molvany
Arti-cica Refresh Calming Serum 30ml
molvany Arti-cica Refresh Calming Serum 30ml carries five separate centella asiatica forms on its own ingredient panel, including Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Madecassoside, Asiatic Acid.
No reviews yet30 ml
$100.00 per 100 ml
- Korean-market formula
- Ships from California or direct from Korea
- Korean barcode and batch code intact
- Suited to
- normalcombinationdryoily
- Helps with
- tone and texture supported by Glycerindaily hydration through the serum stepa Korean-market formula rather than a US reformulationa routine step matched to this format
In stock. Arrives in 3 to 7 business days
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You’re $100.00 away from free US shipping.
- 30-day returns
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How it works
The panel on this serum names five forms of centella asiatica rather than one: Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Madecassoside, Asiatic Acid, Asiaticoside. Centella Asiatica is the plant behind the whole cica category, sold as gotu kola or Madagascar centella. Its extract is the anchor of Korean formulas built for easily reddened skin, and its work is done by four triterpenes: asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic acid and madecassic acid. On this panel it sits alongside Niacinamide, Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract and Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Fruit Extract. 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.
Key benefits
- Five forms of centella asiatica on one panel, not a single token inclusion
- Niacinamide on the same panel, the formula's active
- Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract on the same panel, the formula's plant extract
- 30 ml to a unit
- Korean GS1 barcode matched against a Korea sourcing supplier's record for this item
How to use
- Use it as the serum step, AM and PM, after toner and before moisturizer, giving it a moment to settle before the next step.
Can I use this alongside other actives in my routine?
Yes. Glycerin is the lead active here, and it is formulated to sit alongside the rest of a routine rather than replace it. Introduce any new step on its own for the first week or two before adding it next to another strong active, so it is easy to tell which product is responsible for any change. Once it is settled into the routine, it layers the way any other serum in a Korean routine does.
How do I know this is authentic and not a US-reformulated version?
Check the box against the listing: an authentic Korean-market SKU carries Korean-primary packaging and an intact Korean-market batch code, not a US-only relabel. molvany's Korean-market formulas are sourced specifically to preserve that, rather than substituted for the US-shelf version some retailers carry under the same name.
When in a routine should I use this serum?
Use it as the serum step, AM and PM, after toner and before moisturizer. Placing a serum out of order is the most common reason a Korean routine feels like it is not working, so keep this one at its own step rather than doubling it up with a product built for a different stage. Give it a few weeks at that placement before judging the result.
What does Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract do in this formula?
Centella Asiatica is the plant behind the whole cica category, sold as gotu kola or Madagascar centella. Its extract is the anchor of Korean formulas built for easily reddened skin, and its work is done by four triterpenes: asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic acid and madecassic acid. It is named on this product's own ingredient panel.
What does Niacinamide do in this formula?
Niacinamide supports an even-looking skin tone and works alongside the formula's humectants to keep the surface comfortable. It is one of the most studied actives in Korean formulation for tone evenness and is gentle enough for daily AM and PM use. It sits at its own position on this product's own ingredient list rather than being assumed from the product name.
Not on the ingredient list below: fragrance or parfum, denatured or SD alcohol, essential oils, silicones, parabens, sulfate surfactants, mineral oil or petrolatum and added color.
Full INCI (56): Water, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Panthenol, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Xylitylglucoside, Trehalose, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Sodium Acrylic Acid/Ma Copolymer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Tromethamine, Glucose, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Prunus Mume Fruit Extract, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Dextrin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cynara Scolymus (Artichoke) Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Madecassoside, Asiatic Acid, Asiaticoside, Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Streptococcus Thermophilus Ferment, Ferulic Acid, Tocopherol, Propanediol, Artemisia Capillaris Extract, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Ceramide NP, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Potassium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid
Ingredient list read from inkeedecoder.com on 10 September 2026.
52 of 56 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Pentylene Glycol humectant
- Pentylene Glycol hydrates and, like the other longer-chain glycols, makes a formula less hospitable to microbes so the preservative system can be lighter. It also improves how evenly a product spreads.
- 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.
- Xylitylglucoside humectant
- Xylitylglucoside is a sugar-derived humectant, the third member of the xylitol blend. Together the three hold water in the outer layer for longer than any of them does alone.
- Trehalose humectant
- Trehalose is a sugar that some desert plants use to survive drying out. In skincare it is a humectant that holds water in the outer layer and helps a formula feel comfortable rather than tight.
- Anhydroxylitol humectant
- Anhydroxylitol is a xylitol derivative used as a humectant. It is almost always part of the xylitol, anhydroxylitol and xylitylglucoside blend sold as a moisture-retention complex.
- Xylitol humectant
- Xylitol is a sugar alcohol humectant. It holds water in the outer layer of skin and is often paired with anhydroxylitol and xylitylglucoside as a hydration trio.
40 more explained
- Sodium Acrylic Acid/Ma Copolymer thickener
- An acrylic copolymer used to thicken water into a gel and to hold an emulsion stable.
- 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.
- Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer thickener
- This is a carbomer relative with fatty side chains, so it thickens and stabilises an emulsion at the same time. It gives a light gel-cream body rather than a heavy one.
- Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil emollient
- Meadowfoam Seed Oil is over 95 percent long-chain fatty acids, which makes it exceptionally stable against going rancid. It is an emollient that leaves a soft, sealed feel.
- 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.
- Glucose humectant
- Glucose is a simple sugar used as a humectant and as food for the ferment ingredients in the same formula. It hydrates mildly and adds a soft slip.
- 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.
- Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract plant extract
- Papaya fruit extract. The fruit is where the enzyme papain comes from, and the extract is used both as a conditioning extract and in gentle enzyme formulas.
- Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Fruit Extract plant extract
- Grape Fruit Extract carries polyphenols and fruit acids. It is used as an antioxidant plant extract.
- Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract plant extract
- Apple fruit extract, carrying malic acid, sugars and polyphenols. It is used as a conditioning extract with a mild acid character.
- Prunus Mume Fruit Extract plant extract
- Korean plum extract, from the fruit used to make maesil syrup. It is acidic and carries organic acids and polyphenols.
- 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.
- 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.
- Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract plant extract
- Gardenia Fruit Extract is the traditional East Asian yellow dye plant. In skincare it is used as an antioxidant extract, and it can tint a formula.
- Dextrin thickener
- Dextrin is a starch fragment used to thicken and to give a formula a light, powdery finish. It is also a common carrier for powdered extracts.
- 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.
- Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract plant extract
- Centella Asiatica is the plant behind the whole cica category, sold as gotu kola or Madagascar centella. Its extract is the anchor of Korean formulas built for easily reddened skin, and its work is done by four triterpenes: asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic acid and madecassic acid.
- Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate emulsifier
- Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate is a sugar-derived emulsifier known for a light, non-soapy feel. It builds gel-creams that do not read as rich.
- Caprylyl Glycol preservative booster
- Caprylyl Glycol is a glycol that conditions skin and, more importantly, strengthens a preservative system so less of the traditional preservative is needed. It appears in most modern formulas built without parabens.
- Hydrogenated Lecithin emulsifier
- Hydrogenated Lecithin is lecithin with its unsaturated bonds filled in, which makes it far more stable. It emulsifies and is the standard shell for the liposomes that carry actives into the outer layer of skin.
- Madecassoside active
- 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.
- Asiatic Acid active
- Asiatic Acid is the third of centella's four triterpenes and the aglycone form, meaning it has no attached sugar. It is oil soluble, so it turns up in cica creams and balms more than in watery layers.
- Asiaticoside active
- Asiaticoside is one of the four active triterpenes isolated from centella and the most studied of them. Korean formulas name it separately when they want to show which fraction of the plant they standardised.
- Cetearyl Glucoside emulsifier
- Cetearyl Glucoside is a sugar-derived emulsifier used to hold oil and water together in creams with a light finish.
- Biosaccharide Gum-1 polysaccharide
- Biosaccharide Gum-1 is a fermentation-derived sugar polymer that binds to skin and holds a moisture film in place. It gives a silky, non-tacky feel.
- Bifida Ferment Lysate ferment
- Bifida Ferment Lysate is a bifidobacteria ferment with the cells broken open. It is the ingredient behind the first-essence category and is used for the look of tired, reactive skin.
- Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate ferment
- Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate is the ferment with the bacterial cells broken open, so their contents are in the formula too. It is a conditioning ferment used in barrier-focused products.
- Streptococcus Thermophilus Ferment ferment
- Streptococcus Thermophilus Ferment is a yoghurt-culture ferment. It is used for its conditioning effect on the outer layer of skin.
- Ferulic Acid antioxidant
- Ferulic Acid is a plant antioxidant from bran and seeds. Its main formulation job is stabilising vitamins C and E so a serum keeps working for longer, which is why the three appear together so often.
- 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.
- 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.
- Artemisia Capillaris Extract plant extract
- Artemisia Capillaris is a mugwort species used in Korean and Chinese traditional practice. Its extract is used for the look of reddened, reactive skin.
- Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate antioxidant
- Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate is a water-soluble, stable vitamin C salt. It works at near-neutral pH, so it appears in formulas aimed at skin that pure ascorbic acid leaves stinging.
- Ceramide NP barrier 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Market
- Korean market, the version sold in Korea
- EAN (barcode)
- 8809743547672
- Made in
- Republic of Korea
- Volume
- 30 ml
- Category
- Serum & Ampoule
- Actives
- Centella Asiatica, Ceramide NP, Hyaluronic Acid, Madecassoside, Niacinamide, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Trehalose
- 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 on the inner arm first if trying a new brand's formula for the first time.
- Stop use and check the ingredient list against any known sensitivities before continuing.
Complete the routine
- This itemmolvany Arti-cica Refresh Calming Serum 30ml$30.00
- The treatment step of this routinemolvany Castanea Crenata Inner Shell Pore Tightening Serum 50ml$47.50
- From the same Korean-market linemolvany Artichoke Soothing Acne Pore Toner Pad 70ea+70ea(Refill) Set$77.50
Total for 3 items$155.00
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molvany Arti-cica Refresh Calming Serum 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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molvany, Korean-market original
The Korean-market serum built around Glycerin, from molvany, sourced for the Korean market and reviewed before it ever reaches this page.
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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