COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream for dry skin
Retinol
Super Vitamin E
Panthenol
Sodium Hyaluronate
AllantoinAverage
- HighDry Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for dry skin; other serums fit it better.
- Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
- American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry skin: flakiness, tightness, dehydration, fine lines, and wrinkles. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Offers moderate benefits for dry skin, as Sodium Hyaluronate and Glycerin provide humectant action while Butyrospermum Parkii Butter offers emollient properties, though it lacks specialized ingredients to directly address flakiness.
- The inclusion of retinol effectively targets fine lines and wrinkles, and tocopheryl acetate and panthenol offer soothing benefits for your dry skin.
- The formulation is safe for your dry skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the presence of soothing components.
How to apply
- Apply this serum PM, starting 3×/week and working up to daily use as your skin adjusts.
- Place the serum after cleansing and toner, but right before your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and let it absorb for a minute.
- Apply the serum on slightly damp skin to help lock in extra moisture.
- Avoid the eye area and do a patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.4Overall rating based on 1.2k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this cream is highly recommended as a beginner-friendly retinol, effectively smoothing skin and reducing fine lines with its hydrating formula and minimal irritation. Users frequently note the small tube size and packaging issues, while some experienced users find the 0.1% concentration too mild for significant or rapid results.
Highlights
Gentle for beginners Mostly Mentioned
- “perfect for first-time retinol users”
- “didn't damage my skin barrier”
- “extremely gentle and doesn't dry out my skin”
- “no stinging or redness”
Small quantity Mostly Mentioned
- “tube is tiny”
- “finished it in 2 weeks”
- “wish it came in a bigger size”
- “expensive for the amount you get”
Improves texture Often Mentioned
- “skin feels smoother and firmer”
- “helped with rough texture”
- “woke up with baby soft skin”
- “bumps and texture smoothed out”
Poor packaging Often Mentioned
- “tube cracked on the side”
- “product oozes out when opened”
- “packaging flakes off”
- “hard to get the last bit out”
Moisturizing formula Sometimes Noted
- “leaves a thin moisture film”
- “feels hydrating not drying”
- “creamy and spreads softly”
- “no dryness or flaking”
Reduces fine lines Sometimes Noted
- “diminished fine lines under eyes”
- “softened my forehead lines”
- “helped with early signs of aging”
- “wrinkles look less deep”
Unpleasant smell Sometimes Noted
- “smells like onions”
- “has a weird metallic scent”
- “smell is off-putting”
- “funky odor”
Slow results Rarely Noted
- “didn't see much difference”
- “too weak for my skin”
- “results take forever to show”
- “good for maintenance but not correction”
Sources: lovi.care, ulta.com, sokoglam.com, yesstyle.com, stylekorean.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does COSRX Retinol 0.1 Cream work for dry skin?
This cream works moderately well for dry skin, providing basic moisture and smoothing fine lines, though other products fit this skin type better. Dry skin needs rich hydrating ingredients like ceramides, nourishing plant oils, and strong barrier supporters to keep it soft and comfortable.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for dry skin?
Sodium hyaluronate and glycerin draw in moisture while shea butter softens dry skin, and retinol helps smooth fine lines. Panthenol and tocopheryl acetate also help soothe your dry skin, though this skin type needs extra specialized ingredients to directly tackle flakiness.
What does Retinol do for dry skin?
Retinol is a poor fit for dry skin because it frequently causes scaling, stinging, and dryness. To care for dry skin properly, a product needs gentle, hydrating ingredients like ceramides, glycerin, and hyaluronic acid to lock in moisture and keep the skin barrier calm and smooth.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2019Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023
What does Vitamin E do for dry skin?
Vitamin E helps dry skin by locking in moisture and reducing water loss while calming the skin. It also protects against daily damage by fighting free radicals, leaving dry skin feeling much softer and smoother.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2025Experimental Dermatology, 2008
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for dry skin?
This treatment goes in your evening routine after cleansing and before moisturizing, for simplicity and extra safety around sun exposure. Dry skin needs a product of this type to include rich moisturizing ingredients and specialized ingredients to directly address flakiness.
Can I use this cream with niacinamide, and in what order?
Yes, you can use this cream with niacinamide by applying niacinamide first and following with this retinol cream. Because dry skin needs extra help to prevent flakiness, a product of this type works best for this skin when it includes rich oils and barrier-repairing butters.
How often should I use this cream?
This treatment works well in your evening routine, and a product of this type for dry skin needs rich oils, ceramides, and specialized ingredients to directly manage flakiness.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry skin?
This cream is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on dry skin, though the retinol may cause mild purging as it speeds up skin renewal. A product for this skin needs richer moisturizing ingredients to deeply nourish dry patches and prevent flakiness.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.
What the research says
A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Topical dexpanthenol acts as a moisturizer, improves stratum corneum hydration, accelerates wound healing and epidermal regeneration, reduces erythema, and improves symptoms of skin irritation compared to vehicle or no pretreatment.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002A new topical panthenol-containing emollient significantly improved transepidermal water loss reduction, stratum corneum hydration, and intercellular lipid lamellae length compared with control in healthy subjects without negatively impacting bacterial viability.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017Topical 0.4% retinol significantly increased epidermal thickness, dermal vascularity, and extracellular matrix production by stimulating keratinocyte proliferation, endothelial cell proliferation, and fibroblast activation in naturally aged human skin compared to vehicle.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2017Topical bakuchiol 0.5% applied twice daily compared with retinol 0.5% applied daily significantly decreased wrinkle surface area and hyperpigmentation with no statistical difference between the compounds in 44 patients over 12 weeks, while retinol users reported more facial skin scaling and stinging.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2019Silicone particles encapsulating retinol increased its half-life by 9-fold and yielded 12-23% lower skin irritation in human subjects compared to Microsponge particles while maintaining biological activity.
Journal of Controlled Release, 2018Topical application of an antioxidant serum containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented particulate matter-induced degradation of extracellular matrix components, inflammation, and oxidative stress in the skin of 15 female volunteers compared to untreated controls.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Dermatological products containing d-alpha tocopheryl acetate showed non-comedogenic potential with less than a 50% increase in microcomedones in 12 healthy male subjects compared to octyl palmitate.
Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 2021Topical application of an antioxidant mix containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented PM and UV-induced skin barrier perturbation, lipid peroxidation, inflammatory markers, MMP9 activation, and Type I collagen loss in 15 healthy females compared to untreated exposed skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Moisturizer containing 5% panthenol, madecassoside, and copper-zinc-manganese decreased adverse reactions and downtime after ablative fractional carbon dioxide laser resurfacing with comparable efficacy to 0.02% triamcinolone acetonide cream in 20 subjects.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Topical dexpanthenol formulated in lipophilic vehicles improved stratum corneum hydration and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to vehicle control in humans.
Arzneimittel-Forschung, 2000Hyaluronic acid, hyaluronic acid plus dexpanthenol, and isotonic saline nasal sprays all significantly improved dry nose symptoms over four weeks in 240 patients, with hyaluronic acid plus dexpanthenol providing superior nasal moisturisation compared to the other two.
Auris, Nasus, Larynx, 2020Topical application of 0.1% hyaluronic acid formulations of different molecular weights led to significant improvements in skin hydration and elasticity, with low-molecular-weight formulations also significantly reducing wrinkle depth in seventy-six female subjects compared to a vehicle control.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011Topical application of hyaluronic acid in conjunction with free gingival graft significantly reduced donor site postoperative pain until day 7 compared to normal saline, with no significant differences in graft dimensions or patient satisfaction.
Clinical Oral Investigations, 2022Treatment with a hyaluronic acid-containing mouth rinse or topical gel led to significant lesion reduction, pain relief, and normalization of lesion color in adult patients with minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis, with the gel formulation showing an earlier healing onset at 3 days.
BMC Oral Health, 2019Topical gel containing chitosan, 0.2% chlorhexidine, allantoin and dexpanthenol did not improve postoperative comfort regarding swelling and pain, but improved the wound's aesthetic appearance following impacted lower third molar extraction compared to no gel.
Medicina Oral, Patologia Oral Y Cirugia Bucal, 2016A topical gel containing chitosan, chlorhexidine, allantoin, and dexpanthenol significantly reduced postoperative pain, trismus, swelling, and analgesic consumption, while improving wound healing after third molar surgery compared to a placebo.
Medicina Oral, Patologia Oral Y Cirugia Bucal, 2020An overnight patch containing Allium cepa extract and allantoin safely promotes scar healing after dermatologic surgery, resulting in significantly greater reductions in observer- and patient-assessed POSAS scores compared to no treatment.
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 2018
Why other serums fit dry skin better
Treatment with cross-linked hyaluronic acid-based microneedle patches combined with acetyl hexapeptide-8 or epidermal growth factor significantly improved wrinkles and skin hydration compared to the patch alone in Korean females over 29 days.
Annals of Dermatology, 2019
Ingredients
Water, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Propanediol, Glycerin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Trehalose, Panthenol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Shea Butter, Glycine Soja Oil Soybean Oil, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Vp Copolymer, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil 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 Root Extract Carrot Root Extract, Retinol, Allantoin, Glyceryl Caprylate, Rice Bran Wax, Tocotrienols, Stearic Acid, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Palmitic Acid, Disodium Edta, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Sorbitan Isostearate, Palm Oil, Bht, Beta-Carotene, Myristic Acid, Lauric Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Glutathione, Sodium Hyaluronate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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