HI-REVIEW: Innisfree Retinol Cica Repair Ampoule

Hi Beauties!

I’ve spent the last 3 weeks trying out the Innisfree Retinol Cica Repair Ampoule. I’m sure that I’m not the only one hearing about retinoids everywhere over the past 2 years. 

Surprisingly this was the first retinol product I tried after months of searching for a gentle retinol option for sensitive skin. And I think I found one!

Product Features 

Price: $66

Quantity: 30ml

How to use: Apply 1~2 drops at the essence step, gently smooth on and pat to absorb.

Retinol is another name for vitamin A1. This product contains 0.015% pure retinol which is a really low concentration but it doesn't necessarily mean it's less effective. It may not be the best at targeting aging compared to other retinol products but it is just as effective at targeting other skin concerns such as acne, dryness, temporary redness, sensitivity, large pores and skin texture. This is done by promoting cell turnover and controlling sebum especially when this is reinforced by all the ingredients in this ampoule’s formulation. 

Firstly, this product contains salicylic acid, allantoin, niacinamide, peptide and adenosine. These directly target a large array of skin concerns while the retinol maintains, improves and cares for the entire skin cycle. This might sound like a lot of active ingredients but this product is non-irritating with a skin irritation index score of 0.0, making it great for sensitive skin. It is then balanced with soothing and moisturising factors. The Jeju Cica-Liposomlogy formulation with low-irritant mix of ceramide NP, centella asiatica and Jeju green soybean hyaluronic acid.

This effective combination tightens pores, re-texturises the skin, lightens blemish scars and dull skin, reduces redness and improves damaged barrier.

Honestly I’ve been hesitant in trying a retinol product because I didn’t see many retinol products marketed in the Korean skincare world to try out. After looking into this further, it seems that there are a couple retinol products that I completely missed, and the reason why there's less retinol products compared to the western skincare world is because it's often not sensitive skin friendly and many people don’t find a need for it due to the accessibility to so many skin care services in Korea. 

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

This ampoule comes in quite a weighty pump container, and the weight definitely gives it a luxury feel. The actual product is quite thick but is absorbed quickly and leaves my skin very moisturised, softer and more plump. 

I’ve been breaking out pretty badly in the last couple months and during the 3 weeks of using this product every night, my acne scars started fading with some of the smaller scars completely disappearing!  I also didn’t break out in many new pimples compared to my usual skin experience. My skin also picked up a little bit of glow as well as my texture starting to fade. I can only see this improving the more I use it. And of course, I experienced no irritation during my use. 

I can’t really speak for those who have used medium to high concentrations of retinols because this is a lower concentration product but for anyone else who was on the same boat as me, with fear towards retinols, I definitely recommend you to give this one a go. This is definitely a great entrance way into retinoids while being great for sensitive skin. 

Remember, if you do try this out, always apply sunscreen and for sensitive skin don’t combine it with vitamin C or other physical and chemical exfoliants to avoid irritation.

Thanks for reading! See you next time.