Vitamin C Boosting Serum 30ml
Dr.Althea's Vitamin C Boosting Serum pairs 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid with straight Ascorbic Acid and niacinamide, worn in the morning after toner and before moisturizer and sunscreen.
No reviews yet30 ml
$191.67 per 100 ml
- Korean-market formula
- 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 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. Arrives in 3 to 7 business days
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- 30-day returns
- Free US shipping on orders of $100 or more
- Tracked delivery to your door
How it works
The Vitamin C Boosting 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 third on its own ingredient list. The same list carries Niacinamide, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate 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, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Adenosine and Allantoin on the same list, actives
- Niacin and Pantothenic Acid further down the same list
- Thiamine HCl and Riboflavin further down the same list
- 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid named third on the manufacturer list printed on this page
- The Korean-market release of this serum, confirmed against its Korean barcode
How to use
- Use it after toner or essence and before a moisturizer, applying two to three drops and patting in until absorbed. AM and/or PM, pairing with a sunscreen the following morning.
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.
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 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid?
Niacinamide, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate 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: Allantoin, Niacin and Pantothenic Acid.
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 (49): Water, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Panthenol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ascorbic Acid, Tocopherol, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Thiamine HCl, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine, Folic Acid, Biotin, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Dipropylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Propanediol, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyl trimonium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Potassium Hyaluronate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Xanthan Gum, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate /VP Copolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Solanum Melongena (Eggplant) Fruit Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Allantoin, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Taurine, Limonene
Ingredient list read from jolse.com on 10 September 2026.
43 of 49 explained
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Ascorbic Acid antioxidant
- Ascorbic Acid is pure vitamin C, the most researched form and also the least stable: it needs a low pH and airtight packaging to stay active. It is an antioxidant used for the look of dullness and uneven tone.
- Tocopherol antioxidant
- Tocopherol is vitamin E. It is an oil-soluble antioxidant that protects the oils in a formula from going rancid and works on skin as an emollient, and it is regularly paired with vitamin C because each keeps the other going for longer.
- Niacin vitamin
- Niacin is the acid form of vitamin B3. It is the same vitamin as niacinamide in a different chemical form, and it is used at very low levels as a conditioning vitamin.
- Pantothenic Acid vitamin
- Pantothenic Acid is vitamin B5, the form skin converts panthenol into. It is used as a conditioning humectant that leaves skin feeling soft rather than tight.
- Thiamine HCl vitamin
- Thiamine is vitamin B1, supplied as its hydrochloride salt so it dissolves in water. It is a conditioning vitamin and usually appears as part of a B-complex.
- Riboflavin vitamin
- Riboflavin is vitamin B2, and it is a strong yellow, so a formula carrying it often has a colour nobody added on purpose.
- Pyridoxine vitamin
- Pyridoxine is vitamin B6. In a formula it is a conditioning vitamin, most often in B-complex blends and scalp products.
31 more explained
- Folic Acid vitamin
- Folic Acid is vitamin B9. It is used in a formula as a conditioning vitamin, usually as part of a B-complex blend.
- Biotin vitamin
- Biotin is vitamin B7. In skincare it is a conditioning vitamin, most often in hair and scalp formulas.
- 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.
- Dipropylene Glycol humectant
- Dipropylene Glycol is a glycol used as a solvent and a light humectant. Its main job is keeping the rest of the formula dissolved and the texture fluid rather than adding hydration of its own.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate humectant
- Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid modified to be part oil-loving, so it clings to skin instead of rinsing away. Formulators call it the one that stays put.
- 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.
- 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.
- Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer humectant
- Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer is hyaluronic acid linked into a mesh. It holds water in a soft gel on the surface rather than sinking in, and it releases that water slowly through the day.
- Potassium Hyaluronate humectant
- Potassium Hyaluronate is another salt of hyaluronic acid, used for the same reason as the sodium form: it dissolves easily and holds a large amount of water in the outer layer of skin.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil fragrance component
- Sweet Orange Peel Oil is a citrus essential oil carrying limonene. It scents a formula, and limonene is one of the components EU labelling names separately.
- Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract plant extract
- Melia Azadirachta is neem. Its leaf and flower extracts are long-standing Ayurvedic ingredients, and Korean formulas use them in products aimed at the look of congested, blemish-prone skin.
- Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract plant extract
- Coccinia Indica is ivy gourd. Its fruit extract is used as a conditioning, hydrating plant extract in Korean formulas.
- Solanum Melongena (Eggplant) Fruit Extract plant extract
- Eggplant Fruit Extract carries nasunin, the antioxidant pigment in aubergine skin. It is used as an antioxidant plant extract.
- Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract plant extract
- Ocimum Sanctum is holy basil, or tulsi. Its leaf extract carries plant antioxidants and is used in formulas built for the look of stressed, reactive skin.
- Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract plant extract
- Turmeric Root Extract carries curcuminoids, well studied plant antioxidants. It is used for the look of dullness and uneven tone, and it tints a formula faintly yellow.
- Corallina Officinalis Extract plant extract
- Corallina Officinalis is coral seaweed, which holds calcium and magnesium in its structure. Its extract is used as a mineral-rich conditioning ingredient.
- 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.
- Taurine amino acid
- Taurine is an amino acid that occurs in high concentration inside the body cells, where it helps regulate water balance. In a formula it is a humectant and conditioning agent.
- 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.
- Market
- Korean market, the version sold in Korea
- EAN (barcode)
- 8809447254388
- Made in
- Republic of Korea
- Volume
- 30 ml
- Category
- Serum & Ampoule
- Actives
- Adenosine, Allantoin, Hyaluronic Acid, Licorice Root, Niacinamide, Panthenol, Sea Buckthorn, Sodium Hyaluronate, 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.
Inside the formula
Inside the formula
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.
- This list names Limonene, so skip it if fragrance components are something you avoid.
Complete the routine
- This itemDr.Althea Vitamin C Boosting Serum 30ml$57.50
- Seal the routine in as the last stepDr.Althea 147 Barrier Cream 50ml$52.50
- Prep after cleansing, before the treatment stepDr.Althea Anastatica Skin Conditioning Pad 65ea/170ml$47.50
Total for 3 items$157.50
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Dr.Althea Vitamin C Boosting Serum 30ml
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Dr.Althea, Korean-market original
Dr.Althea's Dr.Althea Vitamin C Boosting Serum is built around 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, in the 30ml bottle it ships in 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 skin care, quoted from the medical sources linked beside each.
Your skin barrier is basically your outer layer of the skin.
Melissa Piliang, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic Pretty much every step of a Korean skin care routine is going to have some component of hydration.
Alok Vij, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic
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