenes and the aglycone form, meaning it has no attached sugar. It is oil soluble, so it turns up in cica creams and balms more than in watery layers.
- Retinol (500 IU/G) 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.
- 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.
- Mannitol humectant
- Mannitol is a sugar alcohol used as a humectant and antioxidant. It hydrates and helps stabilise the rest of the formula against oxidation.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Phytosphingosine barrier lipid
- Phytosphingosine is the backbone every ceramide is built on, and skin uses it in its own lipid layer. In a formula it works with ceramides and cholesterol and also keeps the product stable against microbes.
- 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.
- Salicylic Acid exfoliant
- Salicylic Acid is a BHA, and the only common exfoliant that is oil soluble, so it can work inside a pore rather than only on the surface. It loosens the dead cells that block pores and is used for the look of congested, oily skin.
- Acetyl Tetrapeptide-11 peptide
- Acetyl Tetrapeptide-11 is a four-amino-acid peptide used for the look of firmness, and it is the usual partner to acetyl tetrapeptide-9.
- Market
- Korean market, the version sold in Korea
- EAN (barcode)
- 8809843677149
- Made in
- Republic of Korea
- Volume
- 30 ml
- Category
- Serum & Ampoule
- Actives
- Adenosine, Allantoin, Beta-Glucan, Centella Asiatica, Ceramide NP, Green Tea, Hyaluronic Acid, Niacinamide, Peptides, Retinol, Salicylic Acid
- 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 ampoule on a small area and wait a day before using it more widely, especially with Asiaticoside on the list.
- Retinol is on this list, so keep this ampoule to the evening and build the nights up slowly rather than starting nightly.
- Salicylic Acid on this list makes this ampoule an exfoliating step, so do not stack it with another one on the same night.
Complete the routine
- This iteminnisfree Retinol Cica Repair Ampoule 30ml$40.00
- From the same Korean-market lineinnisfree My Hair Recipe Strength Shampoo 330ml$17.50
- The treatment step of this routineinnisfree My Hair Recipe Strength Tonic Essence 100ml$15.00
Total for 3 items$72.50
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innisfree Retinol Cica Repair Ampoule 30ml
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innisfree, Korean-market original
The Original Korean Formula ampoule from innisfree, 30ml formulated with Asiaticoside 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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