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Dr. Althea Gentle Vitamin C Serum

Dr. Althea Gentle Vitamin C Serum Ingredients Explained

Serum
3.3   (3)
65
1
157
1

Updated September 4, 2024

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Overview

What it is

Serum with 19 ingredients that contains exfoliants, niacinamide and Vitamin C

Cool Features

It is vegan, fungal acne (malassezia) safe, and reef safe

Suited For

It has ingredients that are good for fighting acne, anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing, dark spots and better texture

Free From

It doesn't contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, oils, parabens, silicones or sulfates

Fun facts

Dr. Althea is from South Korea. This product is used in 143 routines created by our community.

We independently verify ingredients and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Does this product need an update? Let us know.

Quick info

Free from

Safety & Ethics

Korean Brand

Brand country of origin

Ingredients, at a glance

What's in this product, and how it might affect your skin.

Notable Ingredients

Benefits

Ingredients List

Dive into the full list of ingredients.

Water Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

Loved by users
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Butylene Glycol Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning
1 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

1 Com. / 0 Irr.
Mixed reviews
Helps hydrate Dry SkinHelps hydrate Dry Skin Icon
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Propanediol Solvent

Propanediol helps absorb ingredients into your skin, boosting their benefits. It can act as an emollient, making your skin softer. Propanediol can help products last longer by boosting the properties of preservatives within the formulation.

Liked by users
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Niacinamide Smoothing
Niacinamide IconGood for Oily Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps fight Acne IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Niacinamide has emerged as an all-star ingredient due to its many benefits.

Loved by users
NiacinamideNiacinamide Icon9 Benefits
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1,2-Hexanediol Skin Conditioning, Solvent

1,2-Hexanediol is a multi-tasker ingredient. It acts as a preservative to increase shelf-life and can aid other preservatives in preventing microbe growth. 1,2-Hexanediol also helps the skin retain moisture as a humectant.

Mixed reviews
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Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Masking, Skin Conditioning

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is an emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.

Mixed reviews
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Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water Masking, Perfuming, Tonic
Fragrance Icon

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water is a tonic and helps with masking.

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FragranceFragrance Icon
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Pentylene Glycol Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Pentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.

Mixed reviews
Learn more
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer Emulsion Stabilising

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a synthetic polymer. It is used to thicken and improve the texture of products.

Disliked by users
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Tromethamine Buffering, Masking

Tromethamine is an aliphatic compound. An aliphatic compound is an organic compound with open-chained carbon atoms. It is synthetically created. Tromethamine is used to balance pH and improve texture.

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Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract Skin Conditioning

Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract comes from the seabuckthorn berry. This berry is native to Asia and has been used in traditional medicine for centuries.

Loved by users
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Caprylyl Glycol Emollient, Humectant, Skin Conditioning

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.

Liked by users
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Xanthan Gum Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

Disliked by users
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3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid Skin Conditioning
Vitamin C IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Minimizing Pores Icon

You might know this ingredient as Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, a more stable version of ascorbic acid.

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Vitamin CVitamin C Icon3 Benefits
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Hydrogenated Poly(C6-20 Olefin) Abrasive
Exfoliant Icon

Hydrogenated Poly(C6-20 Olefin) is an exfoliant.

Not enough ratings
ExfoliantExfoliant Icon
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Adenosine Skin Conditioning
Good for Minimizing Pores IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Adenosine is in every living organism. It is one of four components in nucleic acids that helps store our DNA.

Loved by users
2 Benefits
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Disodium EDTA

Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.

Disliked by users
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Allantoin Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Soothing
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Allantoin plays a role in soothing and moisturizing the skin. Because of this, it is often added to products with strong active ingredients.

0 Com. / 0 Irr.
Loved by users
4 Benefits
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Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer

We don't have a description for Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer yet.

Not enough ratings
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What the community thinks

Based on the number of likes and dislikes each ingredient has received.

10
10
10
liked
mixed
disliked
not rated
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Ingredients Explained

This product contains 19 ingredients. Click on any ingredient to learn more about it
Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Loved

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water
Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning
Mixed

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

  • It is a solvent, meaning that it helps to dissolve other ingredients. This also enhances the absorption of the product into one's skin.
  • It is a humectant, which means that it helps attract moisture into the skin.
  • It helps improve product application.

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

Solvent
Liked

Propanediol helps absorb ingredients into your skin, boosting their benefits. It can act as an emollient, making your skin softer. Propanediol can help products last longer by boosting the properties of preservatives within the formulation.

Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use.

It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.

Learn more about Propanediol
Smoothing
Loved

Niacinamide has emerged as an all-star ingredient due to its many benefits.

It is known to treat acne by reducing inflammation. It also helps fade dark-spots and strengthen the skin by promoting the growth of the ceramide barrier.

Other benefits include smoothing wrinkles and minimizing redness.

The cherry on top? Niacinamide can also help build keratin, a protein that keeps skin firm.

When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.

Niacinamide can be mixed with other ingredients to boost benefits. For instance, it has shown to be effective when used with copper, folic acid, and zinc to treat acne.

Learn more about Niacinamide
Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Mixed

1,2-Hexanediol is a multi-tasker ingredient. It acts as a preservative to increase shelf-life and can aid other preservatives in preventing microbe growth.

This ingredient also helps the skin retain moisture as a humectant.

In products that are water-based, this ingredient can help stabilize perfumes and fragrances. It can also help make the texture of products softer and more smooth.

Learn more about 1,2-Hexanediol
Masking, Skin Conditioning
Mixed

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is an emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.

Within a product, Caprylic Triglyceride can thicken the product and make spreadability easier by dissolving clumping compounds. An added benefit of Caprylic Triglyceride is its antioxidant properties.

Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid. Caprylic Triglyceride has not been found to be toxic for human use in concentrations under 50%.

While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this.

Learn more about Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking, Perfuming, Tonic
Liked

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water is a tonic and helps with masking.

Tonics are used to remove soap residues. They also help moisturize the skin.

Masking ingredients are used to obscure or block properties of other ingredients. They are commonly used to block the scent of a product.

Camellia Sinensis leaves contain antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial properties.

Learn more about Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water
Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Mixed

Pentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.

The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.

This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.

Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.

Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.

Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.

Learn more about Pentylene Glycol
Emulsion Stabilising
Disliked

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a synthetic polymer. It is used to thicken and improve the texture of products.

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is also an emulsifier. Due to its properties, it can prevent water and oil ingredients from separating.

Buffering, Masking
Liked

Tromethamine helps balance the pH and improve the texture of a product. It is synthetically created.

As an emulsifier, Tromethamine prevents oil and water ingredients from separating. This helps stabilize the product and elongate a product's shelf life. Tromethamine also makes a product thicker.

Tromethamine helps balance the pH level of a product. Normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5). The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome. Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.

Oral Tromethanmine is an anti-inflammatory drug but plays the role of masking, adding fragrance, and/or balancing pH in skincare.

1,3-Propanediol, 2-amino-2-(hydroxymethyl)-

Learn more about Tromethamine
Skin Conditioning
Loved

Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract comes from the seabuckthorn berry. This berry is native to Asia and has been used in traditional medicine for centuries.

The seabuckthorn fruit contains carotenoids, palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, Vitamin C, linoleic acid, and vitamin E.

The nutritious content of seabuckthorn fruit helps hydrate and nourish the skin. A study from 2018 found seabuckthorn may help with alleviating UV damage due to its anti-inflammatory property. However, it should not replace your sunscreen.

Carotenoids and Vitamin E help nourish your skin's natural barrier. This barrier protects your skin and is responsible for firm skin.

Due to its antioxidant properties, seabuckthorn fruit may help reduce the signs of aging. Antioxidants help fight unstable free-radical molecules, or molecules that may damage your skin cells.

Learn more about Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract
Emollient, Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Liked

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.

It is a common ingredient in many products, especially those designed to hydrate skin. The primary benefits are retaining moisture, skin softening, and promoting a healthy skin barrier.

Though Caprylyl Glycol is an alcohol derived from fatty acids, it is not the kind that can dry out skin.

This ingredient is also used as a preservative to extend the life of products. It has slight antimicrobial properties.

Learn more about Caprylyl Glycol
Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming
Disliked

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

Learn more about Xanthan Gum
Skin Conditioning
Liked

You might know this ingredient as Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, a more stable version of ascorbic acid.

Like other types of vitamin C, this ingredient has many benefits including reducing wrinkles, skin soothing, dark spot fading, and fighting against free radicals.

3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid interferes with the process of skin darkening, helping to reduce hyperpigmentation. It also encourages the skin to produce more collagen.

Once applied, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid is converted to Vitamin C deeper in the skin's layers. This process is slow but makes this ingredient more tolerable for skin.

The optimum pH range for this ingredient is 4 - 5.5

Learn more about 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

Hydrogenated Poly(C6-20 Olefin) is an exfoliant.

Skin Conditioning
Loved

Adenosine is in every living organism. It is one of four components in nucleic acids that helps store our DNA.

Adenosine has many benefits when used. These benefits include hydrating the skin, smoothing skin, and reducing wrinkles. Once applied, adenosine increases collagen production. It also helps with improving firmness and tissue repair.

Studies have found adenosine may also help with wound healing.

In skincare products, Adenosine is usually derived from yeast.

Learn more about Adenosine
Disliked

Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.

It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.

Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.

Learn more about Disodium EDTA
Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Soothing
Loved

Allantoin plays a role in soothing and moisturizing the skin. Because of this, it is often added to products with strong active ingredients.

Some studies have shown this ingredient can promote wound healing with higher concentrations.

Allantoin is derived from the comfrey plant but produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.

Learn more about Allantoin

We don't have a description for Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer yet.

Reviews

3.3
from 3 ratings
Light (3) Broke Me Out (2) No Scent (2)

Most Helpful Reviews

skincarewithmilan's avatar

Milan

 · Combination Skin

I’ve been using this product for the past couple of days and noticed that it’s making my skin break out with a few small closed comedones and pimples on my cheeks and nose. I highly doubt that my skin is purging since this serum contains ethyl ascorbic acid which is a more gentle alternative to L-ascorbic acid and vitamin C isn’t supposed to make the skin purge. I’m assuming the breakouts were caused by the castor oil or bifida ferment filtrate in this product but I’m not 100% sure. The pros of this serum are that it’s very lightweight and absorbs into the skin nicely without leaving a tacky/sticky finish.

dajannamata's avatar

Dajanna Mata

 · Oily Skin

*This is a review for both Vitamin C Serums* This vitamin C serum for sensitive skin is a good product but didn’t have a good experience with the boosting vitamin C serum. Was applying the orange vitamin C serum for just 2-3 days straight and suddenly I started getting acne on my chin, forehead , which I never got acne on those places. Did not feel no irritation while applying the vitamin C , but this was the product that made my skin go downhill till today. After breaking out , I tried to heal it with the fungal acne safe vitamin C (Applied it for 2 Weeks zero difference.) I wish I would have never wasted money on these products. (Not knowing that they would do anything bad on my skin.)

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