Azelaic Acid 10% Kojic Tea Tree Serum

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 (29): Purified Water, Azelaic Acid (10%), Tea Tree Leaf Water (10%), Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Disodium Phosphate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Maltodextrin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Coptis Mitaeniaca Root Extract, Agar, Gellan Gum, Kojic Acid (1,000 ppm), Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxydecyl Ubiquinone, Adenosine, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Malachite Extract, Tea Tree Leaf Oil (50 ppm), Arginine, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Glutathione, Bisabolol, Sunflower Seed Oil, Xanthophyll

28 of 29 explained

Purified 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.

Azelaic Acid (10%) active

Azelaic Acid is a grain-derived acid used for the look of redness and uneven tone. It is not an exfoliant in the AHA sense and is usually formulated at 10 percent or below in cosmetics.

Tea Tree Leaf Water (10%) plant extract

Tea Tree Leaf Water is the distillate, used in place of plain water as a base. It carries a trace of the plant's aroma and none of the essential oil's strength.

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.

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride emollient

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is the light fraction of coconut oil, with the heavy parts removed. It is the workhorse emollient of modern formulas: it softens skin, dissolves oil-soluble actives and absorbs without the greasy weight of a whole plant oil.

Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin solvent

Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin is a ring-shaped sugar that traps an active molecule inside itself, keeping it stable and releasing it slowly. It is a delivery shell rather than an active.

Disodium Phosphate pH adjuster

Sodium Phosphate is a buffer salt. It holds a formula at a steady pH so its actives stay in the form they work in.

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.

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.

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.

Maltodextrin film former

Maltodextrin is a starch-derived sugar chain used to carry powdered extracts and to form a light film. It also gives a soft, smoothing feel.

Hydroxyethylcellulose thickener

Hydroxyethylcellulose is a cellulose thickener that builds a clear, smooth gel and holds the rest of the formula in suspension.

Market

Korean market, the version sold in Korea

EAN (barcode)

8809563103980

Made in

Republic of Korea

Volume

30ml

Category

Serum & Ampoule / Blemish/tone-clarifying serum

Actives

Adenosine, Azelaic Acid, Bisabolol, Glutathione, Niacinamide, Tea Tree

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.

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.