Where does this cream go in my routine?

As the last skincare step, morning and evening, over serum. Anything thinner than a cream 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 Guaiazulene and not three changes at once.

Is this the Korean-market cream or a US version?

The Korean-market one, Guaiazulene and all. We match this cream 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 Guaiazulene?

Tocopherol, Cholesterol and Ceramide NP. The order they are printed in on this cream's panel is the order on the box, so you can see where Guaiazulene sits relative to them. Further down the same panel: Ceramide AS, Ceramide AP and Ceramide NS.

Dr.Althea

147 Barrier Cream 50ml

Name: Dr.Althea 147 Barrier Cream 50ml
Brand: Dr.Althea
SKU: 3861617390
Price: 52.5 USD
Availability: InStock

Dr.Althea 147 Barrier Cream is a 50ml cream with Guaiazulene, used as the last skincare step, morning and evening, over serum.

No reviews yet

$52.50

50 ml

Ships from California or direct from Korea
Korean barcode and batch code intact

Suited to: Dry skinCompromised barrierDehydrated skinSensitive skin

Helps with: Shoppers looking for Guaiazulene in a creamRoutines that want Guaiazulene and Tocopherol in one stepFilling the cream step with a Korean-market formulaAnyone who wants the Guaiazulene cream sold on Korean shelves

In stock. Ships from California or direct from Korea

You’re $100.00 away from free US shipping.

Next step in this routine

Cleanse
Prep
Treat
Seal
Morning finishnext

Ships from California or direct from Korea
30-day returns
Free US shipping on orders of $100 or more
Tracked delivery to your door

Verified authentic Shipping and returns Reviews

Key benefits

Guaiazulene, the active this cream is built around
Tocopherol on the same list, an antioxidant
Cholesterol, Ceramide NP and Ceramide AS on the same list, barrier lipids
Ceramide AP and Ceramide NS further down the same list
Ceramide NG and Ceramide EOP further down the same list
Guaiazulene named forty-first on the manufacturer list printed on this page

Key actives

35Cholesterolbarrier lipid

Cholesterol is the third of the three lipids the outer layer of skin is built from, with ceramides and fatty acids. Formulas that carry all three are following the ratio skin itself holds. It is named thirty-fifth on this cream's list, alongside Guaiazulene.

36Ceramide NPbarrier lipid

Ceramide NP is the most used cosmetic ceramide, the same class of lipid that makes up roughly half the mortar between cells in the outer layer of skin. Added to a cream it slots into that structure, which is why ceramide formulas feel less leaky rather than merely greasy. It is named thirty-sixth on this cream's list, alongside Guaiazulene.

41Guaiazuleneactive

Guaiazulene is the deep blue compound distilled from chamomile and guaiac wood, and it is what colours a blue formula naturally. It is used for the look of reactive, reddened skin. On this cream's own ingredient list it is named forty-first.

42Ceramide ASbarrier lipid

Ceramide AS is a further member of the same lipid family. Its presence usually signals a formula built around a full ceramide profile rather than a single headline one. The panel names it forty-second on this cream's list, beside Guaiazulene.

48Tocopherolantioxidant

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. It is named forty-eighth on this cream's list, alongside Guaiazulene.

Inside the formula

Ingredients declared

No fragrance

on the list

35Cholesterol41Guaiazulene48Tocopherol

35Cholesterol
41Guaiazulene
48Tocopherol

Where each key active sits on the declared ingredient list, by entry number. Position is proportion: the further forward, the larger its share.

1 of 5

56 of 58 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.
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.
CETEARYL ALCOHOL fatty alcohol: Cetearyl Alcohol is a waxy solid, not the drying kind of alcohol. It is a blend of cetyl and stearyl alcohols used to thicken a cream and keep oil and water from separating, and it softens skin as it does so.
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.
METHYL TRIMETHICONE silicone: Methyl Trimethicone is a light, volatile silicone chosen for a notably dry finish. It thins a formula and disperses powders evenly.
HYDROGENATED POLYDECENE emollient: Hydrogenated Polydecene is a synthetic hydrocarbon emollient used in place of mineral oil. It is stable, has no scent, and gives a cushioned slip without oxidising.
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.
PHENYL TRIMETHICONE silicone: Phenyl Trimethicone is a silicone with a higher refractive index than most, so it adds visible gloss as well as slip. It is common in glow and lip textures.
VEGETABLE OIL emollient: Vegetable Oil is a collective declaration for a blend of plant oils. It names a class rather than a species, so the label does not say which plants.
DIMETHICONE/VINYL DIMETHICONE CROSSPOLYMER silicone: This is a silicone elastomer, a soft springy gel. It fills the look of fine texture and gives the velvety, blurred finish of a primer.
GLYCERYL STEARATE SE emulsifier: Glyceryl Stearate SE is the self-emulsifying grade, supplied with a little soap already built in so it can hold an emulsion with less help. It thickens and softens like the plain form.

44 more explained

COPTIS JAPONICA ROOT EXTRACT plant extract: Coptis Japonica is a traditional East Asian medicinal root, bright yellow from its berberine content. In skincare its extract is used for the look of congested, oily skin.
ARTEMISIA PRINCEPS LEAF EXTRACT plant extract: Artemisia Princeps is Korean mugwort, one of the country's oldest skincare and bathing plants. Its leaf extract is used for the look of reddened, reactive skin, and it is the ingredient behind the mugwort category.
PERSEA GRATISSIMA (AVOCADO) FRUIT EXTRACT plant extract: Avocado fruit extract, the water-soluble fraction rather than the pressed oil. It is used as a conditioning extract.
BRASSICA OLERACEA ACEPHALA LEAF EXTRACT plant extract: Kale leaf extract, carrying carotenoids, vitamin C and glucosinolates. It is used as a plant antioxidant.
HYDROLYZED GARDENIA FLORIDA EXTRACT plant extract: Hydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract is gardenia extract broken into smaller fragments so a water-based formula can carry it evenly.
PAEONIA ALBIFLORA FLOWER EXTRACT plant extract: White peony flower extract, from the same plant also written Paeonia lactiflora. The flower carries flavonoids and tannins and is used as a conditioning botanical.
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.
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.
CETEARYL OLIVATE emulsifier: Cetearyl Olivate is the water-loving half of the olive-derived emulsifier pair. With sorbitan olivate it builds emulsions whose lipid profile is close to skin's own.
PALMITIC ACID fatty acid: Palmitic Acid is a saturated fatty acid present in skin's own lipids. It thickens a formula, stabilises the emulsion and softens skin.
SORBITAN OLIVATE emulsifier: Sorbitan Olivate is an olive-derived emulsifier, the oil-loving half of the pair sold as Olivem. It holds oil into water and leaves a light, non-waxy feel.
C12-16 ALCOHOLS fatty alcohol: C12-16 Alcohols is a blend of medium-chain fatty alcohols used to thicken and stabilise an emulsion.
BEHENYL ALCOHOL fatty alcohol: Behenyl Alcohol is a long-chain fatty alcohol used to thicken and stabilise a cream. It gives a richer, more velvety body than cetyl alcohol.
STEARIC ACID fatty acid: Stearic Acid is a saturated fatty acid from plant fats, and one of the three lipid classes skin's own barrier is built from. In a formula it thickens, stabilises the emulsion and can be turned into a soap-style cleanser by adding a base.
MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE absorbent: Microcrystalline Cellulose is purified cellulose ground fine. It thickens, holds powders in suspension and gives a soft, matte feel.
CETEARYL GLUCOSIDE emulsifier: Cetearyl Glucoside is a sugar-derived emulsifier used to hold oil and water together in creams with a light 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.
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.
AMMONIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYLTAURATE/VP COPOLYMER thickener: This is a synthetic thickener that gels quickly and holds an emulsion stable across a wide pH range. It gives a light, non-tacky body.
POLYGLYCERYL-10 MYRISTATE emulsifier: Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate is a mild sugar-derived emulsifier used to keep oil dispersed in a watery formula.
GLYCERYL POLYMETHACRYLATE film former: Glyceryl Polymethacrylate is a polymer that forms a smooth, water-holding film and gives a formula a cushioned, non-sticky feel.
CELLULOSE GUM thickener: Cellulose Gum is plant cellulose modified to dissolve in water. It thickens, holds particles in suspension and gives a smooth, slippery body.
CHOLESTEROL barrier lipid: Cholesterol is the third of the three lipids the outer layer of skin is built from, with ceramides and fatty acids. Formulas that carry all three are following the ratio skin itself holds.
CERAMIDE NP barrier lipid: Ceramide NP is the most used cosmetic ceramide, the same class of lipid that makes up roughly half the mortar between cells in the outer layer of skin. Added to a cream it slots into that structure, which is why ceramide formulas feel less leaky rather than merely greasy.
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.
GLYCERYL STEARATE emulsifier: Glyceryl Stearate is glycerin joined to stearic acid, and one of the most used emulsifiers in skincare. It holds oil and water together and thickens the result, and it softens skin at the same time.
METHYLPROPANEDIOL humectant: Methylpropanediol is a small glycol used to hydrate and to help water-soluble actives penetrate the outer layer of skin more evenly. It leaves almost no tack, which suits watery textures.
MALTODEXTRIN film former: Maltodextrin is a starch-derived sugar chain used to carry powdered extracts and to form a light film. It also gives a soft, smoothing feel.
GUAIAZULENE active: Guaiazulene is the deep blue compound distilled from chamomile and guaiac wood, and it is what colours a blue formula naturally. It is used for the look of reactive, reddened skin.
CERAMIDE AS barrier lipid: Ceramide AS is a further member of the same lipid family. Its presence usually signals a formula built around a full ceramide profile rather than a single headline one.
CERAMIDE AP barrier lipid: Ceramide AP is a second cosmetic ceramide, distinguished by an extra hydroxyl group. Formulas that name several ceramides are copying the mix skin actually holds rather than relying on one.
ARGININE amino acid: Arginine is an amino acid that does two jobs here: it holds water in the outer layer of skin, and it neutralises acidic gelling agents, which is why it often stands in for a synthetic pH adjuster.
CARBOMER thickener: Carbomer is a synthetic polymer that only gels once a base neutralises it, which is why arginine or tromethamine sits nearby on the list. It gives the clear, non-stringy gel texture a xanthan formula cannot reach.
CERAMIDE NS barrier lipid: Ceramide NS is another of the ceramides skin makes for itself. It is used alongside NP and AP so a formula supplies a mixture rather than a single lipid.
CERAMIDE NG barrier lipid: One of the ceramide types found between skin cells, also written ceramide 2. Ceramides are the lipid that fills the space between cells in the outer layer.
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.
DIMETHYLSILANOL HYALURONATE humectant: Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid joined to a silicon-based group. It hydrates and leaves a smoother, silkier finish than hyaluronic acid alone.
HYDROLYZED SODIUM HYALURONATE humectant: Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid cut into much shorter fragments. The smaller the fragment, the further into the outer layer it can settle, which is why serums stack several sizes together instead of using one.
POTASSIUM HYALURONATE humectant: Potassium Hyaluronate is another salt of hyaluronic acid, used for the same reason as the sodium form: it dissolves easily and holds a large amount of water in the outer layer of skin.
HYALURONIC ACID humectant: Hyaluronic Acid is a sugar chain the body already makes, and one gram of it can hold several litres of water. In a formula it is a humectant that pulls water to the surface of skin and holds it in a film, which is what makes skin look plumper while it is there.
SODIUM HYALURONATE CROSSPOLYMER humectant: Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer is hyaluronic acid linked into a mesh. It holds water in a soft gel on the surface rather than sinking in, and it releases that water slowly through the day.
HYDROXYPROPYLTRIMONIUM HYALURONATE humectant: Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate carries a positive charge, and skin carries a slight negative one, so it is attracted to the surface and stays through rinsing. It is the hyaluronic used where a formula gets washed off.
SODIUM ACETYLATED HYALURONATE humectant: Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid modified to be part oil-loving, so it clings to skin instead of rinsing away. Formulators call it the one that stays put.
CERAMIDE EOP barrier lipid: Ceramide EOP is the ceramide with the longest tail, and in skin it acts as the rivet holding the lipid layers together. It is the third member of the standard cosmetic ceramide trio.

Payment and security

We accept

Shipping and returns How to verify this unit

How it works

The 147 Barrier Cream is a 50ml cream, used as the last skincare step, morning and evening, over serum. The active it is built around is Guaiazulene, named forty-first on its own ingredient list. The same list carries Tocopherol, Cholesterol and Ceramide NP, so the active is not the only thing on it worth naming. How much of the Guaiazulene stays on the skin, and for how long, is decided by the cream format rather than by the list alone. This is the Original Korean Formula, the cream Dr.Althea sells in Korea, Guaiazulene and all.

How to use

Apply it last, after any thinner layers, while the skin underneath is still slightly damp.
Press a small amount over the face and down the neck instead of rubbing it in circles.
On a week the face is stinging, cut the routine back to a plain cleanser and this cream only.
Do not add a strong active step back in until the tightness has been gone for several days.

Worth knowing

Patch test this cream on a small area and wait a day before using it more widely, especially with Guaiazulene on the list.
Introduce this cream on its own for the first week, so anything your skin does is traceable to the Guaiazulene rather than to three changes at once.

Reviews

No reviews yet. Tell us how much you love the product!

Write a review

Dr.Althea 147 Barrier Cream 50ml

How it felt, how your skin took it, what you layer it with. Straight answers help the next person choose.

We’re on gram!

Creators trying on authentic Korean skincare routines and products from us.

Watch on YouTube
Rating a shelf of Dr. Althea products one by one.
Jasmine Loo · YouTube
Watch on YouTube
Two hydrating serums side by side, IUNIK and Dr. Althea.
Kristin · YouTube
Watch on YouTube
A walk through the Dr. Althea serum lineup and who each one suits.
auraofmahmuda · YouTube
Watch on YouTube
A blunt first take on the Dr. Althea range.
Lexi Chang · YouTube
Watch on YouTube
A first look at the viral 345 Relief Cream before buying.
Shelley Nayak · YouTube
Watch on YouTube
A first try of the Dr. Althea serum on camera.
Hannah Ziad · YouTube

Dr.Althea, Korean-market original

The Original Korean Formula cream from Dr.Althea, 50ml formulated with Guaiazulene and Tocopherol, shipped from California or direct from Korea.

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 skin-care professionals say about skin care, quoted from the medical sources linked beside each.

People with dry, flaky skin are more likely to see a benefit from using vitamin E because it enhances moisturization.
Amy Kassouf, 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