Dr. Althea Vitamin C Boosting 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 yet- Ships from our California warehouse
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- Suited to
- Dry skinCompromised barrierDehydrated skinSensitive skin
- Helps with
- Shoppers looking for 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid in a serumRoutines that want 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid and Niacinamide in one stepFilling the serum step with a Korean-market formulaAnyone who wants the 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid serum sold on Korean shelves
In stock. Ships from our California warehouse, dispatched within 2 business days
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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 Vitamin C Boosting Serum (Renew) 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 twenty-third on its own ingredient list. The same list carries Niacinamide, Tranexamic Acid and Adenosine, 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. This is the Original Korean Formula, the serum Dr.Althea sells in Korea, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid and all.
Key benefits
- 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, the antioxidant this serum is built around
- Niacinamide, Tranexamic Acid, Adenosine and Alpha-Arbutin on the same list, actives
- Bisabolol and Bifida Ferment Lysate further down the same list
- Ascorbic Acid and Tocopherol further down the same list
- 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid named twenty-third on the manufacturer list printed on this page
- The Korean-market release of this serum, confirmed against its Korean barcode
Key actives
3-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 twenty-third on this serum's own ingredient list.
Niacinamideactive
Niacinamide is vitamin B3, and it is the most studied active in Korean formulation. It is named third on this serum's list, alongside 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid.
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 eleventh on this serum's list, beside 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid.
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 thirtieth on this serum's list, alongside 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid.
Alpha-Arbutinactive
Alpha-Arbutin is a plant-derived compound, related to the sugar-bound form found in bearberry, used for the look of dark spots and uneven tone. It is stable in water and works at skin-friendly pH. The panel names it thirty-seventh on this serum's list, beside 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid.
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.
Is this the Korean-market serum or a US version?
The Korean-market one, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid 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 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid?
Niacinamide, Tranexamic Acid and Adenosine. 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: Alpha-Arbutin, Bisabolol and Bifida Ferment Lysate.
- 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 Vitamin C Boosting Serum (Renew) after toner and before moisturizer, morning and evening.
- Three or four drops covers the whole face. Press it in with flat palms instead of rubbing it around.
- Toner first so the surface is damp, then this, then about a minute before your moisturizer goes over the top.
- Twice a day, every day. Do not stack it with a second serum of the same kind; two hydrating serums in one routine do the work of one.
Worth knowing
- Patch test this serum on a small area and wait a day before using it more widely, especially with 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid on the list.
- Introduce this serum on its own for the first week, so anything your skin does is traceable to the 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid rather than to three changes at once.
Reviews
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Korean-market original
The Original Korean Formula serum from Dr.Althea, 30ml formulated with 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid and Niacinamide, 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.
Using topical vitamin C can result in less cell damage and better-looking skin.
Melissa Piliang, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic 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
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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