Dr. Althea
Melaclear Cream
A brightening cream from Dr. Althea's Korean-market lineup. Niacinamide sits at position 5 of 31 on the brand's own ingredient list, a brightening and barrier-support active; Tranexamic Acid follows at position 6, a brightening active that targets uneven tone at its source. 20g to a unit.
No reviews yet- Ships from our California warehouse
- Duties prepaid
- Suited to
- Dry skinCompromised barrierDehydrated skinSensitive skin
- Helps with
- Shoppers looking for Niacinamide in a creamRoutines that want Niacinamide and Tranexamic Acid in one stepFilling the cream step with a Korean-market formula
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- 30-day returns
- Free US shipping on orders of $100 or more
- Dispatched within 2 business days
How it works
The Melaclear Cream is a 20g cream, used as the last skincare step, morning and evening, over serum. The active it is built around is Niacinamide, named fifth on its own ingredient list. The same list carries Tranexamic Acid, Adenosine and Sodium DNA, 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 cream format rather than by the list alone. Dr.Althea sells this Niacinamide cream in Korea, and this is that version.
Key benefits
- Niacinamide, the active this cream is built around
- Tranexamic Acid, Adenosine and Sodium DNA on the same list, actives
- Ceramide NP on the same list, a barrier lipid
- Lithospermum Erythrorhizon Root Extract and Hydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract further down the same list
- Hydrolyzed Malt Extract and Hydrolyzed Viola Tricolor Extract further down the same list
- Niacinamide named fifth on the manufacturer list printed on this page
Key actives
Niacinamideactive
Niacinamide is vitamin B3, and it is the most studied active in Korean formulation. On this cream's own ingredient list it is named fifth.
Tranexamic Acidactive
Tranexamic Acid is a synthetic amino acid derivative used for the look of stubborn discolouration and post-blemish marks. It is water soluble, stable and comfortable next to niacinamide, which is how it is usually paired. The panel names it sixth on this cream's list, beside Niacinamide.
Adenosineactive
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. It is named seventeenth on this cream's list, alongside Niacinamide.
Sodium DNAactive
Sodium DNA is the salt of DNA, in Korean skincare almost always salmon derived, and it is the ingredient behind the PDRN category. It is used as a humectant and for the look of tired skin; the fragments themselves are what the name PDRN refers to. The panel names it twenty-ninth on this cream's list, beside Niacinamide.
Ceramide 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 twenty-seventh on this cream's list, alongside Niacinamide.
Dr. Althea Melaclear Cream
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 Niacinamide and not three changes at once.
What else is on the list besides Niacinamide?
Tranexamic Acid, Adenosine and Sodium DNA. The order they are printed in on this cream's panel is the order on the box, so you can see where Niacinamide sits relative to them. Further down the same panel: Ceramide NP, Lithospermum Erythrorhizon Root Extract and Hydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract.
- Ships from
- California
Duties are prepaid. Nothing is owed at delivery. Returns are accepted for 30 days, by mail.
Orders ship from our California warehouse, dispatched within 2 business days, and arrive in 3 to 5 days. Shipping is free on orders of $100 or more.
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 - 2Customs
Duty paid by us before it enters the US - 3California
Ships domestically, no international leg
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.
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.
Import duties are paid by us before the parcel reaches you, so nothing is owed at the door, 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.
Payment and security
We accept
How to use
- Use the Melaclear Cream as the last skincare step, morning and evening, over serum.
- A pea for the face and another for the neck. Warm it between fingertips first so it spreads in one pass.
- It closes the routine at night, and in the morning it is the layer sunscreen goes over.
- Twice a day. Do not skip it on an oily day; without a sealing layer the water the steps beneath it brought in leaves again.
Worth knowing
- Patch test this cream on a small area and wait a day before using it more widely, especially with Niacinamide on the list.
- Introduce this cream on its own for the first week, so anything your skin does is traceable to the Niacinamide rather than to three changes at once.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Tell us how much you love the product!
Write Reviews (opens in a new tab)Dr. Althea, Korean-market original
The Original Korean Formula cream from Dr.Althea, 20g formulated with Niacinamide and Tranexamic Acid, held in the United States and shipped domestically.
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.
Match the batch code on the box against the code printed on the bottle or tube itself; the two are stamped separately and should agree.
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.
Topical tranexamic acid 5% cream is under investigation in the treatment of melasma and is showing promising results in the treatment of epidermal-type melasma.
Faisal R AliConsultant Dermatologist, DermNet NZ 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
1 more professional perspective
It's still a very new ingredient in the field of regenerative medicine.
Catherine ChangBeverly Hills board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon, Harper's Bazaar
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