0.1% Gentle Retinol Serum
A retinol serum from Dr. Althea's Korean-market lineup. Retinol sits at position 16 of 33 on the brand's own ingredient list, a retinoid driving this formula's renewal work; Panthenol follows at position 7, a barrier-support humectant that also settles visible irritation. 30ml to a unit.
No reviews yet30ml
$76.63 per 100 ml
- Korean-market formula
- Ships from California or direct from Korea
- Korean barcode and batch code intact
- Suited to
- Dehydrated skinSensitive skinDull, uneven tone
- Helps with
- Shoppers looking for Retinol in a serumRoutines that want Retinol and Bakuchiol in one stepFilling the serum step with a Korean-market formulaAnyone who wants the Retinol serum sold on Korean shelves
Sold out.
Tell us where to send it
One email, the moment this exact unit is back in stock. Not a newsletter and not a sequence, and your address comes off the list the second it is sent.
- 30-day returns
- Free US shipping on orders of $100 or more
- Tracked delivery to your door
How it works
The 0.1% Gentle Retinol Serum is a 30ml serum, used after toner and before moisturizer, morning and evening. The active it is built around is Retinol, named fifteenth on its own ingredient list. The same list carries Bakuchiol, Allantoin and Tocopherol, so the active is not the only thing on it worth naming. How much of the Retinol 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 Dr.Althea sells in Korea, Retinol and all.
Key benefits
- Retinol, the active this serum is built around
- Bakuchiol and Allantoin on the same list, actives
- Tocopherol on the same list, an antioxidant
- Hyacinthus Orientalis Extract on the same list, a plant extract
- Borago Officinalis Extract and Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract further down the same list
- Centaurea Cyanus Flower Extract and Salvia Sclarea (Clary) Extract further down the same list
Inside the formula
Inside the formula
Dr. Althea 0.1% Gentle Retinol Serum
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 Retinol and not three changes at once.
Is this the Korean-market serum or a US version?
The Korean-market one, Retinol 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 Retinol?
Bakuchiol, Allantoin and Tocopherol. The order they are printed in on this serum's panel is the order on the box, so you can see where Retinol sits relative to them. Further down the same panel: Hyacinthus Orientalis Extract, Borago Officinalis Extract and Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract.
Not on the ingredient list below: fragrance or parfum, denatured or SD alcohol, essential oils, silicones, parabens, sulfate surfactants, mineral oil or petrolatum and added color.
Full INCI (32): Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Dibutyl Adipate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Panthenol, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Betula Alba Juice, Retinol, Bakuchiol, Polyisobutene, Ethylhexylglycerin, Allantoin, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Disodium EDTA, Sorbitan Isostearate, PVM/MA Copolymer, Sorbitan Oleate, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Hyacinthus Orientalis (Hyacinth) Extract, Borago Officinalis Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Centaurea Cyanus Flower Extract, Salvia Sclarea (Clary) Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Extract, Tocopherol
Ingredient list read from jolse.com on 9 September 2026.
32 of 32 explained
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Dibutyl Adipate emollient
- Dibutyl Adipate is a light ester emollient used as a solvent for UV filters and pigments and to keep a formula from feeling tacky.
- 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.
- Panthenol humectant
- Panthenol is pro-vitamin B5: skin converts it to pantothenic acid. It is a humectant that holds water and leaves skin feeling soft and less tight, and it is one of the ingredients formulators reach for when a formula also contains something harsh.
- Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil emollient
- Soybean Oil is a linoleic-rich plant oil used as an emollient. It also carries soy phytosterols and vitamin E.
- 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.
- Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride emollient
- Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is the light fraction of coconut oil, with the heavy parts removed. It is the workhorse emollient of modern formulas: it softens skin, dissolves oil-soluble actives and absorbs without the greasy weight of a whole plant oil.
- Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate emulsifier
- Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate is a sugar-derived emulsifier known for a light, non-soapy feel. It builds gel-creams that do not read as rich.
- Sodium Polyacrylate thickener
- Sodium Polyacrylate is a polymer that absorbs many times its weight in water. It thickens a formula and holds water in a gel against the skin.
- Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer thickener
- This is the thickener behind most gel-cream textures. It builds a soft, bouncy gel that collapses to a light fluid as it is rubbed in.
20 more explained
- Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer thickener
- This is a pre-neutralised polymer thickener that gels on contact with water and stabilises an emulsion without heat.
- Betula Alba Juice plant extract
- Birch juice is sap tapped from the white birch in spring. It is mostly water with sugars, minerals and amino acids, and Korean formulas use it in place of water as the base.
- Retinol active
- Retinol is the alcohol form of vitamin A and the strongest retinoid available without a prescription. Skin converts it in two steps to retinoic acid, and it is used at night, at low percentages, for the look of fine lines and rough texture. It can leave skin flaking while it acclimatises.
- Bakuchiol active
- Bakuchiol is a compound from the babchi seed, used as a plant-derived alternative to retinol. It is oil soluble, stable in daylight and does not carry retinol's acclimatisation period, which is why sensitive-skin formulas choose it.
- Polyisobutene film former
- Polyisobutene is a synthetic polymer that forms a flexible, water-resistant film. It gives gloss and holds a formula in place, which is why it appears in lip products and long-wear textures.
- 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.
- Allantoin active
- Allantoin is a comfrey-derived compound used to condition skin and soften the outer layer so it feels smoother. It is one of the standard additions to a formula built for easily irritated skin.
- Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer film former
- This is a polymer that forms a moisture-holding film on the surface, usually supplied with glycerin and propylene glycol as a hydrating complex.
- 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.
- Sorbitan Isostearate emulsifier
- Sorbitan Isostearate is a mild emulsifier that holds water into oil, the direction a cleansing balm or an oil-based cream needs.
- PVM/MA Copolymer film former
- PVM/MA Copolymer is a film-forming polymer used to hold a formula in place and, in a mask, to give the peel-off film its strength.
- Sorbitan Oleate emulsifier
- Sorbitan Oleate is an emulsifier for water-in-oil formulas. It keeps a rich cream or a cleansing oil from separating.
- Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside surfactant
- Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside is a sugar-derived cleansing surfactant. It foams modestly and is mild enough for low-pH cleansers built for reactive skin.
- Hyacinthus Orientalis (Hyacinth) Extract plant extract
- Hyacinth extract, used as a floral herbal extract. It is one of the less common botanicals to meet on a Korean label.
- Borago Officinalis Extract plant extract
- Borage extract. The plant is best known for the gamma-linolenic acid in its seed oil, while the water extract carries mucilage that holds water at the surface.
- Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract plant extract
- Chamomile Flower Extract is one of the oldest ingredients in skincare, carrying bisabolol and chamazulene. It is used for the look of redness in formulas for reactive skin.
- Centaurea Cyanus Flower Extract plant extract
- Cornflower extract, a traditional eye-area ingredient in European pharmacy. It carries flavonoids and anthocyanins and is used in gentle formulas.
- Salvia Sclarea (Clary) Extract plant extract
- Clary sage extract, carrying flavonoids and tannins. It is the water-based extract and a different ingredient from clary sage essential oil.
- Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Extract plant extract
- Lavender Flower Extract is the water-based extract rather than the essential oil, so it is much milder and less aromatic.
- Tocopherol antioxidant
- Tocopherol is vitamin E. It is an oil-soluble antioxidant that protects the oils in a formula from going rancid and works on skin as an emollient, and it is regularly paired with vitamin C because each keeps the other going for longer.
- Market
- Korean market, the version sold in Korea
- EAN (barcode)
- 8809447255286
- Made in
- Republic of Korea
- Volume
- 30ml
- Category
- Serum & Ampoule / Retinol serum
- Actives
- Allantoin, Bakuchiol, Birch Sap, Panthenol, Retinol
- 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.
How to use
- Use the 0.1% Gentle Retinol Serum after toner and before moisturizer, in the evening.
- Three or four drops covers the whole face. Press it in with flat palms instead of rubbing it around.
- Toner first so the surface is damp, then this, then about a minute before your moisturizer goes over the top. Retinol is the entry that puts this step in the evening rather than the morning.
- Start at two or three evenings a week and build up from there, because retinol is on this list. Do not use it in the same routine as another retinoid or a resurfacing acid.
Worth knowing
- Patch test this serum on a small area and wait a day before using it more widely, especially with Retinol on the list.
- Retinol is on this list, so keep this serum to the evening and build the nights up slowly rather than starting nightly.
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Dr. Althea 0.1% Gentle Retinol Serum
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Dr.Althea, Korean-market original
The Original Korean Formula serum from Dr.Althea, 30ml formulated with Retinol and Bakuchiol, 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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