Aqua Marine Deep Serum
A hydrating serum from Dr. Althea's Korean-market lineup. Niacinamide sits at position 6 of 18 on the brand's own ingredient list, a brightening and barrier-support active; Panthenol follows at position 8, a barrier-support humectant that also settles visible irritation. 30ml to a unit.
No reviews yet30ml
$56.63 per 100 ml
- Korean-market formula
- Ships from California or direct from Korea
- Korean barcode and batch code intact
- Suited to
- NormalCombinationDry
- Helps with
- A targeted treatment step between toner and moisturizerA concentrated step layered under a moisturizerDaily use as the treatment step of a routine
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 Aqua Marine Deep Serum is a 30ml serum, used after toner and before moisturizer, morning and evening. The active it is built around is Niacinamide, named fifth on its own ingredient list. The same list carries Adenosine, Raffinose and Panthenol, so the active is not the only thing on it worth naming. How much of the Niacinamide 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, Niacinamide and all.
Key benefits
- Niacinamide, the active this serum is built around
- Adenosine on the same list, an active
- Raffinose on the same list, a sugar
- Panthenol and Sodium Hyaluronate on the same list, humectants
- Niacinamide named fifth on the manufacturer list printed on this page
- The Korean-market release of this serum, confirmed against its Korean barcode
Inside the formula
Inside the formula
Dr. Althea Aqua Marine Deep 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 Niacinamide and not three changes at once.
Is this the Korean-market serum or a US version?
The Korean-market one, Niacinamide 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 Niacinamide?
Adenosine, Raffinose and Panthenol. The order they are printed in on this serum's panel is the order on the box, so you can see where Niacinamide sits relative to them. Further down the same panel: Sodium Hyaluronate.
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 (17): Bambusa Vulgaris Water, Water, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Raffinose, Panthenol, Propanediol, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Adenosine, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Disodium EDTA, Maltodextrin, Butylene Glycol
Ingredient list read from incidecoder.com on 9 September 2026.
17 of 17 explained
- Bambusa Vulgaris Water plant extract
- Bamboo water, the sap or leaf distillate of bamboo, used in place of plain water. It carries silica and minerals and is a dilute base ingredient.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Raffinose sugar
- Raffinose is a three-unit plant sugar found in beans and beetroot. It holds water in the outer layer of skin and helps a formula stay comfortable as it dries down.
- 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.
- 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.
- Xanthan Gum thickener
- Xanthan Gum is a polysaccharide made by fermenting sugar. It thickens a watery formula into a gel and holds the whole thing in suspension so nothing separates. Too much of it and a serum turns stringy, which is why it appears in fractions 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.
- 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.
- Adenosine active
- Adenosine is a nucleoside that Korea's own cosmetic authority recognises as a wrinkle-care functional ingredient, which is why it appears on so many Korean lists at a low level. It is used for the look of fine lines and is stable and well tolerated.
5 more explained
- 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.
- Tromethamine pH adjuster
- Tromethamine neutralises acidic thickeners such as carbomer so they gel, and holds a formula near skin-friendly pH. It is used at a fraction of a percent.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Market
- Korean market, the version sold in Korea
- EAN (barcode)
- 8809447256191
- Made in
- Republic of Korea
- Volume
- 30ml
- Category
- Serum & Ampoule / Hydrating serum
- Actives
- Adenosine, Niacinamide, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate
- 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 Aqua Marine Deep Serum after your toner and before your moisturizer, morning and evening.
- Two or three drops for the whole face, pressed in with the flats of your fingers while skin is still damp.
- Follow with a moisturizer within a minute or two, because a thin serum left bare dries down and takes surface water with it.
- Twice a day, every day. Do not use it as your only layer on skin that already feels tight; a serum is not a seal.
Worth knowing
- Patch test on the inner arm first, as with any new step added to a routine.
- Discontinue if irritation develops and check the ingredient list against any known sensitivity.
Reviews
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Dr. Althea Aqua Marine Deep Serum
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.
Layering the Dr. Althea Aqua Marine serum under the cream.
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A blunt first take on the Dr. Althea range.
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A first try of the Dr. Althea serum on camera.
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Dr.Althea, Korean-market original
The Original Korean Formula serum from Dr.Althea, 30ml formulated with Niacinamide and Adenosine, 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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