Dr.Althea
Natural Radiance Essence 30ml
An essence from Dr. Althea's Korean-market lineup. Niacinamide sits at position 5 of 38 on the brand's own ingredient list, a brightening and barrier-support active; Panthenol follows at position 7, a barrier-support humectant that also settles visible irritation. 30ml to a unit.
No reviews yet30 ml
- 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 Niacinamide in a serumRoutines that want Niacinamide and Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate in one stepFilling the serum step with a Korean-market formulaAnyone who wants the Niacinamide serum 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
- Sealnext
- Morning finish
Dr. Althea 345 Relief CreamSeal the routine in as the last step
$23.52
Also standing in Seal: Medicube PDRN Pink Collagen Capsule Cream, $19.99.
- Ships from California or direct from Korea
- 30-day returns
- Free US shipping on orders of $100 or more
- Tracked delivery to your door
Key benefits
- Niacinamide, the active this serum is built around
- Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate on the same list, an active
- Rice Ferment Filtrate on the same list, a ferment
- Glutathione on the same list, an antioxidant
- Squalane and Arginine further down the same list
- Panthenol and Sodium Hyaluronate further down the same list
Key actives
1Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extractplant extract
Kakadu plum fruit extract, the highest natural source of vitamin C known. It is used as a plant antioxidant. It is named first on this serum's list, alongside Niacinamide.
5Niacinamideactive
Niacinamide is vitamin B3, and it is the most studied active in Korean formulation. On this serum's own ingredient list it is named fifth.
16Dipotassium Glycyrrhizateactive
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate is a water-soluble salt derived from licorice root. It is named sixteenth on this serum's list, alongside Niacinamide.
26Rice Ferment Filtrateferment
Rice Ferment Filtrate is the clear liquid from fermented rice, the same process that makes sake. It carries amino acids, sugars and organic acids and is used as a conditioning ferment. The panel names it fourteenth on this serum's list, beside Niacinamide.
29Glutathioneantioxidant
Glutathione is a small peptide the body uses as one of its main antioxidants. In skincare it is used as an antioxidant and for the look of dullness; it is unstable in water, so formulas that carry it are usually built around protecting it. The panel names it twenty-ninth on this serum's list, beside Niacinamide.
Inside the formula
Inside the formula
- 1Terminalia Ferdinandiana
- 5Niacinamide
- 16Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
- 26Rice Ferment
- 29Glutathione
Where each key active sits on the declared ingredient list, by entry number. Position is proportion: the further forward, the larger its share.
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.
Does this serum contain fragrance?
Yes. The ingredient list names Limonene. It sits on the panel printed on this page, so you can read the position for yourself before you buy. If fragrance components are something you avoid, this serum is not the one.
What else is on the list besides Niacinamide?
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Rice Ferment Filtrate and Glutathione. 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: Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Squalane and Arginine.
Not on the ingredient list below: fragrance or parfum, denatured or SD alcohol, silicones, parabens, sulfate surfactants, mineral oil or petrolatum and added color.
Full INCI (37): Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Glycerin, Water, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Benzyl Glycol, Panthenol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Propanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Carbomer, Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate, Arginine, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Disodium EDTA, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Squalane, 1,2-Hexanediol, Lactobacillus/Rice Ferment, Lactobacillus/Panax Ginseng Root Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Saccharomyces/Potato Extract Ferment Filtrate, Saccharomyces/Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-yuen Seed Ferment, Filtrate, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Glutathione, Sodium Hyaluronate, Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium, Acetylated Hyaluronate, Limonene
Ingredient list read from jolse.com on 10 September 2026.
31 of 37 explained
- Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract plant extract
- Kakadu plum fruit extract, the highest natural source of vitamin C known. It is used as a plant antioxidant.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Benzyl Glycol preservative booster
- Benzyl Glycol is a solvent that also makes a formula less hospitable to microbes, so it appears in preservative blends built without parabens.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate emulsifier
- Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate is a sugar-derived emulsifier and solubiliser, mild enough to be a standard choice in Korean essences. It dissolves small amounts of oil into water without any tightening feel.
19 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.
- Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate ferment
- Rice fermented with yeast and then strained, the same process behind sake and its lees. It carries amino acids and sugars and is the classic rice ferment of Korean and Japanese formulas.
- 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.
- Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate active
- Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate is a water-soluble salt derived from licorice root. It is the licorice fraction Korean formulas use for the look of redness, and it is far more stable in water than the whole extract.
- 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 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.
- Squalane emollient
- Squalane is the stable, saturated version of squalene, a lipid human skin already makes. It is a light emollient that absorbs quickly, does not oxidise, and is one of the few oils widely considered safe for blemish-prone skin. Most cosmetic squalane is now from sugarcane or olive rather than shark.
- 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.
- Lactobacillus/Rice Ferment ferment
- Rice fermented with lactobacillus, the same bacteria behind kimchi and makgeolli. Fermentation breaks the rice starch into smaller sugars and amino acids that hold water.
- Lactobacillus/Panax Ginseng Root Ferment Filtrate ferment
- Ginseng root fermented with lactobacillus and strained. Fermentation cuts the large ginsenosides into smaller forms, which is why Korean brands ferment ginseng so often.
- Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract ferment
- This is soybean fermented by lactobacillus. The fermentation breaks soy proteins into smaller pieces, which is what makes the extract easier for a formula to carry.
- Saccharomyces/Potato Extract Ferment Filtrate ferment
- Potato extract fermented with yeast and strained. It supplies sugars and amino acids and is used as a conditioning ferment.
- Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil fragrance component
- Grapefruit Peel Oil is a citrus essential oil rich in limonene. It scents a formula and belongs to the aromatic class reactive skin often avoids.
- Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans humectant
- Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans are short fragments of the sugar chains that sit between cells in skin, hyaluronic acid among them. They act as humectants and give a cushioned feel.
- Glutathione antioxidant
- Glutathione is a small peptide the body uses as one of its main antioxidants. In skincare it is used as an antioxidant and for the look of dullness; it is unstable in water, so formulas that carry it are usually built around protecting it.
- Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Limonene fragrance component
- Limonene is the citrus-peel aromatic. It appears here because EU labelling requires 26 fragrance components to be named individually rather than hidden inside "fragrance", and it is one of them.
- EAN (barcode)
- 8809447253480
- Made in
- Republic of Korea
- Volume
- 30 ml
- Category
- Serum & Ampoule
- Actives
- Ginseng, Glutathione, Hyaluronic Acid, Licorice Root, Niacinamide, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Squalane
- 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.
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How it works
The Natural Radiance Essence 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 Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Rice Ferment Filtrate and Glutathione, 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.
How to use
- Apply after the toner while the skin is still damp so it spreads across the face in one pass.
- Press it in with the flats of the fingers, working outward, so the layer ends up flat and even.
- Follow with a cream to hold it in place, and with sunscreen as the final morning step.
- Do not use more than the face absorbs in half a minute, since an uneven layer is what makes skin read patchy rather than bright.
Worth knowing
- Patch test this serum on a small area and wait a day before using it more widely, especially with Niacinamide on the list.
- This list names Limonene, so skip it if fragrance components are something you avoid.
Reviews
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Dr.Althea Natural Radiance Essence 30ml
How it felt, how your skin took it, what you layer it with. Straight answers help the next person choose.
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Creators trying on authentic Korean skincare routines and products from us.
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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 Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, 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.
It contains liquiritin, an active compound that helps to disperse and remove existing melanin in the skin.
Jennifer Chwalek, MDDermatologist, Byrdie It is said to be rich in vitamins, minerals and amino acids, including skin nourishers like B vitamins, vitamin E and inositol.
Blair Murphy-Rose, MDBoard-certified dermatologist, TODAY.com
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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