Retinol Cica Moisture Recovery Serum
Reviewed by SerumTruth Editorial · Updated July 2026
A soft-touch retinol built for people who react to stronger versions, wrapped in a genuine centella complex rather than a token one. It will not deliver a strong retinoid result at this dose, but as a gentle first step into retinol with built-in soothing, it does what it promises.
- Evidence23 / 30
Strength of the research behind the key actives
- Retinol: strong evidence
- Centella Asiatica (Cica): moderate evidence
- Niacinamide: moderate evidence
- Salicylic Acid: moderate evidence
The average of the key actives’ evidence grades.
- Potency19 / 25
Dosed at studied levels, not fairy-dusted
- Retinol: present, but below a studied dose
- Centella Asiatica (Cica): dosed at a studied level
- Niacinamide: dosed at a studied level
- Salicylic Acid: below the 1% line, treated as fairy-dusted
How strongly the actives are dosed, led by the strongest, not how many there are.
- Delivery & stability16 / 20
Delivery tech + packaging that protects fragile actives
- Delivery: standard
- Packaging: airless, opaque
- Air- or light-sensitive actives (Retinol), so packaging is scored.
Delivery tech plus packaging, and packaging only counts when actives are fragile.
- Formulation3 / 10
Disclosure, active breadth, and ingredient generation
- 0 of 4 actives disclose a concentration
- 4 key actives (breadth credit caps at 3)
- No current-generation or synergy bonus
Disclosure, active breadth, and current-generation or synergistic actives.
- Value14 / 15
What a month of use costs vs. the category
- About $11 per month to use
- $37 for 30 ml, used about once a day (about 0.3 ml each time), so a bottle lasts about 3.3 months
- Frequency is set by Retinol, which is used no more than 7x a week, so a bottle stretches further
What a month of use costs: full marks at $6 a month or less, the floor at $60 a month or more.
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What’s inside
| Active | Disclosed | Dose |
|---|---|---|
| Retinol | n/a | Light |
| Centella Asiatica (Cica) | n/a | Studied |
| Niacinamide | n/a | Studied |
| Salicylic Acid | n/a | Below 1% line |
Sold in some markets as the Retinol Cica Repair Ampoule, this is Innisfree’s gentle, beginner-oriented retinol, built around what the brand calls Jeju Cica Liposomlogy: a full centella complex (asiaticoside, madecassic acid, asiatic acid, Camellia Sinensis seed extract) that outranks the retinol itself on the ingredient list, plus ceramide and hyaluronic acid for cushioning. Niacinamide is disclosed high on the label too. Retinol carries no percentage, only a raw-material spec of "500 IU/g," and its position well behind the full cica complex points to a genuinely mild, beginner-strength dose rather than a treatment-level one. A little salicylic acid rides along near the very bottom of the list, low enough to be a supporting touch rather than a real BHA dose. It comes in an opaque pump, sensible packaging for a retinol.
How it’s delivered
Air- and light-sensitive actives (vitamin C, copper peptides) lose potency fast in the wrong packaging, so delivery and the bottle are scored, not just what’s on the label.
The actives, explained
Cosmetic information for general education, not medical advice. The SerumProof score reflects our reading of publicly available research and formulation disclosures. See how scoring works.