Gentle Vitamin C Serum
A serum from Dr. Althea's Korean-market lineup, built around 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid and Niacinamide, 30ml to a unit.
No reviews yet30ml
$73.30 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
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- 30-day returns
- Free US shipping on orders of $100 or more
- Tracked delivery to your door
Key benefits
- Built on 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, a stabilized vitamin C derivative
- Niacinamide runs alongside it, the brightening and barrier-support active
- No parfum or fragrance ingredient on the list
- 30ml serum sold in Dr. Althea's Korean-market packaging, not a US-reformulated version
- Takes after toner and before moisturizer
- 20 ingredients on the manufacturer's own list, in the order Dr. Althea lists them
Key actives
4Niacinamideactive
Niacinamide is vitamin B3, and it is the most studied active in Korean formulation. It is named fourth on this serum's list, alongside 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid.
11Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extractplant 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. It is named eleventh on this serum's list, alongside 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid.
143-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acidantioxidant
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid is a stable vitamin C derivative that skin converts to ascorbic acid. It survives in a formula far better than pure vitamin C and works at a gentler pH, so it suits skin that finds the pure acid uncomfortable. The name on the box points at it, and it is named fourteenth on this serum's own ingredient list.
16Adenosineactive
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. The panel names it sixteenth on this serum's list, beside 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid.
18Allantoinactive
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. It is named eighteenth on this serum's list, alongside 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid.
Inside the formula
Inside the formula
- 4Niacinamide
- 11Hippophae Rhamnoides
- 143-O-Ethyl Ascorbic
- 16Adenosine
- 18Allantoin
Where each key active sits on the declared ingredient list, by entry number. Position is proportion: the further forward, the larger its share.
Dr. Althea Gentle Vitamin C 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 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid and not three changes at once.
What else is on the list besides 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid?
Niacinamide, Adenosine and Allantoin. The order they are printed in on this serum's panel is the order on the box, so you can see where 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid sits relative to them. Further down the same panel: Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit 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 (19): Water / Aqua, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Pentylene Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Hydrogenated C6-20 Polyolefin, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Allantoin, HDI/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer
Ingredient list read from jolse.com on 9 September 2026.
18 of 19 explained
- Water / Aqua 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water plant extract
- Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water is green tea distillate used in place of plain water as a base. It is far more dilute than the extract, so it sets the base rather than supplying the antioxidants.
- Pentylene Glycol humectant
- Pentylene Glycol hydrates and, like the other longer-chain glycols, makes a formula less hospitable to microbes so the preservative system can be lighter. It also improves how evenly a product spreads.
- Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer thickener
- This is a carbomer relative with fatty side chains, so it thickens and stabilises an emulsion at the same time. It gives a light gel-cream body rather than a heavy one.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
6 more explained
- 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.
- 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid antioxidant
- 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid is a stable vitamin C derivative that skin converts to ascorbic acid. It survives in a formula far better than pure vitamin C and works at a gentler pH, so it suits skin that finds the pure acid uncomfortable.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- HDI/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer absorbent
- A spherical polymer powder. The spheres roll under the fingers, absorb a little oil and scatter light, which softens the look of pores and fine lines.
- Market
- Korean market, the version sold in Korea
- EAN (barcode)
- 8809447255101
- Made in
- Republic of Korea
- Volume
- 30ml
- Category
- Serum & Ampoule / Low-irritation vitamin C serum
- Actives
- Adenosine, Allantoin, Green Tea, Niacinamide, Sea Buckthorn, Vitamin C
- 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 it works
The Gentle Vitamin C Serum is a 30ml serum, used after toner and before moisturizer, morning and evening. The antioxidant it is built around is 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, named fourteenth on its own ingredient list. The same list carries Niacinamide, Adenosine and Allantoin, so the antioxidant is not the only thing on it worth naming. How much of the 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid stays on the skin, and for how long, is decided by the serum format rather than by the list alone. Dr.Althea sells this 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid serum in Korea, and this is that version.
How to use
- Use the Gentle Vitamin C Serum after your toner and before your moisturizer, in the morning to begin with.
- 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, then sunscreen. In the morning nothing goes on after the sunscreen.
- Once a day at first, and build to twice if it suits you. Do not start it in the same week as a new acid or a new retinoid.
Worth knowing
- A vitamin C formula: patch test first if skin is currently reactive, and introduce it gradually.
- Discontinue if irritation develops and check the ingredient list against any known sensitivity.
Reviews
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Dr. Althea Gentle Vitamin C Serum
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Dr.Althea, Korean-market original
The Original Korean Formula serum from Dr.Althea, 30ml formulated with 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid 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 the key actives in this formula, quoted from the medical sources linked beside each.
Using topical vitamin C can result in less cell damage and better-looking skin.
Melissa Piliang, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic Allantoin can tone down the dryness of the individual cells. It increases the water content of the skin, which means it helps to hydrate and moisturize.
Wilma Bergfeld, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic
1 more professional perspective
Niacinamide helps reduce the appearance of pores in a few ways. By strengthening the skin barrier and improving elasticity, pores appear less noticeable and more even.
Ashlyn YankeAesthetician, Cleveland Clinic
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