Being serious about skincare means stepping out of your comfort zone to find products that can best work their magic! This could mean branching out from your standard cleanser and moisturizer combo, to even looking to international products for your holy grail finds.
Why not hit two birds with one stone by trying out retinol (the skincare world’s latest obsession) from Korea (a country known for its beauty influence)?
But what are the best Korean retinols? When it comes to purchasing your first Korean retinol, it’s important to keep the strength, additional ingredients, and texture of the formulation in mind. These three factors decide how effective retinol will be on your skin type.
For the skincare novice, this may be a lot to keep in mind! Worry not fellow beauty connoisseurs! We’ve compiled together a list of our top favorite Korean retinols for you to welcome to your bathroom cabinet. Let’s go!
Features Of A Good Korean Retinol
Correct Percentage
Retinol can be a tricky ingredient to introduce to your skincare routine. With its effective manner of accelerating your skin’s natural cell renewal process, and how it can successfully bring under-the-skin spots to the surface, it’s not a product you want to go overboard with.
If this is your first time using retinol, we suggest starting out with a diluted product, or one with a lower content of retinol overall. For those who are seasoned with using actives on the skin, like AHAs/BHAs/hyaluronic acid, etc., you can start off at a higher concentration.
Ingredient Cocktail
It’s highly unlikely that you’ll come across a 100% retinol product during your search, so you want to make sure that the rest of the ingredient list are additions that work well with your skin type.
Some common additives you’ll see include vitamins (typically E for moisture or C for brightening), hyaluronic acid (to aid your skin in holding onto hydration), and other extracts that target certain skincare issues.
For those with particularly sensitive skin types, looking for formulas that are free of things like sulfates, parabens, and phthalates can decrease the chances of your skin reacting poorly to retinol, and they’re also safer for your skin overall.
Retinol Form
We all have our ideal skincare textures. Though it is standard for retinol to come in serum form, there are multiple Korean brands coming out with retinol creams as well, both of which are incredibly effective, but depending on what you’re looking for from your product, you may lean towards one more than the other.
For those with super-resilient, extra-strong skin, we highly recommend going for serum formulas. These penetrate deep into the skin and are less diluted than cream products. However, we do find these formulas to be drying when overused, so it’s best to approach with caution.
Sensitive skin types and those with dry skin can find relief in a retinol moisturizer or retinol cream hybrid. Though less potent in retinol make-up, they can still transform skin in a timely manner (plus you have the added benefit of moisture).
Best Korean Retinols
| Rank | Product | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | K Collection Retinol | Anti-aging, vitamin C, brightening |
| 2. | Elizavecca Milky Piggy Retinol Cream | All skin types, moisturizing, elasticity |
| 3. | YEOUTH Retinol Serum | Hyaluronic acid, helps dark spots, aloe vera |
| 4. | Cos De BAHA Retinol Serum | 2.5% retinol, age spot remover, niacinamide |
| 5. | Sefite Beauty Retinol Cream | Green tea, dry skin, vegan formula |
| 6. | Meebak Cica Cream With Retinol | Healing, day and night, cica |
| 7. | Saturday Skin Sleep Mask | Vitamin C, deeply moisturizing, vegan |
1. K Collection Retinol
With the blessing of growing older comes the inevitable: wrinkles.
Though you can drop a pretty penny on Botox, or other procedures that prevent crow’s feet and laugh lines from rearing their heads, you can also opt for another, more natural means of keeping skin looking youthful and bouncy!
Retinol is a master at slowing down the hands of time.
By keeping your skin cells in their most youthful condition, you can expect your face to be bouncier, collagen-rich, and dewier with consistent use of retinol, and that is especially true if you frequently use this retinol serum from K Collection!
Due to the highly concentrated addition of vitamin C in this formula, not only will you see a difference in the feel of your skin, but in the overall look of your skin as well! It brightens the skin and gives you a healthy glow, making it perfect for people who might not have the most forgiving sleep schedule.
Another feature we love about this formula is that it boasts a super clean formula. You don’t have to worry about the addition of any harsh chemicals, or that the retinol has been tested on animals.
Undeniably effective, users of this product noticed an improvement in their skin over the course of 7-10 days, though more drastic results were noticeable after 4-6 weeks of consistent use.
2. Elizavecca Milky Piggy Retinol Cream
With the strikingly patterned jar this next retinol comes in, you might worry about the effectivity of the formula, but rest assured that good things do come in cute packages!
Elizavecca is a Korean skincare brand that has made recent strides in the skincare world due to its gentle formulas and eye-catching boxes and jars that its products come in!
It’s a brand committed to making great skincare at affordable prices, earning it a cult following in, not just in Korea, but in the states as well.
Due to its cream form, this is a superb choice in retinol for novices or those with sensitive or dry skin. It contains 2500 IU of retinol (which may sound like a lot, but it only makes up .075% of the formula), and has a very light fragrance, so your skin won’t dry out from any additional alcohols or perfumes.
Retinol isn’t the only great ingredient in this night cream though! You’ll also reap the benefits of Swiftlet’s nest extract (a popular ingredient in Korean skincare) which boosts the bounce in your skin and balances your oil production.
And if you needed any more convincing, you’ll also find that the addition of epidermal growth factor, known as EGF in K-beauty, works beautifully in tandem with retinol to boost your skin cell production, clearing away active acne and spots and leaving you with a baby-soft face.
3. YEOUTH Retinol Serum
Sometimes, your skin can feel so out of sorts that you may think the only thing that can save it is a week at the spa.
With YEOUTH’s Facial Retinol Serum, you can bring the spa experience right to you.
Though contained in a convenient amber bottle, the amount of concentrated goodness in this formula is almost magical. YEOUTH claims that this serum has a “skin rehab” feel, and with all the incredible additives in the ingredient list, we have to concur!
This amount of retinol in this serum rests right between suitability for ultra-sensitive and resilient skin, making it a solid choice for all different types of skin strengths. At only 2.5% retinol, you’ll be impressed at just how much of a metamorphosis your skin will go through with consistent use of this retinol.
That reason in and of itself is the reason why this serum earned a place on our list. It’s not strong enough to strip your skin of its natural oils and moisture barrier, but it is effective enough to improve the texture of your face and keep you glowing.
Hyaluronic acid and vitamin E also make an appearance in the formula, keeping skin hydrated and protected, respectively. With this product being smoothing, moisturizing, and free-radical-fighting, it’s only right to try it out!
4. Cos De BAHA Retinol Serum
This brand is known for its no-fuss, no fluff serums, and their retinol can definitely be taken as such.
Korea knows that retinol has had its roots in skincare long before its popularity rose in recent years and wanted to tap back into the simplicity of the ingredient.
Their retinol serum hones on retinol at its most pure form, which is an undiluted derivative of vitamin A. Due to the potency of this serum, you’ll find it deeply effective in tightening and brightening skin.
An admirable feature of Cos De Baha products is that they want to make good skincare accessible for all. This doesn’t just come through with their price point, but it also comes through with their incredible formulations as well!
Their 2.5% retinol percentage is entirely stable, meaning it won’t lose its potency over time, so you can use this serum to the very last drop with full confidence that it’s working just as well as it did when you first cracked open the bottle!
Though people of all ages can reap the benefits of retinol, this serum was formulated for mature skin types in particular.
Due to its centralized focus on anti-aging and the slowing of wrinkle formation, paired with the additions of niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and arginine. The main purpose of this formulation is to bring you back the skin of your youth.
5. Sefite Beauty Retinol Cream
One of the biggest worries acne-prone skin types have in mind when they’re using retinol is how it’ll affect their skin’s redness. It’s a fair question, and it is, unfortunately, true that retinol can temporarily exaggerate the look of redness on the skin.
Though a temporary phase of retinol use, several people are swayed from using the ingredient for the risk of redness alone.
Thankfully, brands like Sefite place red, irritated skin at the forefront of their demographic, and have formulated a retinol cream that keeps your face soothed while improving its texture and general look.
With the potent ingredient of green tea targeting acne and irritation, you’ll get to watch your skin work through all of its woes, while redness, dryness, and flakiness never rear their heads! The anti-inflammatory benefits of green tea are unmatched, and a way to keep your skin under control using natural ingredients.
Once your face has worked through all of the acne and texture issues that will come forward with the 2.5% retinol percentages, you won’t have to worry about dark spots or hyperpigmentation from the aftermath!
Thanks to vitamin E and hyaluronic acid, scarring is a thing of the past, so you can relish in your clear skin as soon as you achieve it.
6. Meebak Cica Cream With Retinol
For the true retinol beginner, easing your way into the waters is the best way to go.
There are extremely low percentages of retinol in this formula, though not low enough to go unnoticed, so your skin can grow accustomed enough to the ingredient in a gentle way.
This cream boasts a water-based formula so it’s fantastic for dry skin types, and with the main ingredient being the Korean skin mogul centella Asiatica, aka cica, you can rebuild your skin’s first layer of defense while also shedding it of the dead skin and oil buildup hiding under the surface.
The ultra-clean ingredient list of this cream is in a league of its own. Boasting a cruelty-free, animal-free additive list and absolutely no parabens, sulfates, phthalates, or other unpronounceable chemicals, you can use this cream with the confidence that you’re only nourishing your skin with the best!
Due to how gentle and moisturizing this formula is, we would recommend it to all skin types, with all kinds of skin concerns!
7. Saturday Skin Sleep Mask
If there’s any brand of Korean skincare that you’ll need to keep an eye out for, it’s 100% Saturday Skin.
Known for their meticulously created formulas and effective, affordable skincare, there’s a high likelihood of this brand becoming a household name.
Of the plethora of incredible items that this brand carries, we think the best one to introduce you to their product line is their vitamin C and retinol sleep mask.
Meant to work its magic overnight, this thick, deeply moisturizing mask harvests the power of vitamin C (from Yuzu fruits), niacinamide, and of course, retinol, to nourish your skin and give it the health “food” it needs to look it’s best the following morning!
The natural ingredient list in this sleep mask adds to its appeal, as does the dermatologist-recommended seal of approval, and the paraben, sulfate, and phthalate-free formula each product boasts!
Related Questions
What products should you not mix with retinol?
If you’re using retinol, it must be the only exfoliating product you use for 24 hours. It cannot be mixed with other actives, AHAs/BHAs, tretinoin, or benzoyl peroxides. If you mix multiple exfoliants, you can strip your skin’s moisture barrier after a single instance of misuse.
Should I use retinol in the morning or at night?
Depending on the formula of your product and the strength of your skin, you can safely use retinoids in both the AM and PM. Due to it greatly increasing your sensitivity to the sun, however, we would caution those with sensitive skin types to stick to nighttime use.
Should I wear sunscreen when I use retinol?
Sunscreen should always be worn, regardless of your skincare routine. Those who use retinol are to especially stick to this advice because retinol increases the chances of your skin burning tenfold. Even if you only apply your retinoid at night, sunscreen should complete your routine the following morning.
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