All scans / Moisturizers / K-Secret SEOUL 1988 Cream: Retinal Liposome 1% + Fermented Rice
K-Secret SEOUL 1988 Cream: Retinal Liposome 1% + Fermented Rice ingredients: is it worth it?
This is a legitimately high-powered retinal night cream with a solid barrier-support base, but the retinal sits low in the list and the formula is crowded with low-impact ferments and botanicals that dilute its punch.
This is a legitimately high-powered retinal night cream with a solid barrier-support base, but the retinal sits low in the list and the formula is crowded with low-impact ferments and botanicals that dilute its punch.
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The efficacy score leans on evidence-backed actives: retinal (a strong retinoid), niacinamide in the upper INCI zone supporting brightening and barrier function, plus adenosine, a stable vitamin C derivative, bakuchiol, and peptides as secondary anti-aging support; however, retinal appears quite far down the list, so the marketed “1% liposome” is very likely an encapsulated complex rather than 1% free retinal, meaning the true active concentration is lower and closer to a realistic, skin-tolerable range. Barrier lipids (cholesterol, sterols, hydrogenated lecithin) and multiple humectants provide a competent moisturizing chassis, but many ferments and root extracts are more marketing than proven impact, so they cannot justify a top-tier score. Safety is good overall (no denatured alcohol, no fragrance, and a mainly gentle base), but the potent retinoid, vitamin C derivative, and multiple actives still warrant respect for irritation potential, so it does not reach a perfect safety score.
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DemythSkin rates K-Secret SEOUL 1988 Cream: Retinal Liposome 1% + Fermented Rice 4.1/5 for efficacy and 4.4/5 for safety.
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS BY TIER
Gold Standards
High clinical proof | Skin-transformativeReliable
Proven resultsPotent
Developing evidenceOverhyped | Marketing
Hype | Limited dataDocumented Irritants
Evidence-backed flagFORMULATION BASE (17)⌄
FULL INGREDIENT LIST⌄
Aqua, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-hexanediol, Niacinamide, Propanediol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polyisobutene, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Lactobacillus/Panax Ginseng Root Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus/Rice Ferment, Lactobacillus/soybean Ferment Extract, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Saccharomyces/Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Ferment Filtrate, Saccharomyces/Potato Extract Ferment Filtrate, Xanthan Gum, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Allantoin, Caprylyl Glycol, Adenosine, Glyceryl Acrylate/acrylic Acid Copolymer, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Cholesterol, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Sorbitan Oleate, Brassica Campestris (Rapeseed) Sterols, Phytosteryl/Behenyl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Retinal, Silica, Aluminum/Magnesium Hydroxide Stearate, Tocopherol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Arctium Lappa Root Extract, Cnidium Officinale Root Extract, Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Rehmannia Chinensis Root Extract, 3-o-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Bakuchiol, SH-Oligopeptide-1, SH-Oligopeptide-2, SH-Polypeptide-1. Tips Produkt tylko do u
WHAT EACH INGREDIENT DOES (24)⌄
- Aqua
- Primary solvent base
- Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
- Emollient, skin-softening ester
- Glycerin
- Humectant, draws water into skin
- Butylene Glycol
- Humectant and solvent
- 1,2-hexanediol
- Solvent and preservative booster
- Niacinamide
- Multifunctional brightening agent
- Propanediol
- Solvent and humectant
- Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer
- Gel-forming thickener
- Carbomer
- Viscosity control gel thickener
- Tromethamine
- pH adjuster and neutralizer
- Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
- Stabilizing polymer thickener
- Polyisobutene
- Emollient and texture enhancer
- Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
- Lightweight emollient and solvent
- Lactobacillus/Panax Ginseng Root Ferment Filtrate
- Fermented botanical extract
- Lactobacillus/Rice Ferment
- Fermented rice-derived extract
- Lactobacillus/soybean Ferment Extract
- Fermented soybean-derived extract
- Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
- Emollient plant oil
- Saccharomyces/Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Ferment Filtrate
- Fermented grain extract
- Saccharomyces/Potato Extract Ferment Filtrate
- Fermented plant extract
- Xanthan Gum
- Natural polysaccharide thickener
- Hydrogenated Lecithin
- Emulsifier and delivery aid
- Disodium EDTA
- Chelator for formula stability
- Ethylhexylglycerin
- Preservative booster and humectant
- Allantoin
- Soothing and skin-conditioning agent
EXTERNAL CITATIONS
Retinal: Sallam et al., Retinaldehyde as a retinoid with clinical anti-aging efficacy comparable to retinoic acid but better tolerability, Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2013.
Niacinamide: Hakozaki et al., The effect of niacinamide on reducing pigmentation and improving barrier function, British Journal of Dermatology, 2002.
Adenosine: Lee et al., Adenosine-containing cream improves wrinkle depth and skin smoothness, International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2006.
3-o-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid: Georgiou et al., Stability and skin penetration of ethylated ascorbic acid derivatives in cosmetic formulations, Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2018.
Bakuchiol: Dhaliwal et al., Bakuchiol is a retinol-like functional ingredient with anti-aging effects and better tolerability, International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2019.
DISCLAIMER: THIS ANALYSIS IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. AI-GENERATED DATA BASED ON PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INGREDIENT LISTS. VERIFY WITH A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL.
K-Secret SEOUL 1988 Cream: Retinal Liposome 1% + Fermented Rice: common questions
Is K-Secret SEOUL 1988 Cream: Retinal Liposome 1% + Fermented Rice worth it?
K-Secret SEOUL 1988 Cream: Retinal Liposome 1% + Fermented Rice scores 4.1 out of 5.0 for efficacy (Effective) and 4.4 out of 5.0 for safety (Gentle) on DemythSkin's independent ingredient analysis. This is a legitimately high-powered retinal night cream with a solid barrier-support base, but the retinal sits low in the list and the formula is crowded with low-impact ferments and botanicals that dilute its punch.
What are the key active ingredients in K-Secret SEOUL 1988 Cream: Retinal Liposome 1% + Fermented Rice?
K-Secret SEOUL 1988 Cream: Retinal Liposome 1% + Fermented Rice contains these gold-standard actives with strong clinical evidence: Retinal.
Does K-Secret SEOUL 1988 Cream: Retinal Liposome 1% + Fermented Rice contain fragrance or known irritants?
DemythSkin's analysis found no flagged irritants in K-Secret SEOUL 1988 Cream: Retinal Liposome 1% + Fermented Rice. It scores 4.4 out of 5.0 for safety.
How is K-Secret SEOUL 1988 Cream: Retinal Liposome 1% + Fermented Rice scored?
DemythSkin grades every product on two independent scores: efficacy (whether the ingredients have clinical evidence of working) and safety (irritation and sensitisation risk). Ingredients are graded S through D against a database of over 3,000 compounds. Brand and price are not part of the score, and no brand pays for one.
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