Korean Retinal Cream for Beginners: Why Start with the celimax Dual Cream

October 13, 2026

Short answer: if you have never used a retinoid and want a Korean retinal cream (crème au rétinal) for the whole face, we would start with the celimax The Vita A Retinal Shot Tightening Dual Cream (50 ml, €21.60 at Piyonna). celimax's product page gives two reasons. It is a cream for the whole face and regular use, so it carries 0.05% retinal rather than 0.1%. And a second formula with panthenol and guaiazulene, for moisturising and soothing, comes out with every press. The tube also prints its retinal percentage, which over-the-counter products are not required to do, as the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) notes for retinol.

Why start with the celimax Dual Cream as your first retinal cream?

Because it is a whole-face cream that celimax set at a lower retinal strength on purpose, with a moisturising formula built into the same press and a stated retinal percentage. The brand explains the strength, but not how much to apply or how many evenings a week; for the frequency, we follow the AAD's general advice for a first retinoid: every other night to start, building up slowly.

  • The product page gives the reason for the strength: a cream that goes on the whole face has to be one you can keep using, so it carries 0.05% retinal instead of a high-strength 0.1%. Over-the-counter products are not required to print a retinol percentage, as the AAD notes; the Dual Cream prints its figure in the ingredient list and on the tube. Of the alternatives below, the VT Retinal Pro Cream also states its 0.025% (in its ingredient list and its name), and Beauty of Joseon states no amount.
  • The tube holds two creams that come out together. The product page describes formula 1 as retinal and peptide care and formula 2 as moisturising and soothing care, built on panthenol and guaiazulene (azulene, in the brand's wording); the point is that you do not need a separate soothing or moisturising cream on top. You can still add one if your skin feels tight.
  • The Dual Cream is a face cream, and its caution text says to keep it away from the eye area. Some Korean retinal products, such as the Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum, are designed mainly for the eye area.
  • Neither formula lists fragrance. The Beauty of Joseon serum and the VT Retinal Pro Cream list none either, so this is worth knowing rather than a reason on its own.
celimax The Vita A Retinal Shot Tightening Dual Cream: formula 1 with 0.05% retinal, niacinamide, peptides and spicules, plus formula 2 with panthenol, guaiazulene and niacinamide and no retinal, dispensed together

Is it 0.1% retinal? No. If you have seen the Dual Cream described as 0.1%, that figure belongs to the celimax Retinal Shot Tightening Booster. In the Dual Cream, only formula 1 contains retinal (0.05%), and formula 2 contains none, so the cream you spread on your face has less than 0.05%; the exact mix is not published.

Is retinal gentler than retinol (rétinal ou rétinol)? That has not been shown. Reviews describe both retinal and retinol as considerably less irritating than prescription retinoids such as tretinoin (Mukherjee et al., 2006; Sorg & Saurat, 2014). In a 44-week study, redness, flaking and burning or itching were significantly less frequent with retinal than with prescription retinoic acid, while a 14-day patch test in six people in the same paper found overall irritation equally low for retinal and retinol, with more flaking from retinal (Fluhr et al., 1999). None of those studies used the celimax cream, so this describes retinal in general, not this product.

The Korean product page also reports a 24-hour patch test for sensitive skin with an irritation score of 0.00 (number of participants not stated). A one-day patch on the back cannot show the flaking that tends to appear over the first weeks on the face: the brand's own Q&A describes an adjustment period of about two weeks, and in the study above, retinoid reactions were reported for the first four weeks of use (Fluhr et al., 1999).

How do you start the celimax Dual Cream in the first two weeks?

Every other evening to start, after cleansing, on the face away from the eyes, without raising the amount or frequency for the first two weeks. The evening and the two-week rule come from the Dual Cream Q&A: retinal is sensitive to light and heat, and adjustment reactions can show up later even if the first use feels fine. The every-other-evening start is the AAD's general advice, because the Q&A gives no amount or number of evenings a week.

  • Before the first use: hold the closed tube cap down and tap it on your palm three or four times, then press where it says "PRESS HERE" so both formulas come out evenly. No mixing is needed. Store the tube upright.
  • If you want to go slower: once or twice a week is where the brand's chart starts first-time users of its stronger Booster.
  • After two weeks: if your skin feels comfortable, build up slowly, as the AAD advises; the brand gives no Dual Cream schedule after the first two weeks either.
  • If your skin feels tight: add a plain moisturiser after it. Our guide to choosing a moisturiser for a retinoid routine covers what to look for.
  • Not on the same evenings: for its Booster and its Retinol Shot Serum (a retinol product, compared below), celimax lists AHA, BHA, PHA, scrubs and high-strength vitamin C as things not to use at the same time; we would apply the same caution to the Dual Cream. Our article on starting retinoids alongside exfoliating acids sets out an alternating schedule.
  • Every morning: sunscreen. Retinoids can make skin more sensitive to the sun (AAD; DermNet).
  • With the beginner set's toner: the Korean store also sells the cream in a "recommended for beginners" set with a 0.01% retinal essence toner, which also contains spicules. The toner's directions make it the first evening step, every other evening in the first week and every evening from the second, with no schedule for using it with the Dual Cream. To keep to one retinal product while your skin adjusts, we would start with the cream alone.

Is tingling, redness or flaking normal with a retinal cream (effets secondaires)?

Some of it is normal in the first two weeks, according to the Dual Cream Q&A, which lists redness, flaking, itching, burning and stinging as adjustment reactions; for its spicule products the brand adds that a prickling feeling can come from the spicules themselves. DermNet, a dermatology reference, describes the same pattern for topical retinoids, mainly prescription ones such as tretinoin: redness, peeling and dry skin, with irritation more likely near the eyes and lips.

  • Ease off if the redness, itching or heat goes beyond a light tingle: moisturise more and use it less often. For its Booster and Retinol Shot Serum, the brand's advice is to stop if redness or heat continues for several days despite moisturising.
  • Hold off and ask a dermatologist first if your skin already has a lot of redness or inflammation, as with rosacea; the AAD advises avoiding retinoids in that case. The brand's checklist for the Booster and serum also asks for extra care with skin that reddens easily, active inflammatory acne, very dry flaking skin, or skin just after a laser procedure or peel.
  • Darker skin tones: the AAD notes that irritation can leave dark marks, and that starting slowly with a moisturiser helps lower that risk.
  • New breakouts: neither the brand nor the sources cited here say what to expect, so if they spread or last, stop and ask a pharmacist or dermatologist.
  • Patch-test first: the caution text asks people with allergy-prone or sensitive skin to test a small area first.
  • Pregnancy and breastfeeding: the AAD says retinoids should not be used during pregnancy; the brand does not recommend its Booster or Retinol Shot Serum while pregnant or breastfeeding, and the Dual Cream Q&A does not cover it.

celimax retinol, retinal Booster or Dual Cream: which one is which?

Three celimax vitamin A products have similar names, and for a first whole-face retinal product the Dual Cream is the one we would pick. The Retinol Shot Serum uses retinol, a different ingredient; the Retinal Shot Booster prints 0.1% retinal, twice the Dual Cream's figure, and is sold as spot care. All three contain spicules and list no fragrance. Piyonna prices were checked on 12 October 2026; all three were on sale that day.

Product (size) Vitamin A on the label How celimax positions it celimax's starting direction Piyonna price (per 100 ml)
celimax The Vita A Retinal Shot Tightening Dual Cream (50 ml) Retinal 0.05% in formula 1; none in formula 2 Daily care for the whole face Evening; do not raise the amount or frequency for the first two weeks; no number of evenings given €21.60 (€43.20)
celimax The Vita A Retinal Shot Tightening Booster (15 ml) Retinal 0.1% Spot care First-time users: a rice-grain amount once or twice a week for the first month, then three or four times a week €19.80 (€132.00)
celimax The Vita-A Retinol Shot Tightening Serum (30 ml) Retinol 0.1% Serum step after toner Every other evening for the first two weeks, a small amount on areas of concern; from week three, once your skin has adjusted, every evening on the whole face €22.00 (€73.33)

The table above is not a ranking of the three celimax products. Retinol and retinal are different ingredients, so 0.1% retinol and 0.1% retinal cannot be compared as if they were the same. The brand's own order for the serum and Booster is the Retinol Shot Serum alone for two weeks, then the Booster added alongside it; the brand gives no such sequence for the Dual Cream.

Who should choose a different Korean retinal cream?

If you mainly want an eye-area product, a single-formula cream with a low stated retinal percentage, or no spicules, another Korean product fits better. Four other Korean options sit next to the Dual Cream below, with what each brand publishes and, where Piyonna sells them, prices from 12 October 2026. If you want one retinal product for the whole face, the Dual Cream states its retinal percentage and costs slightly less per 100 ml than the Beauty of Joseon serum (based on the brand's 30 ml); Beauty of Joseon does not state an amount.

Product (size) Consider it if Vitamin A on the label Worth knowing Piyonna price (per 100 ml)
celimax Dual Cream (50 ml), for reference You want one whole-face step with a moisturising formula built in Retinal 0.05% in formula 1; none in formula 2 Spicules in formula 1; no fragrance listed €21.60 (€43.20)
Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum: Ginseng + Retinal (30 ml, brand's figure) You want a product mainly for under and around the eyes; the brand says it can also be used on the whole face Retinal, amount not disclosed Morning and evening; the brand says fragrance-free €13.60 (about €45.33)
VT Retinal Pro Cream 0.025 (20 ml; also 0.05 and 0.1) You want a single-formula retinal cream with a low stated percentage (0.025%) and no spicules Retinal 0.025% No fragrance or hydrolysed sponge listed Not sold at Piyonna
VT Cica Reti-A Cream 0.05 (30 ml) You are open to a different vitamin A ingredient Hydroxypinacolone retinoate 0.05%; retinol without an amount; no retinal Fragrance listed; VT directs a pea-sized amount on small areas and warns of stinging, redness and flaking at first Not sold at Piyonna
Some By Mi Retinol Bakuchiol Dual Cream (50 ml) You want another two-formula tube Retinol 230.5 ppm (about 0.02%) and retinal without an amount, in formula 1 Formula 2 has bakuchiol; fragrance listed in both formulas Not sold at Piyonna

The label figures are the brands' own (we converted Some By Mi's ppm to a percentage). This comparison is based on published ingredient lists and directions, not a hands-on test.

Consider the celimax Dual Cream if you are starting retinal for the first time and want one whole-face step with a moisturising formula built in. Skip it if:

  • you are pregnant or breastfeeding;
  • your skin is very red, inflamed or freshly exfoliated right now;
  • prickling products bother you (the retinal formula contains spicules);
  • you want to adjust your retinal and your moisturiser separately, since the two formulas always come out together;
  • you already use a retinol or retinal product every night without trouble (the 0.1% Booster is the stronger of the two celimax retinal products in the table above).

Where can you buy the celimax Dual Cream in Europe?

Piyonna sells the celimax Vita-A Dual Cream for €21.60 (50 ml, sale price on 12 October 2026), with customs duties and VAT included and free shipping on orders over €20, so the cream on its own qualifies. Orders ship from Piyonna's warehouse in Korea, with standard delivery estimated within 7–15 business days, or within 7 business days by FedEx with a Piyonna account. The Korean store lists a period after opening of six months for the Dual Cream. The Booster, the Retinol Shot Serum and the rest of the range are on the celimax page at Piyonna.

celimax The Vita A Retinal Shot Tightening Dual Cream 50 ml tube printed with Retinal 0.05%, Panthenol 5% and Matrixyl 3000 3%

Sources

This article is general cosmetic information and not medical advice.