Kylie Jenner's $24 Retinal Is the Star of Her Bedtime Routine

A $24 retinal treatment is the centerpiece of Kylie Jenner's nighttime skin-care routine. In an Instagram video captioned "grwm for bed," posted October 16 — days before her Victoria's Secret Fashion Show debut — Jenner walked followers through her full lineup, and the most talked-about product costs less than a department-store mascara.

The hero is the Celimax The Vita-A Retinal 0.1% Shot Booster Treatment ($24). Jenner pats it around her under-eyes to target what she calls her "little fine lines." Her verdict is straightforward: "Honestly, I have seen a difference."

What's in the $24 formula?

The Korean formula pairs 0.1 percent retinal — a faster-acting cousin of retinol — with peptides, niacinamide and panthenol. It also contains tiny spicules that create microchannels in the skin to help the actives absorb.

A K-beauty retinal at drugstore pricing, endorsed by a billionaire beauty founder, is the kind of endorsement Celimax cannot buy. Celebrity routines usually carry price tags to match the fame. This one doesn't.

How does Jenner build the routine?

She starts with a classic double cleanse:

• Pond's Cold Cream Makeup Remover Deep Cleanser ($9) melts off makeup first. "I'm back on the Pond's," she says of the cult cream, which launched in 1905.
• Sofie Pavitt Clean Clean Gentle Gel Foaming Cleanser ($34), from NB100 brand Sofie Pavitt Face, follows. The water-based gel contains allantoin, panthenol and glycerin and won't leave skin feeling tight.
• Celimax The Vita-A Retinal 0.1% Shot Booster Treatment ($24) comes next, pressed around the eyes.
• Dieux Air Angel Peptide Plumping Gel Cream ($22) seals everything in. The lightweight gel-cream hydrates without leaving a greasy film.

What about hands and lips?

Jenner then turns to her hands with the MBR Cell-Power Hand Treatment ($144), a smoothing and brightening formula and the single outlier in an otherwise budget-leaning routine. "I've been trying to take better care of my hands," she admits.

The final step is self-promotion: her own Kylie Cosmetics Cloud Balm ($21), a clear, shea butter–based stick. It "melts into your lips and is just perfect," she says.

Why does this routine matter for the market?

The math is notable. Five of the six products cost $34 or less, and the cheapest item — the Pond's cold cream — predates nearly every brand Jenner competes with. When a founder with her own cosmetics empire reaches for a $9 cream invented in 1905 and a $24 Korean retinal, the message travels further than any campaign.

The routine also lands at a useful moment for retinal specifically. The ingredient remains less familiar to mainstream shoppers than retinol, and a celebrity endorsement of this scale tends to move search traffic and sellouts within days. Celimax, Pond's and Dieux each get an unpaid plug from one of the most-followed accounts in beauty.

Expect the Celimax booster to be the first item on this list to go out of stock.