LADOR
Snail Sleeping Hair Ampoule 20ml$7.50Daily Solution Scalp Serum 40ml
Centella asiatica leaf water is the first entry, with Betaine Salicylate, Caffeine, Niacinamide and Menthol behind it on an alcohol base that dries fast. 40 ml, parted through and dropped on the scalp. Korean-market formula.
No reviews yet40 ml
$75.00 per 100 ml
- Korean-market formula
- Ships from California or direct from Korea
- Korean barcode and batch code intact
- Suited to
- Congested skinUneven textureDehydrated skinSensitive skin
- Helps with
- Shoppers looking for Caffeine in a serumRoutines that want Caffeine and Niacinamide in one stepFilling the serum step with a Korean-market formulaAnyone who wants the Caffeine serum sold on Korean shelves
In stock. Arrives in 3 to 7 business days
We accept
You’re $100.00 away from free US shipping.
- 30-day returns
- Free US shipping on orders of $100 or more
- Tracked delivery to your door
How it works
The Daily Solution Scalp Serum is a 40ml serum, used after toner and before moisturizer, morning and evening. The active it is built around is Caffeine, named twelfth on its own ingredient list. The same list carries Niacinamide, Menthol and Asiaticoside, so the active is not the only thing on it worth naming. How much of the Caffeine stays on the skin, and for how long, is decided by the serum format rather than by the list alone. This is the Original Korean Formula, the serum APLB sells in Korea, Caffeine and all.
Key benefits
- Caffeine, the active this serum is built around
- Niacinamide, Menthol, Asiaticoside and Madecassic Acid on the same list, actives
- Asiatic Acid and Saccharomyces Ferment further down the same list
- Hydrolyzed Collagen and Beta-Glucan further down the same list
- Caffeine named twelfth on the manufacturer list printed on this page
- Sourced for the Korean market, not a US-shelf reformulation of this serum
How to use
- Apply directly to the scalp after shampooing, section by section, and massage in; leave in rather than rinsing.
Where does this serum go in my routine?
After toner and before moisturizer, morning and evening. Anything thinner than a serum goes on before it, and anything richer goes on after. If you are adding it to a routine you already like, give it a week on its own first, so what you see is the Caffeine and not three changes at once.
Is this the Korean-market serum or a US version?
The Korean-market one, Caffeine and all. We match this serum to its Korean barcode before it reaches the shelf, which is the check that tells you which market release you are holding.
What else is on the list besides Caffeine?
Niacinamide, Menthol and Asiaticoside. The order they are printed in on this serum's panel is the order on the box, so you can see where Caffeine sits relative to them. Further down the same panel: Madecassic Acid, Asiatic Acid and Saccharomyces Ferment.
Not on the ingredient list below: fragrance or parfum, essential oils, silicones, parabens, sulfate surfactants, mineral oil or petrolatum and added color.
Full INCI (35): Centella Asiatica Leaf Water, Water, Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Betaine Salicylate, Sodium Citrate, Caprylyl Glycol, Caffeine, Niacinamide, Menthol, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Squalane, Melaleuca Alternifolia (tea Tree) Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Beta-Glucan, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Nelumbium Speciosum Flower Extract, Artemisia Annua Extract, Oryza Sativa (rice) Extract, Saccharomyces Ferment, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Solanum Melongena (eggplant) Fruit Extract, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Asiatic Acid
Ingredient list read from aplb.co.kr on 30 August 2026.
35 of 35 explained
- Centella Asiatica Leaf Water plant extract
- Centella Asiatica Leaf Water is the distilled water of the centella leaf, used in place of plain water as a formula base. It is far more dilute than the extract, so it sets the base rather than supplying the actives.
- Water solvent
- Water is the base almost every serum, toner and cream is built on. It dissolves the water-loving ingredients and sets how light the finished texture feels. On an INCI list it is usually first, which only means it is the largest single ingredient by weight.
- Alcohol solvent
- Alcohol here means ethanol. It dissolves ingredients water cannot, evaporates fast so a formula sets quickly and does not feel heavy, and thins texture. In quantity it can leave dry or reactive skin feeling tight, which is why many Korean formulas avoid it and some deliberately use it for a fast, weightless finish.
- Butylene Glycol humectant
- Butylene Glycol is a small glycol that does two jobs at once: it holds water in the top layer of skin and it dissolves plant extracts and actives that plain water cannot. It also thins a formula, which is why watery Korean essences lean on it.
- Propanediol humectant
- Propanediol is a plant-derived glycol used in place of propylene glycol. It hydrates, carries actives into solution, and gives a lighter, less sticky slip than glycerin at the same strength.
- 1,2-Hexanediol humectant
- 1,2-Hexanediol is a glycol used for two reasons: it holds water like glycerin, and it makes a formula harder for microbes to live in, so less traditional preservative is needed. Korean formulas use it heavily for that second reason.
- PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil emulsifier
- PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil is a castor-oil-derived solubiliser. It is what keeps fragrance and oil-soluble ingredients dissolved in a watery formula so it stays clear.
- Hydroxyethylcellulose thickener
- Hydroxyethylcellulose is a cellulose thickener that builds a clear, smooth gel and holds the rest of the formula in suspension.
- Betaine Salicylate exfoliant
- Betaine Salicylate is a gentler salicylic derivative. Korean formulas use it at around 2 to 4 percent, which is roughly comparable to a low-strength salicylic acid, and it is easier on the skin barrier.
- Sodium Citrate pH adjuster
- Sodium Citrate is the salt of citric acid, used as a buffer: it holds a formula at a steady pH rather than pushing it in one direction. It is also a mild chelator.
- Caprylyl Glycol preservative booster
- Caprylyl Glycol is a glycol that conditions skin and, more importantly, strengthens a preservative system so less of the traditional preservative is needed. It appears in most modern formulas built without parabens.
- Caffeine active
- Caffeine constricts small blood vessels near the surface, which is why eye products use it for the look of puffiness and shadow. It is water soluble and works only while it is on the skin.
23 more explained
- Niacinamide active
- Niacinamide is vitamin B3, and it is the most studied active in Korean formulation. It is used at roughly 2 to 5 percent for the look of uneven tone and visible pores, and it is water soluble, stable and comfortable beside almost every other active, which is why it turns up in so many lists.
- Menthol active
- Menthol is the cooling compound in mint. It acts on the nerve receptor that also answers to cold, which is why skin feels cool without any change in temperature.
- Disodium EDTA chelator
- EDTA is a chelator: it locks up trace metal ions from water and packaging that would otherwise turn a formula cloudy, off-colour or rancid. It does nothing to skin and appears at a fraction of a percent.
- Ethylhexylglycerin preservative booster
- Ethylhexylglycerin softens skin and boosts a preservative system, which is why it is nearly always sitting beside phenoxyethanol or 1,2-hexanediol. It also cuts down the odour bacteria produce, so it turns up in deodorising products.
- Glycerin humectant
- Glycerin is the most used humectant in skincare. It draws water into the outer layer of skin and holds it there, and it is one of the very few ingredients whose hydrating effect is settled science rather than marketing. Higher amounts feel tacky, which is why it is usually blended.
- Dipropylene Glycol humectant
- Dipropylene Glycol is a glycol used as a solvent and a light humectant. Its main job is keeping the rest of the formula dissolved and the texture fluid rather than adding hydration of its own.
- Squalane emollient
- Squalane is the stable, saturated version of squalene, a lipid human skin already makes. It is a light emollient that absorbs quickly, does not oxidise, and is one of the few oils widely considered safe for blemish-prone skin. Most cosmetic squalane is now from sugarcane or olive rather than shark.
- Melaleuca Alternifolia (tea Tree) Leaf Extract plant extract
- Tea Tree Leaf Extract is the water-based extract rather than the essential oil, so it is far milder and much less aromatic. It is used in formulas for blemish-prone skin.
- Sodium Hyaluronate humectant
- Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt of hyaluronic acid, and it is what most products labelled hyaluronic actually contain. The salt dissolves more readily and the molecule is smaller, so it sits in the outer layer of skin rather than only on top of it.
- Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract plant extract
- Sea Buckthorn Fruit Extract is high in vitamin C and carotenoids, which give it a strong orange colour. It is used as an antioxidant extract.
- Hydrolyzed Collagen protein
- Hydrolyzed Collagen is collagen broken into fragments small enough to dissolve in water. It cannot become collagen in skin; what it does is hold water at the surface and leave a smooth, conditioned film.
- Hydrogenated Lecithin emulsifier
- Hydrogenated Lecithin is lecithin with its unsaturated bonds filled in, which makes it far more stable. It emulsifies and is the standard shell for the liposomes that carry actives into the outer layer of skin.
- Beta-Glucan polysaccharide
- Beta-Glucan is a polysaccharide from oats or yeast. It holds a large amount of water, forms a soothing film, and is one of the ingredients formulators reach for in products aimed at reactive skin.
- Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate emulsifier
- Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate is a mild sugar-derived emulsifier and solubiliser used where a formula must stay clear.
- Nelumbium Speciosum Flower Extract plant extract
- Lotus flower extract, from the same sacred lotus as the leaf. It carries flavonoids and sugars and is used as a conditioning, hydrating extract.
- Artemisia Annua Extract plant extract
- Artemisia Annua is sweet wormwood, a mugwort relative. Its extract is used in Korean formulas for the look of reactive skin.
- Oryza Sativa (rice) Extract plant extract
- Rice Extract is the anchor of the Korean rice-skincare category. It carries starches, amino acids and ferulic acid, and it is used for the look of dullness and for a soft, blurred finish.
- Saccharomyces Ferment ferment
- Saccharomyces Ferment is a brewer's yeast ferment. It supplies amino acids, sugars and B vitamins and is used as a conditioning, hydrating ferment.
- Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate emulsifier
- Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate is a mild sugar-derived solubiliser used to dissolve fragrance and oil into watery formulas.
- Solanum Melongena (eggplant) Fruit Extract plant extract
- Eggplant Fruit Extract carries nasunin, the antioxidant pigment in aubergine skin. It is used as an antioxidant plant extract.
- Asiaticoside active
- Asiaticoside is one of the four active triterpenes isolated from centella and the most studied of them. Korean formulas name it separately when they want to show which fraction of the plant they standardised.
- Madecassic Acid active
- Madecassic Acid is the fourth centella triterpene. A list that names all four is telling you the extract was standardised rather than simply pressed, which is the difference between a cica claim and a cica formula.
- Asiatic Acid active
- Asiatic Acid is the third of centella's four triterpenes and the aglycone form, meaning it has no attached sugar. It is oil soluble, so it turns up in cica creams and balms more than in watery layers.
- Market
- Korean market, the version sold in Korea
- EAN (barcode)
- 8809874686011
- Made in
- Republic of Korea
- Volume
- 40 ml
- Category
- Hair
- Actives
- Beta-Glucan, Betaine Salicylate, Caffeine, Centella Asiatica, Collagen, Niacinamide, Rice Extract, Sea Buckthorn, Sodium Hyaluronate, Squalane, Tea Tree
- Ships from
- California or Korea
Orders ship from California or direct from Korea with tracked delivery to your door, and both routes carry the same Korean-market release. Shipping is free on orders of $100 or more. Returns are accepted for 30 days, by mail.
We split shipments free, so one out-of-stock item never holds up the rest of your order.
Where this unit came from
- 1Seoul
Bought as Korean-market stock - 2Barcode
Listed against the Korean barcode on its box - 3California or Korea
Ships to you from either, as the same Korean-market release
We stock the version of a formula that is sold in Korea, not the release a brand prepares for another market under the same name. The barcode in the specification above is the Korean-market one and it is printed on the box you receive.
Every unit keeps its original barcode and batch code intact, so the unit in your hands can be checked against the brand’s own records.
Every order ships from California or direct from Korea, and returns run for 30 days.
Every claim on this page traces to the unit in the box, the barcode, the batch code and the price you can read for yourself.
Inside the formula
Inside the formula
Worth knowing
- Patch test this serum on a small area and wait a day before using it more widely, especially with Caffeine on the list.
- Introduce this serum on its own for the first week, so anything your skin does is traceable to the Caffeine rather than to three changes at once.
Complete the routine
- This itemAPLB Daily Solution Scalp Serum 40ml$30.00

- Seal the routine in as the last stepAPLB Lactic Acid Retinol Facial Cream 55ml$32.50

- The treatment step of this routineAPLB AHA BHA PHA Glutathione Cica Ampoule Serum 50ml$52.50

Total for 3 items$115.00
Reviews
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APLB Daily Solution Scalp Serum 40ml
How it felt, how your skin took it, what you layer it with. Straight answers help the next person choose.
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APLB, Korean-market original
The Original Korean Formula serum from APLB, 40ml formulated with Caffeine and Niacinamide, shipped from California or direct from Korea.
Verify your unit when it arrives
Verify your unit when it arrives
Korean-market stock with the original barcode and batch code intact, exactly as it left Korea.
On the unit itself
- The Korean-market barcode, unaltered from the retail package.
- The manufacturer’s batch code, exactly as the maker printed it.
정품Genuine article, Korean-market stock
What professionals say
What professionals say
What skin-care professionals say about skin care, quoted from the medical sources linked beside each.
Your skin barrier is basically your outer layer of the skin.
Melissa Piliang, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic Pretty much every step of a Korean skin care routine is going to have some component of hydration.
Alok Vij, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic
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