MamondeBakuchiol Retinol Cream - Low Irritating, Daily Korean Skin Care for Soothing, Hydrating, Firming, Tighten Pores, and Smoothing Fine Lines

It’s pretty good it’s not my favorite ever, but I’ve almost used the whole tube so I have no complaints

Love this stuff! I use it in the morning and in the evening, it’s so moisturizing and makes my face soft and easier to put on foundation.

Mamonde is part of the Amore Pacific group, and they invest a lot in cosmetic research. I've tried products from some of their other brands like IOPE. Just like with other companies, the research trickles down into more entry level products, so you get some of the benefits at a more affordable price.This comes in an opaque tube, which is good since some of the ingredients can break down in sunlight. It spreads on smoothly and easily. It has a very faint scent from the ingredients; it almost seemed like faint spice to me, but that quickly dissipated. It also has ingredients that are good for promoting a healthy skin barrier like glycerin, panthenol, and sodium hyaluronate.This has a fairly low concentration of actives. The retinol is likely at 0.165% (see my calculation below). This is probably reasonable to try for those who have not been able to tolerate higher concentrations in the past. However, if you've had trouble with retinol, I'd probably choose a cream with a little more bakuchiol instead since most people are able to tolerate it better (and maybe go even lower on retinol). With that said, these really are low enough to not cause irritation in most people, and in fact, if you get irritation, I'd probably look at other ingredients. Some people have allergies to BHT, for instance.You probably need to use this religiously for a while to see results. For reference, studies report results in 12 weeks at 0.5% bakuchiol. This has 0.01% bakuchiol. Once you have tolerated this cream with no issues, I'd try bumping up to slightly higher concentrations for more visible results.Mamonde suggests using this 2x a day. Generally, it's advised not to use retinol in the AM, but maybe they have determined this is so low in concentration that it doesn't matter? I personally will only use this at night since retinol can break down in sunlight since I haven't seen research supporting low concentrations during daytime use yet. The concentration of retinol is so low that I have used it on my retinoid off days (I use a stronger one every other day) with no issues.I wanted to convert the actives to a percent for any potential buyer, which helps one compare and also know exactly how strong this is. Using this conversion 1 IU retinol = 0.3 mcg Retinol Activity Equivalent (per USDA/NIH website):•This tube has 330IU retinol = 99mcg in a 60mL tube. That should equal 1650ppm, which is 0.165%.•The bakuchiol is at 100ppm, which is 0.01%. I saw a different calculation for the bakuchiol on another website, but once you have ppm, calculating it is straightforward, and 100ppm is clearly listed on the label.

It's a very light cream. I like that it's mild and non-irritating. There isn't a scent and spreads very easily over the skin. I use about a nickel size every other day. I have been using retinol for a year from other brands, I find this one to be "milder" than others. I use a thick moisturizer on top of Mamonde Moisturizer cream, and it does not pile.I have used other Mamonde products, and like how reliable and affordable the products are.

The media could not be loaded. It's moisturizing and hydrating!Excellent value for money. It has mild smell.It's not too greasy absorbs in the skin quickly and I love the bendable consistency. I see a little difference on my skin, few lines are fading.Product quality is nice.Yes I would recommend.

If you haven't heard about Mamonde, you should really explore them. They are what I'd call the accessible/budget line of Amore Pacific. Amore Pacific sells very expensive skin care items, which are lovely, but are also prohibitively expensive for a good many people. Mamonde is their more affordable skin care line, which still has plenty of research and cosmetic elegance behind it. I'm always up for trying anything that claims to be "lifting" or tightening, and when I saw this was made by Amore Pacific, I felt like the efficacy of it would likely be better than other brands claiming to "lift". Mamonde markets this skin care cream as something that is good for sensitive skin, and I tend to agree. My skin is often sensitive, and generally reactive to retinol. However, the retinol in this formula is very much towards the end of the ingredient list, so likely a low concentration (I do wish Mamonde would be clear about the % in this formula), and therefore, no reactions from my skin. The cream itself is more of a light lotion. Strangely, the tip of the tube is slanted, much like you see for eye creams. After I apply this lotion, my skin does feel lifted and tightened, which is very odd, since there is zero chance the retinol has worked that quickly (retinol and bakuchiol take months to show an effect). I can only surmise that there is another ingredient in this cream that lends to that effect- possibly the bentonite? In any regard, this cream is lightly moisturizing, and my skin feels soft and firm after applying. If you have very dehydrated skin, you may need to apply something richer on top of this. I have been applying this cream even around my eyes with no negative side effects, which is not something I have ever dared to do with retinol containing creams. I for sure will be using this tube of cream to the last drop, and hopefully will continue to see positive effects from the active ingredients. Just a reminder- since this does include retinol, you must use sunscreen.

This is a retinol product, so it has the potential to irritate until your skin gets used to it (retinols are vitamin a derivatives which encourage skin turnover), and it's a good idea to apply sunscreen afterwards because new skin is going to be sensitive to UVI find this retinol cream spreads and absorbs easier than some other retinol brands at a much higher price point

This cream is lightweight, yet fully moisturizing. There is a slight, pleasant scent which dissipates as it quickly absorbs into your skin. It comes in a small plastic tube with a twist off cap. I keep it in my purse for when my face needs a quick pick me up. It makes my skin feel smoother, softer and brighter. I love it.This product is made in South Korea.