Pure Retinol 0.15% Cream

Dr. Althea

Where to buy Possibly in stock

About this product

The Dr. Althea Pure Retinol 0.15% Cream is a treatment. Our analysis of its 40 ingredients (34 low-risk) rates it Excellent (94/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone and dry skin.

Vegan-friendly Reef-safe

Summarised from our ingredient analysis — not brand marketing copy.

At a glance

Type
Treatments
Ingredients
40
Low-risk
34
Fragrance
Fragrance-free
Origin
South Korea
Data updated
Jun 2026

The evidence

Quick Product Notes

Paraben-Free Sulfate-Free Alcohol-Free Silicone-Free EU Allergen-Free Fungal Acne (Malassezia) Safe

Notable Effects & Ingredients

No Notable Effects & Ingredients

Ingredients Related to Skin Types

Good   Bad — tap a skin type to see which ingredients · estimated from ingredient functions
Dry Skin 10/4
Good for dry skin
C13-14 Isoparaffin Betaine Cetyl Ethylhexanoate Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Caprylyl Glycol Butylene Glycol Glycerin Cholesterol Hydrogenated Polydecene
Caution for dry skin
Xanthan Gum Glycerin Hydrogenated Lecithin Laureth-7
Oily/Acne-Prone Skin 1/0
Good for oily/acne-prone skin
Retinol
Sensitive Skin 6/8
Good for sensitive skin
Kojic Acid Madecassoside Glycerin Pentaerythrityl Tetra-di-t-butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate Hydroxyacetophenone Allantoin
Caution for sensitive skin
Kojic Acid Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Butylene Glycol Glycerin Phenylpropanol Tromethamine Hydrogenated Polydecene Retinol

Ingredients list

40 total
Lower hazard (1) Higher hazard (9)
All40 Skin Conditioning28 Solvent9 Viscosity Controlling8 Humectant7 Hair Conditioning6 Film Forming6 Emollient6 Antioxidant5
EWG CIR Ingredient Name & Cosmetic Functions Notes
9
A
Retinol
(Skin Conditioning)
Bad for Sensitive Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
1
Water
(Solvent)
B
Centella Asiatica Leaf Water
(Skin Conditioning)
2
A
Glycerin
(Denaturant, Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Oral Care Agent, Oral Health Care Drug, Skin Protecting, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Perfuming, Solvent)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
1
A
Butylene Glycol
(Fragrance, Skin Conditioning, Solvent, Viscositydecreasing Agent, Humectant, Masking, Viscosity Controlling)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
1
A
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
(Emollient, Masking, Perfuming, Skin Conditioning, Solvent)
1
B
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient)
2
A
Hydrogenated Polydecene
(Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Solvent)
1
A
1,2-Hexanediol
(Solvent)
1
A
Panthenol
(Antistatic Agent, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
1
B
Betaine
(Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Antistatic Agent, Skin Conditioning, Viscosity Controlling)
1
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer
(Viscosity Controlling)
4
B
Polyacrylamide
(Binding Agent, Film Forming, Hair Fixing, Antistatic Agent, Binding)
1
Hydroxyacetophenone
(Antioxidant)
1
B
C13-14 Isoparaffin
(Emollient, Solvent)
1
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
(Emulsion Stabilising, Film Forming, Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-di-t-butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
(Antioxidant)
2
A
Hydrogenated Lecithin
(Skin Conditioning, Emulsifying, Surfactant, Suspending Agent Nonsurfactant)
1
Benzotriazolyl Dodecyl p-Cresol
(Uv Absorber)
1
A
Ethylhexylglycerin
(Deodorant, Skin Conditioning)
2
A
Tromethamine
(Fragrance, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent, Masking)
P-Cresol
(Antimicrobial, Perfuming)
1
Bakuchiol
(Cosmetic Biocide, Antimicrobial)
1
Glyceryl Polymethacrylate
(Film Forming, Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
HDI/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer
(Anticaking Agent)
3
B
Laureth-7
(Emulsifying, Surfactant)
1
A
Xanthan Gum
(Binding Agent, Emulsion Stabilising, Skin Conditioning, Surfactant Emulsifying Agent, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Binding, Gel Forming, Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
Cholesterol
(Emulsion Stabilising, Skin Conditioning, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Emollient, Emulsifying, Stabilising, Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
Polyvinyl Alcohol
(Binding Agent, Film Forming, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Viscosity Controlling)
1
Sodium Phytate
(Chelating Agent, Oral Care Agent)
1
Methylpropanediol
(Solvent)
TOCOPHEROL
(Antioxidant, Fragrance, Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Allantoin
(Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Soothing)
Good for Oily Skin
Good for Oily Skin
Good for Sensitive Skin
Good for Sensitive Skin
1
A
Caprylyl Glycol
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Humectant)
1
Ceramide NP
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning)
1
Phenylpropanol
(Masking, Perfuming, Solvent)
1
Madecassoside
(Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning)
6
7
B
Kojic Acid
(Antioxidant)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
1
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
(Humectant, Skin Conditioning)
1
Sodium DNA
(Skin Conditioning)

My Ingredient Notes

No personal ingredient notes yet. Save ingredients to your profile to get good/bad alerts here.

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Key ingredients

Antioxidants
Shields skin from free radical damage.
Retinoid
Visibly reduces the signs of aging.
Vitamin E
Protects skin and soothes irritation.
Ceramides
Locks in moisture and supports skin barrier.
Peptides
Supports skin hydration and improves firmness.
Bakuchiol
Encourages gentle skin renewal and boosts firmness.
Kojic Acid
Brightens skin and helps fade dark spots.
Show all 7 key ingredients

Benefits

Barrier RepairStrengthen and restore your skin's natural barrier.
HydratingBoosts hydration and relieves dry, tight skin.
Reduces IrritationEases discomfort and supports skin resilience.
Redness ReducingSoothes visible redness and calms irritation.
Anti-AgingSoftens lines and helps skin look youthful.
Scar HealingImproves the look of marks and scars.
BrighteningRestores radiance to dull, tired skin.
Dark SpotsFades dark spots for even skin tone.

Concerns

Not fungal acne (malassezia) safe
Retinol — higher EWG
Kojic Acid — higher EWG
May not suit sensitive skin

EWG flags hazard, not real-world risk — ratings don't account for how much of an ingredient a product contains. Treat these as things to research, not verdicts. How we score →

Ingredients explained

Water
Solvent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Solvent
Centella Asiatica Leaf Water
Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A CIR B Skin conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Emollient, Masking
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A EmollientMaskingPerfumingSkin conditioningSolvent
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
Skin conditioning, Emollient
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B Skin conditioningEmollient
Hydrogenated Polydecene
Fragrance, Hair conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 2 CIR A FragranceHair conditioningSkin conditioningEmollientSolvent
1,2-Hexanediol
Solvent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Solvent
Betaine
Hair conditioning, Humectant
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B Hair conditioningHumectantAntistatic agentSkin conditioningViscosity controlling
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer
Viscosity controlling
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Viscosity controlling
Polyacrylamide
Binding agent, Film forming
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 4 CIR B Binding agentFilm formingHair fixingAntistatic agentBinding
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Antioxidant
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient, Solvent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B EmollientSolvent
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion stabilising, Film forming
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Emulsion stabilisingFilm formingViscosity controlling
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-di-t-butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Antioxidant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Skin conditioning, Emulsifying
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 2 CIR A Skin conditioningEmulsifyingSurfactantSuspending agent- nonsurfactant
Benzotriazolyl Dodecyl p-Cresol
Uv absorber
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Uv absorber
+ 19 more — see the full ingredients list above
Retinol
Skin conditioning
Potentially a skin irritantRead moreShow less
EWG 9 CIR A Skin conditioning Bad for Sensitive Skin
Glycerin
Denaturant, Fragrance
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 2 CIR A DenaturantFragranceHair conditioningHumectantOral care agentOral health care drugSkin protectingViscosity decreasing agentPerfumingSolvent Good for Dry SkinFungal-acne trigger
Butylene Glycol
Fragrance, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A FragranceSkin conditioningSolventViscositydecreasing agentHumectantMaskingViscosity controlling Good for Dry Skin
Panthenol
Antistatic agent, Hair conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Antistatic agentHair conditioningSkin conditioning Good for Dry Skin
Allantoin
Skin conditioning, Skin protecting
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Skin conditioningSkin protectingSoothing Good for Oily SkinGood for Sensitive Skin
Kojic Acid
Antioxidant
Higher-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 6–7 CIR B Antioxidant Good for Dry Skin

How to use

How to use

  • 1 Where it fits: Apply after toner and before moisturiser — thinnest to thickest.
  • 2 Morning only: Apply as the last step of your AM routine, after moisturiser, and reapply every ~2 hours of sun exposure.
  • 3 Wear SPF the next day: Acids and retinoids increase sun sensitivity — daily sunscreen is a must while using this.

General guidance from this product's category and active ingredients — always follow the directions on the package.

Trust & honesty

Officially notified as a cosmetic in Malaysia (NPRA). Government registration record.

Pregnancy & breastfeeding

Contains ingredients some choose to avoid or double-check while pregnant or nursing.

Often avoided
Retinoids (Vitamin A) (Retinol)

Topical retinoids (retinol, retinaldehyde, retinyl esters) are widely advised against in pregnancy as a precaution. The strongest evidence is for ORAL retinoids; topical absorption is low, but most clinicians err on the side of caution.

This is general information, not medical advice. Pregnancy guidance varies and depends on concentration and your individual situation — always check with your doctor, midwife or pharmacist. How we flag this.

Effective levels — general guide

The concentrations these actives are typically effective at in research — not a measurement of this product.

Retinoids (Vitamin A) 0.01–1%

Most studied between 0.1% and 1%. Higher is not automatically better — irritation climbs with dose, so a well-formulated lower strength is often the sweet spot.

Retinol

INCI lists don't disclose amounts, and we don't claim to know this product's levels — these are the ranges these ingredients are usually effective at, so you can tell a real formula from "fairy-dusting" a marketed active. How we estimate this.

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