Dr. Althea
Pure Retinol 0.15% Cream
A retinol cream from Dr. Althea's Korean-market lineup. Retinol sits at position 19 of 40 on the brand's own ingredient list, a retinoid driving this formula's renewal work; Panthenol follows at position 10, a barrier-support humectant that also settles visible irritation. 20g to a unit.
No reviews yet- Ships from our California warehouse
- Duties prepaid
- Suited to
- Dry skinCompromised barrierDehydrated skinSkin that has lost bounce
- Helps with
- Shoppers looking for Retinol in a creamRoutines that want Retinol and Bakuchiol in one stepFilling the cream step with a Korean-market formulaAnyone who wants the Retinol cream sold on Korean shelves
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.
- Duties prepaid
- 30-day returns
- Free US shipping on orders of $100 or more
- Dispatched within 2 business days
How it works
The Pure Retinol 0.15% Cream is a 20g cream, used as the last skincare step, morning and evening, over serum. The active it is built around is Retinol, named eighteenth on its own ingredient list. The same list carries Bakuchiol, Allantoin and Madecassoside, so the active is not the only thing on it worth naming. How much of the Retinol 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, Retinol and all.
Key benefits
- Retinol, the active this cream is built around
- Bakuchiol, Allantoin, Madecassoside and Kojic Acid on the same list, actives
- Sodium DNA and Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 further down the same list
- Pentaerythrityl Tetra-di-t-butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate and Benzotriazolyl Dodecyl p-Cresol further down the same list
- Retinol named eighteenth on the manufacturer list printed on this page
- The Korean-market release of this cream, confirmed against its Korean barcode
Key actives
Retinolactive
Retinol is the alcohol form of vitamin A and the strongest retinoid available without a prescription. Skin converts it in two steps to retinoic acid, and it is used at night, at low percentages, for the look of fine lines and rough texture. It is the entry this cream is named after, and the list carries it.
Bakuchiolactive
Bakuchiol is a compound from the babchi seed, used as a plant-derived alternative to retinol. It is oil soluble, stable in daylight and does not carry retinol's acclimatisation period, which is why sensitive-skin formulas choose it. The panel names it twenty-second on this cream's list, beside Retinol.
Allantoinactive
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 thirty-second on this cream's list, alongside Retinol.
Madecassosideactive
Madecassoside is the centella triterpene most associated with the look of redness, and the one brands lead with in cica products. It is water soluble and stable, so it appears in essences as readily as in creams. It is named thirty-sixth on this cream's list, alongside Retinol.
Kojic Acidactive
Kojic Acid comes from the fermentation of rice by Aspergillus, the mould used to make sake. It is used in formulas addressed to the look of uneven tone, and it darkens in air. The panel names it thirty-seventh on this cream's list, beside Retinol.
Dr. Althea Pure Retinol 0.15% 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 Retinol and not three changes at once.
Is this the Korean-market cream or a US version?
The Korean-market one, Retinol 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 Retinol?
Bakuchiol, Allantoin and Madecassoside. The order they are printed in on this cream's panel is the order on the box, so you can see where Retinol sits relative to them. Further down the same panel: Kojic Acid, Sodium DNA and Acetyl Hexapeptide-8.
- 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 Pure Retinol 0.15% Cream as the last skincare step, in the 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. Retinol is the entry that puts this step in the evening rather than the morning.
- Start at two or three evenings a week and build up from there, because retinol is on this list. Do not use it in the same routine as another retinoid or a resurfacing acid.
Worth knowing
- Patch test this cream on a small area and wait a day before using it more widely, especially with Retinol on the list.
- Retinol is on this list, so keep this cream to the evening and build the nights up slowly rather than starting nightly.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Tell us how much you love the product!
Write Reviews (opens in a new tab)We’re on gram!
Creators trying on authentic Korean skincare routines and products from us.
Rating a shelf of Dr. Althea products one by one.
Jasmine Loo · YouTube
Two hydrating serums side by side, IUNIK and Dr. Althea.
Kristin · YouTube
A walk through the Dr. Althea serum lineup and who each one suits.
auraofmahmuda · YouTube
A blunt first take on the Dr. Althea range.
Lexi Chang · YouTube
A first look at the viral 345 Relief Cream before buying.
Shelley Nayak · 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, 20g formulated with Retinol and Bakuchiol, 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.
Vitamin A has a molecular structure that's tiny enough to get into the lower layers of your skin, where it finds and boosts collagen and elastin, which is a protein that strengthens your skin's flexibility.
Wilma Bergfeld, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic Bakuchiol is often used as a gentler alternative to retinol. It may help your skin look smoother and reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
Shilpi Khetarpal, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic
1 more professional perspective
Centella can make your skin appear more hydrated, plumper and healthier.
Samantha Stein, PA-CDermatology physician assistant, Cleveland Clinic
Ask an AI assistant about this product
Ask an AI assistant about this product
Opens ChatGPT, Perplexity or Claude in a new tab with the question prefilled. Claude asks you to sign in first.