K-SECRET SEOUL 1988 ADVANCED SHOT : RETINAL LIPOSOME 12% + BLACK RICE 15ml
A 15ml retinal serum in a small bottle, for anyone who wants the strongest step in a routine kept short and used at night.
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- Duties prepaid
- Suited to
- Normal skinCombination skinOily skin
- Helps with
- The look of fine linesRough looking textureAn evening only routine
In stock. Ships from our California warehouse, dispatched within 2 business days
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- Duties prepaid
- 30-day returns
- Free US shipping on orders of $100 or more
- Dispatched within 2 business days
How it works
The small bottle is not a shortcoming, it is the shape of the category: a strong night step is used in small doses over weeks, so a large bottle would outlive its own usefulness. Delivering the active in a liposome carrier is a formulation choice aimed at how the first fortnight feels rather than at speed. It is a night only step, because this family of ingredients is broken down by light and the routine that goes with it assumes sunscreen the next morning. That is the difference from a gentler daily serum, which can be used twice a day from the start but works more gradually. What you can judge is whether fine texture reads softer in the same light after two or three months.
Key benefits
- What it is: a 15ml retinal serum from K-Secret, for the evening treatment step.
- On the ingredient list: Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, confirmed on this product's own manufacturer list rather than assumed from the category.
- Fits into the routine: after toner, before moisturizer, PM only.
- Original Korean Formula: the version sold on Korean shelves, not a US reformulation.
Key actives
Retinal
The reason the bottle exists, carried in a liposome so the first fortnight of a strong night step is easier to get through.
Niacinamide
High on this list, and a sensible partner here since it works on tone while the main ingredient works on texture.
Panthenol
A comfort humectant on this list, included so the first weeks of a demanding night routine feel less tight than they otherwise would.
Cholesterol
A barrier lipid on this list, an unusual and deliberate inclusion in a formula whose main ingredient is known for dryness in the early weeks.
Butyrospermum
The shea butter on this list, giving a few drops enough body to spread across the face without running off it.
How do I start with this?
Slowly. Two nights a week for a fortnight, then three, and higher only if there is no flaking or stinging. Put a moisturizer over the top for the first month. Most people who give up on this category went nightly from day one and stopped within a week.
Where does it go in my routine?
At night, after your other serums and before or under your moisturizer. Never in the morning, since light breaks this family of ingredients down. Keep the rest of that evening simple, with no exfoliating step in the same sitting, and go easy the following night.
Why is the bottle so small?
Because the dose is a few drops and the step is used a few nights a week, so a small bottle lasts a long time. A larger one would sit open for months, and this kind of formula does better used within a reasonable window than kept for a year.
Do I need sunscreen with it?
Yes, every single morning. This kind of routine assumes that last layer is going on, and freshly turned over surface skin is more sensitive to light. If daily sunscreen is not something you will commit to, a gentler daily serum is the better choice than starting here.
Is this the Korean-market formula?
Yes. This is the Original Korean Formula 15ml bottle, the same one sold on Korean shelves. A charge on arrival.
- Ships from
- California
Duties are prepaid. Nothing is owed at delivery. Returns are accepted for 30 days, by mail.
Orders ship from our California warehouse, dispatched within 2 business days, and arrive in 3 to 5 days. Shipping is free on orders of $100 or more.
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 - 2Customs
Duty paid by us before it enters the US - 3California
Ships domestically, no international leg
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.
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.
Import duties are paid by us before the parcel reaches you, so nothing is owed at the door, 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.
Payment and security
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How to use
- Start at two nights a week and add a night only after a fortnight with no flaking or stinging.
- Apply a few drops at night after your other serums, avoiding the eye area and the corners of the mouth.
- Follow with a moisturizer over the top, since a cream on top makes the first weeks considerably easier.
- Do not use it in the morning or alongside an exfoliating product, since light breaks this family down and stacking causes flushing.
Worth knowing
- Wear sunscreen every morning while using it, since this kind of routine assumes that last layer is going on.
- Build up slowly from two nights a week rather than starting nightly, which is where most people give up.
- Stop for a week if the skin starts flaking or stinging, then restart at a lower frequency.
Reviews
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Korean-market original
A 15ml retinal night serum, stocked in the Original Korean Formula.
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.
Match the batch code on the box against the code printed on the bottle or tube itself; the two are stamped separately and should agree.
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 the key actives in this formula, quoted from the medical sources linked beside each.
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 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
Niacinamide helps reduce the appearance of pores in a few ways. By strengthening the skin barrier and improving elasticity, pores appear less noticeable and more even.
Ashlyn YankeAesthetician, Cleveland Clinic
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