Celimax Retinal/Retinol Shot

Where I got it

Once again, it is a proven fact that I like to purchase anything that is recommended and promoted by Kelley on IG @songofskin. She has amazing skin and she claims it is from a number of skincare products she uses, including these two from Cellimax. I picked these up from StyleKorean, as it is one of my top recommended sites to purchase k-beauty products that ships worldwide.

What I got

I picked up the Celimax Retinol Shot Tightening Booster and the Tightening Serum. These are the only two retinal products under Celimax currently. Combined with spicules, these retinal products can be quite potent. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, please do not use retinal/retinol products, and if you are using retinal for the first time, plese patch test and start gradually.

Retinal Shot Tightening Booster (USD$17.20 for 15ml).

• High-performance care with 0.1% of pure retinal. Pure vitamin A retinal, stabilized and upgraded from a retinol derivative, is an excellent high-performance ingredient of addressing wrinkles and pores caused by loss of skin elasticity.
• The A-Shot™ ingredient, a fine particle that can cause a tingling sensation, contains 20,250 particles that delicately stimulate dull skin, leading to fundamental skin changes and a differentiaited tightening effect.

Ingredients: Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Niacinamide, Disostearyl Malate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polypropy/silsesquioxane, Panthenol, Cetearyl Olivate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Sorbitan Olivate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Lecithin, Carbomer, Arginine, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Tocopherol, Retinal, Xanthan Gum, Ethyhexyglycarin, Adenosine, Sorbitan Isostearate, Sodium Lactate, Hydrolyzed Sponge, Disodium EDTA, Polysorbate 20, Ascorbic Acid, Glucose, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Retinol Shot Tightening Serum (USD$19 for 30ml).

• High concentration of 0.1% nano-sized retinol, 5 times smaller than pores and stabilized by liposome technology, aiding in more effective inner elasticity care.
• The A-shot™ ingredient, a fine particle that can cause a tingling sensation, contains 162,000 particles that delicately stimulate dull skin, leading to fundamental skin changes and a differentiaited tightening effect.
• Patented low-molecular peptide MATRIXYL® 3000 which is a high-performance peptide, a patented ingredient from the world-renowned French company sederma, provides effects similar to retinol and maximizes the efficacy of other active ingredients.

Ingredients: Water, Methylpropanediol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Panthenol, Polypropylsilsesquioxane, C14-22 Alcohols, Glyceryl Stearate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Hydrolyzed Sponge, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tocopherol, Retinol, Allantoin, Arginine, Undecane, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Lauryl Glucoside, Polyglycery 1-6 Laurate, Adenosine, Tridecane, Disodium EDTA, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract, Myristyl Glucoside, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, PVIM/MA Copolymer, Butylene Glycol, Beta-Carotene, Glucose, Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide- 1, Nonapeptide-1, Hexapeptide-9, Dipeptide-2, Copper Tripeptide-1, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4.

How I find it

These two products have some difference. They both contain spicules (hydrolyzed sponges) to provide light exfoliation and assist ingredient absorption. The Booster has a lower amount of spicules at 20,250, and the Serum has 162,000. The Booster contains retinal, and the Serum contains retinol. Both are great, while retinal is more potent and effective, but can be more irritating. The Booster has niacinamide and the Matrixyl 3000 peptide, while the Serum has a total of 9 peptide complex. There are also a number of other similarities and difference, but the above are the main ones I can easily spot. I am not a cosmetic chemist, so I am just going with what I researched.

The Booster is more viral on the internet where it comes out in a bright yellow colour, and used as a spot treatment. A small dot or size or a grain of rice is all you need to start using. Then gradually increase to pea-size every night. I have been a regular user of retinol, but not retinal, so I did use this gradually, making sure I use a small amount each time in combination of other soothing skincare products and SPF during the day.

The consistency is slightly thicker and looks almost like semi-melted butter. It has a pin-point applicator in a squeezy tube to apply this precisely where you want it. It blends out invisible, and does not provide much hydration or moisture, so I always apply a soothing serum on top – not an acid serum. I also make sure I apply minimum SPF50 sunscreen during the day and make sure I reapply.

I have been just using this for 2 weeks and I can already tell that my neck is not taking this one very well. My neck has been itchy and slightly red and irritated. I need to slow down the use of this around my neck area and make sure I get this areas covered up from the sun to reduce irritation. However, on my other areas, I am not expecting amazing results yet, but at least I am not getting the retinal burn. When I finish this tube, you will see if I love it if I do repurchase.

The Serum here contains retinol, which would cause less irritation compared to retinal. The 9 peptide complex is also great for lifting and reducing fine lines and wrinkles. This has an air-less pump to dispense a most fluid-like serum. You can clearly see that it is less of a bright yellow colour, and it is less viscous.

The serum spreads easily and it would be a more beginner-friendly option. I would have started using this on my face first, especially my neck area. This would also be an excellent option for other areas of the body like elbows, knees, and ankles if you want to improve pigmentation and tighten the skin around the area.

I could hardly feel the spicules in both of these products which makes it easier to use if you are afraid of the prickly feeling. But I am a little unsure of how effective the spicules are in there?

Overall

I think I might have went in a little too ambitious to my neck area because I have experineced a bit of irritation to my neck area – itchiness and redness. Otherwise, all other parts of my face handled both products very well. I love how lightweight the serum is, but I also like how potent the booster feels as it applies more like a spot treatment compared to an overall serum. The bright yellow colour is also a tell-tale sign of the potent retinal so I am well aware to not use too much.

I will be continually using the booster and serum until they run out and so far, I am very hopeful. However, I would warn beginners to retinal to be really careful and start very gradually. Especially sensitive areas like on the neck and around the eye area. For areas that your skin is sensitive, maybe start with the retinol serum first, and see how it goes before moving on to retinal if you wish.