COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream

What is this product?

COSRX prints an exact 0.1 percent retinol level right in the ingredient list, positioned as an entry point rather than a high-strength treatment, and pairs it with adenosine for the same wrinkle-improvement filing plus a dense soothing and barrier set (panthenol, allantoin, trehalose, shea butter, three hyaluronate forms). Retinol is a retinoid, and topical retinoids are conventionally avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding on precautionary grounds; the brand surfaces read for this record print no such caution, and the 'suitable for all skin types' label does not except that population. No pH is published and no brand-run clinical test with a stated institution, panel size or date was found on the official page, so that label sits on top of a real irritant without a tolerability test to back it.

What makes it different?

The 0.1 percent figure printed directly in the ingredient parentheses is the specific thing worth knowing, since retinol creams in this market commonly disclose only a marketing tier (low, mid, high) rather than a number a reader can compare against other products. That same low, disclosed dose is what supports an entry-level positioning rather than a treatment-strength one. Entry level is not the same as unrestricted: the active is still a retinoid, and pregnancy and breastfeeding are the one population the 'all skin types' label should not be read to cover. The second notable point is the vitamin C pairing: ascorbic acid and its more stable derivative, 3-O-ethyl ascorbic acid, both sit in the same formula as retinol, an active combination that needs the disclosed dose kept in mind for anyone stacking additional actives on top.

What is in it?

The full ingredient list as the brand publishes it, in the printed order. Each name links to what we know about that ingredient.

This brand publishes its ingredient list in Korean only. Names below are the matching INCI names from the Korean Cosmetic Association ingredient dictionary.

Key ingredient

• Water
• Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
• Propanediol
• Glycerin
• Tocopheryl Acetate
• Cetearyl Alcohol
• Trehalose
• Panthenol
• Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter
• Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil
• Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer
• Dimethicone
• Glyceryl Polymethacrylate
• Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil
• Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate
• Hydrogenated Lecithin
• Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
• Carbomer
• Tromethamine
• Glyceryl Stearate
• Polysilicone-11
• Sodium Sulfite
• Tocopherol
• Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract
• Retinol
• Allantoin
• Glyceryl Caprylate
• Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Wax
• Tocotrienols
• Stearic Acid
• Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
• Palmitic Acid
• Disodium EDTA
• Ethylhexylglycerin
• Adenosine
• Sorbitan Isostearate
• Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Oil
• BHT
• Beta-Carotene
• Myristic Acid
• Lauric Acid
• Ascorbic Acid
• Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil
• 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
• Glutathione
• Sodium Hyaluronate
• 1,2-Hexanediol
• Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
• Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
• Hyaluronic Acid
• Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate

Ingredients with no mark are ones we found nothing notable about, and when marks overlap on one ingredient we show the caution first.

We could not place these in the list above: 카프릴릭/카프릭트라이글리세라이드, 시어버터, 돌콩오일, 해바라기씨오일, 폴리글리세릴-10스테아레이트, 글리세릴카프릴레이트, 폴리글리세릴-3메틸글루코오스다이스테아레이트, 오일팜오일, 메도우폼씨오일, 글리세릴스테아레이트, 레티놀

Did the ad claims hold up?

We checked 3 lines this product advertises against the ingredient list and public documents. 2 of them hold up. The rest are only partly right or have nothing behind them.

Claims translated from Korean, originals preserved.

Each line is quoted as the brand published it, and each one was read on its own against the ingredient list and the documents the brand publishes.

How we read these lines