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

This is the Korean-market formula IOPE sells on shelves in Korea, not a version reformulated for the US shelf.

What step does this cream go in a routine?

Smooth over the face as one of the last steps of a routine, morning or night.

Can I use this with other actives in my routine?

Tocopherol generally layers well alongside a normal routine; introduce any new active gradually and watch how your skin responds over the first week or two.

IOPE

RETINOL EXPERT 0.1% 30ml

Name: IOPE RETINOL EXPERT 0.1% 30ml
Brand: IOPE
SKU: 6116759523
Price: 147.5 USD
Availability: InStock

IOPE RETINOL EXPERT 0.1% 30ml is a cream built around Tocopherol, named directly on its own Korean-market ingredient list rather than assumed from the product name.

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$147.50

30 ml

$491.67 per 100 ml

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

Suited to: Normal skinDry skinCombination skin

Helps with: Sealing a routine as one of the last steps, morning or nightShoppers who want IOPE's own Korean-market formula rather than a US-shelf version

One-time purchase

$147.50

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$132.75

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Key benefits

Built around Tocopherol, Panthenol, Retinol, Allantoin, named directly on this formula's own Korean-market ingredient list.
A cream from IOPE's own catalog, sold as the authentic Korean-market formula rather than a US-shelf reformulation.
Full 30ml size for regular use through a complete routine.

Key actives

5Tocopherol

Tocopherol is a vitamin E form used across Korean formulas as an antioxidant and stabilizing ingredient. On this formula's own ingredient list it sits high on the ingredient list, among the formula's main working ingredients.

All products with Tocopherol

9Panthenol

Panthenol is provitamin B5, a humectant and soothing ingredient used across toners, serums and creams. On this formula's own ingredient list it sits high on the ingredient list, among the formula's main working ingredients.

All products with Panthenol

24Retinol

Retinol is a vitamin A derivative used for its texture-refining, resurfacing work. On this formula's own ingredient list it sits listed after the base and thickeners, still well within the formula's active portion.

All products with Retinol

26Allantoin

Allantoin is a soothing agent commonly paired with actives to keep a formula comfortable on the skin. On this formula's own ingredient list it sits listed further down the ingredient panel, in a supporting amount.

All products with Allantoin

Inside the formula

Ingredients declared

#19

Fragrance on the list

5Tocopherol9Panthenol24Retinol

5Tocopherol
9Panthenol
24Retinol

Where each key active sits on the declared ingredient list, by entry number. Position is proportion: the further forward, the larger its share.

How to use

Smooth over the face as one of the last steps of a routine, morning or night.

1 of 2

56 of 59 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

44 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.
Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate emulsifier: Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate is a mild sugar-derived emulsifier that holds oil into water and thickens slightly.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
Sodium Sulfite antioxidant: A reducing agent used to stop vitamin C and other easily oxidised ingredients from browning in the bottle.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pentylene Glycol humectant: Pentylene Glycol hydrates and, like the other longer-chain glycols, makes a formula less hospitable to microbes so the preservative system can be lighter. It also improves how evenly a product spreads.
Dimethyl Isosorbide solvent: Dimethyl Isosorbide is a solvent used to dissolve actives that water and oil both reject, and to carry them evenly through the outer layer of skin. It appears in vitamin C and retinoid formulas for exactly that reason.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate active: Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate is a retinoid ester that binds skin's retinoid receptors directly, with no conversion step. Brands use it where they want retinoid-style results with less of the flaking retinol brings.
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.
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.
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.
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.
SH-Polypeptide-121 peptide: A fermentation-produced polypeptide. Korean formulas group these sh-polypeptides together as a conditioning peptide complex rather than using one alone.
Acacia Senegal Gum film former: Gum arabic, tapped from the acacia tree. It thickens, forms a tightening film as it dries, and holds pigments in place.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Ascorbic Acid antioxidant: Ascorbic Acid is pure vitamin C, the most researched form and also the least stable: it needs a low pH and airtight packaging to stay active. It is an antioxidant used for the look of dullness and uneven tone.
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.
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.
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid antioxidant: 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid is a stable vitamin C derivative that skin converts to ascorbic acid. It survives in a formula far better than pure vitamin C and works at a gentler pH, so it suits skin that finds the pure acid uncomfortable.
Glutathione antioxidant: Glutathione is a small peptide the body uses as one of its main antioxidants. In skincare it is used as an antioxidant and for the look of dullness; it is unstable in water, so formulas that carry it are usually built around protecting it.
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.

How it works

IOPE RETINOL EXPERT 0.1% 30ml is the Korean-market formula IOPE sells on shelves in Korea, built as a cream rather than a US-shelf reformulation. Tocopherol is a vitamin E form used across Korean formulas as an antioxidant and stabilizing ingredient. On this formula's own ingredient list it sits high on the ingredient list, among the formula's main working ingredients. Panthenol is provitamin B5, a humectant and soothing ingredient used across toners, serums and creams. On this formula's own ingredient list it sits high on the ingredient list, among the formula's main working ingredients. Retinol is a vitamin A derivative used for its texture-refining, resurfacing work. On this formula's own ingredient list it sits listed after the base and thickeners, still well within the formula's active portion. Allantoin is a soothing agent commonly paired with actives to keep a formula comfortable on the skin. On this formula's own ingredient list it sits listed further down the ingredient panel, in a supporting amount. Together, Tocopherol, Panthenol, Retinol and Allantoin give this cream its working character rather than any single ingredient carrying the formula alone.

Worth knowing

Patch test on a small area first and wait a day before full use, especially the first time.
Introduce gradually alongside a moisturizer and daily sunscreen if adding an exfoliating or retinoid-family active to a new routine.

Complete the routine

This itemIOPE RETINOL EXPERT 0.1% 30ml$147.50
Seal the routine in as the last stepIOPE SUPER VITAL EMULSION 150ml$87.50
The treatment step of this routineIOPE RETINOL RETI-JECTION SERUM 30ml$100.00

Total for 3 items$335.00

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IOPE RETINOL EXPERT 0.1% 30ml

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IOPE, Korean-market original

IOPE's Korean-market cream, sourced for the Korean market.

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 the key actives in this formula, quoted from the medical sources linked beside each.

People with dry, flaky skin are more likely to see a benefit from using vitamin E because it enhances moisturization.
Amy Kassouf, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic
Pantothenol is a common ingredient in skin care and hair products I recommend, particularly for people who are prone to dryness.
Taylor Bullock, MDDermatology resident, Cleveland Clinic

1 more professional perspective

Vitamin A has a molecular structure that's tiny enough to get into the lower layers of your skin, where it finds and boosts collagen and elastin, which is a protein that strengthens your skin's flexibility.
Wilma Bergfeld, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic