New & Popular Retinol Serums

🍭Retinol Serum or Retinol Cream which is better?

Retinol products are available in various types and the choice between a retinol serum and a retinol cream – these 2 types are the most common on the OTC – depends on individual preferences and skin needs.

  1. Retinol Serum
    Generally, serums are lightweight and have a thinner consistency, allowing for deeper penetration into the skin. Likewise, retinol serums often have a higher concentration of retinol compared to cream due to their light consistency so this may lead to potentially faster and more noticeable results, but it also means they can be more irritating.
  2. Retinol Cream
    Creams usually have added moisturizing ingredients to help prevent dryness and irritation associated with retinol use, so probably retinol creams are more gentle and much safer for those with sensitive skins as the retinol does its work mainly on the outermost skin layer.

🧐But then again, it depends on your preference and what your skin needs, however, you should consider what percentage(concentration) of retinol to use and monitor how it interacts with your skin.

These are the most popular retinol serums in Korea and I also have picked for my skin – hope this information is useful to make your decision.

🍭Innisfree Retinol Cica Repair Serum

  • Retinol 500 IU/g (0.015%), Helps improve overall skin tone, pigmentation and pore, black-/whiteheads
  • Non-sticky, watery formula, containing Ceramide+Centella+Hyaluronic Acid to help hydrate, soothe skin
  • Non-comedogenic + Hypoallergenic

📋Proven Results:

  • Reduced pigmentation (19.2%), pore volume (21.9%) and pore size (27.8%) in 4 weeks
  • Reduced sebum (24.3%) and black-/whiteheads (23.6%) in 4 weeks

🍭Primera Youth Radiance Vitatinol Serum

  • Retinol 500 IU/g (0.015%) + Vitamin C (30%) & Vt C derivatives (30%) – pure vitamin C(1.4%), Helps improve skin tone and skin firmness, and reduce the appearance of fine lines & wrinkles
  • Over 100 hrs antioxidant effect and contains Trehalose to help retain moisture and prevent dryness

📋Proven Results:

  • Improved skin elasticity (13.5%) and reduced pore volume (63.9%) + pore sizes (24.5%) & pores (50.3%) in 4 weeks
  • Visibly improved smile lines & eye wrinkles (crows feet) in 4 weeks

🍭Sidmool Dr.Troub Retinol 1.1

  • Retinol 0.15% (Retinol 3,850 IU/g + Retinyl palmitate 1,100 IU/g) – unlikely name of product it actually contains retinol 0.15%
  • Water-based formula, contains natural BHA (Willow Bark Extract) to improve skin texture and Berry Extracts to help improve elasticity & firmness
  • Recommend to use at night and alternate day if you have a sensitive skin, and also to store in the fridge after opening

cf Sidmool has released 3 different types of retinol serum and this is short comparison

📋Proven Results:

  • Improved smile lines (8.11%) and skin elasticity (1.37%) in 3 weeks

🍭IOPE Retinol Super Bounce Serum

  • 4 types of Retinol: pure Retinol (509 IU/g, 0.015%), capsule Retinol, Green Active Retinoid & Bio-Celletinoid (IOPE Super Vital product main ingredient)
  • Retinol 4X Multitune™ (patent ingredient, 1%) + Lacto-exosome to support skin barrier function
  • Infused with Pine Tree Extract for soothing benefit and Phyto-EGF to nourish skin

📋Proven Results:

  • Improved skin firmness (12.2%) and reduced pore volume (18.0%), pore size (18.0%) & pores (21.3%) in 2 weeks
  • Reduced smile lines (8.5%), eye wrinkles (7.0%), forehead wrinkles (8.8%) & around mouth wrinkles (10.6%) in 2 weeks

🍭Cos De BAHA L1 Bakuchiol 2 Retinol 0.15 (Renewal version)

  • Retinol (5000 IU/g, 0.15%) + Bakuchiol (2% – high quality pure bakuchiol from Sytenol® A) : reduce irritation and bakuchiol amplifies retinol’s wrinkle-fighting power
  • Contains Niacinamide & Adenosine to improve skin tone and wrinkles, and Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol & vitamin E (tocopheryl acetate) for soothing and nourishiment with antioxidant benefits

👉Cos De BAHA brand is more popular overseas but growing in popularity in Korea, and the company focuses on product ingredients that deliver best results to the various skin concerns. Couldn’t find any clinically proven result about this serum on the website, however I have chosen this product as a recommendation for retinol beginners, retinol 0.15% with great combination of Bakuchiol – has retinol similar properties but is gentler on the skin – so have listed on this post.

🍭Conclusion

There is no definitive answer to which formula is better for the skin, however if you’re looking for potentially faster results and don’t have sensitive skin, I may recommend a serum type, and if you have dry or sensitive skin and want to minimize the risk of irritation, cream will be a better choice.

Above recommendations are all suitable for retinol starters (who haven’t built up retinol tolerance yet) as a daily skincare and also can be used twice a day, except Sidmool & Cos De BAHA (recommended to use at night) so great to know about retinol.

Keep in mind that when incorporating retinol into your skincare routine, it’s essential to start with a lower concentration and gradually increase usage to minimize the risk of irritation. I have had a ‘Retinol Reaction’ as I tested too many products and different strengths at the same time so be aware that you do not need a abundant amount – it’s easy to forget as serum(s) are applied smoothly and it’s fun when you massage your skin 😱🥵.

Will post one more about Retinol products and how to calm when you have Retinol Burn, based on my experience so see you soon.
Thanks for reading~

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