Dr. Althea vs Galderma
Dr. Althea and Galderma are skincare brands offering targeted solutions for various complex needs. The Korean brand features thoughtful moisturizers, gentle cleansers, effective makeup removers, and nourishing serums driven by soothing formulas that suit dry and acne-prone skin best. Meanwhile, the Swiss brand focuses on specialized serums that fit oily and oily acne-prone skin best. Ultimately, the former emphasizes balanced hydration and calm comfort, whereas the latter specializes in potent treatments for specific blemishes.
Dr. Althea is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2014 and owned by The Pure Lab Co., Ltd..
doctoraltheaglobal.comdoctoralthea.co.kr
Galderma is a Swiss skincare brand founded in 1981 and owned by Galderma Group AG.
This page compares some of the most popular Dr. Althea and Galderma products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.
Popular Dr. Althea vs Galderma products
People Say
Gentle Formula Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
- “doesn't dry out my face — Dr. Althea Amino Acid Gentle Bubble Cleanser”
- “skin doesn't feel stripped — Dr. Althea Amino Gel Cleanser”
- “great for sensitive skin — Dr. Althea Vitamin C Boosting Serum”
- “didn't burn my face — Galderma Benzac AC Mild Strength 2.5% Acne Gel”
Acne Clearance and Prevention Not notedMostly Mentioned
- “cleared up my skin — Galderma Benzac AC Mild Strength 2.5% Acne Gel”
- “cystic acne gone — Galderma Epiduo Gel”
- “stops new pimples — Galderma Epiduo Gel”
Lightweight and Pleasant Texture Mostly MentionedNot noted
- “absorbs beautifully — Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream”
- “rich but non-greasy — Dr. Althea Barrier Cream”
- “Melts instantly — Dr. Althea Pure Grinding Cleansing Balm”
Soothing and Calming Mostly MentionedNot noted
- “calms redness — Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream”
- “instantly calms irritated skin — Dr. Althea Barrier Cream”
- “perfect for sensitive skin — Dr. Althea Amino Acid Gentle Bubble Cleanser”
Hydration and Moisture Often MentionedNot noted
- “hydrating but light — Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream”
- “consistently hydrated mornings — Dr. Althea Barrier Cream”
- “feels hydrated — Dr. Althea Amino Gel Cleanser”
Skin Texture Improvement Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
- “skin feels smooth — Galderma Epiduo Gel”
- “faded acne scars — Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream”
Severe Burning and Dryness Not notedMostly Mentioned
- “face on fire — Galderma Epiduo Gel”
Causes Breakouts and Purging Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
- “broke me out — Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream”
- “gave me cystic acne — Dr. Althea Barrier Cream”
- “broke me out badly — Dr. Althea Vitamin C Boosting Serum”
- “got worse first — Galderma Epiduo Gel”
Redness and Irritation Not notedMostly Mentioned
- “red as tomato — Galderma Epiduo Gel”
Bleaches Fabrics Not notedMostly Mentioned
- “bleached my towel — Galderma Benzac AC 5”
Dr. Althea vs Galderma routines for dry skin
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Cleanser
Amino Acid Gentle Bubble Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
A$25.00
-
Hydrating Toner
Pyunkang Yul Calming Deep Moisture Toner
Morning
A$23.99
-
Moisturizer
345 Relief Cream
Morning · Evening · Once a week
A$22.40
-
SPF
Bioderma Photoderm Mineral Fluide SPF50+
Morning
A$24.49
-
Pre-Cleanser
Pure Grinding Cleansing Balm
Evening · Once a week
A$26.99
-
Serum or Treatment
Vitamin C Boosting Serum
Evening · Once a week
A$37.00
-
Enzyme Powder
FANCL Facial Washing Powder
Once a week
A$35.50
-
Nourishing Mask
MEDIHEAL Vita Essential Mask
Once a week
A$28.48
-
Cleanser
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
A$26.59
-
Hydrating Toner
Pyunkang Yul Calming Deep Moisture Toner
Morning
A$23.99
-
Moisturizer
d'Alba First Spray Serum
Morning · Evening · Once a week
A$26.09
-
SPF
Bioderma Photoderm Mineral Fluide SPF50+
Morning
A$24.49
-
Pre-Cleanser
MISSHA Ultra Hyalon Cleansing Cream
Evening · Once a week
A$27.35
-
Serum or Treatment
Benzac AC 5
Evening · Once a week
A$25.49
-
Enzyme Powder
FANCL Facial Washing Powder
Once a week
A$35.50
-
Nourishing Mask
MEDIHEAL Vita Essential Mask
Once a week
A$28.48
Buy Dr. Althea routine · A$223.85 · 91% fit
Buy Galderma routine · A$217.98 · 89% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit
Dr. Althea vs Galderma routines for oily skin
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Cleanser
CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
A$13.99
-
Hydrating Toner
Some By Mi Snail Truecica Miracle Repair Toner
Morning · Once a week
A$34.66
-
Moisturizer
COSRX Oil-Free Ultra-Moisturizing Lotion (with Birch Sap)
Morning · Evening · Once a week
A$22.99
-
SPF
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Clear Skin Dry Touch Sunscreen SPF 60
Morning
A$27.99
-
Pre-Cleanser
Shu Uemura Ultime8 Sublime Beauty Cleansing Oil
Evening · Once a week
A$80.43
-
Cleansing Toner
Caudalie Vinopure Purifying Toner
Evening
A$75.95
-
Serum or Treatment
Benzac AC 5
Evening · Once a week
A$25.49
-
Enzyme Powder
FANCL Facial Washing Powder
Once a week
A$35.50
-
Cleansing Mask
HERBIVORE Botanicals Blue Tansy BHA and Enzyme Pore Refining Mask
Once a week
A$118.35
-
Cleanser
Amino Acid Gentle Bubble Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
A$25.00
-
Hydrating Toner
Some By Mi Snail Truecica Miracle Repair Toner
Morning · Once a week
A$34.66
-
Moisturizer
345 Relief Cream
Morning · Evening · Once a week
A$22.40
-
SPF
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Clear Skin Dry Touch Sunscreen SPF 60
Morning
A$27.99
-
Pre-Cleanser
Pure Grinding Cleansing Balm
Evening · Once a week
A$26.99
-
Cleansing Toner
Caudalie Vinopure Purifying Toner
Evening
A$75.95
-
Serum or Treatment
Vitamin C Boosting Serum
Evening · Once a week
A$37.00
-
Enzyme Powder
FANCL Facial Washing Powder
Once a week
A$35.50
-
Cleansing Mask
HERBIVORE Botanicals Blue Tansy BHA and Enzyme Pore Refining Mask
Once a week
A$118.35
Buy Galderma routine · A$435.35 · 95% fit
Buy Dr. Althea routine · A$403.84 · 89% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit
Dr. Althea vs Galderma routines for combination skin
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Cleanser
Fresh Soy Face Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
A$73.61
-
Hydrating Toner
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner
Morning · Once a week
A$42.00
-
Moisturizer
COSRX Oil-Free Ultra-Moisturizing Lotion (with Birch Sap)
Morning · Evening · Once a week
A$22.99
-
Pre-Cleanser
Pyunkang Yul Deep Cleansing Oil
Evening · Once a week
A$30.99
-
Cleansing Toner
Medicube Zero Pore Pad 2.0
Evening
A$29.90
-
Serum or Treatment
Benzac AC 5
Evening · Once a week
A$25.49
-
Enzyme Powder
FANCL Facial Washing Powder
Once a week
A$35.50
-
Cleansing Mask
HERBIVORE Botanicals Blue Tansy BHA and Enzyme Pore Refining Mask
Once a week
A$118.35
-
Cleanser
Amino Acid Gentle Bubble Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
A$25.00
-
Hydrating Toner
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner
Morning · Once a week
A$42.00
-
Moisturizer
345 Relief Cream
Morning · Evening · Once a week
A$22.40
-
Pre-Cleanser
Pure Grinding Cleansing Balm
Evening · Once a week
A$26.99
-
Cleansing Toner
Medicube Zero Pore Pad 2.0
Evening
A$29.90
-
Serum or Treatment
Vitamin C Boosting Serum
Evening · Once a week
A$37.00
-
Enzyme Powder
FANCL Facial Washing Powder
Once a week
A$35.50
-
Cleansing Mask
HERBIVORE Botanicals Blue Tansy BHA and Enzyme Pore Refining Mask
Once a week
A$118.35
Buy Galderma routine · A$378.83 · 92% fit
Buy Dr. Althea routine · A$337.14 · 87% fitSee multi-brand routine · 95% fit
Questions and answers
Dr. Althea or Galderma: which is better?
Dr. Althea and Galderma both excel, with Dr. Althea providing a gentle and hydrating experience while Galderma specializes in effective acne clearance. Reviewers note that Dr. Althea offers soothing moisturizers, whereas Galderma is known for potent acne-clearing serums that may occasionally cause severe dryness.
What is the difference between Dr. Althea and Galderma?
Dr. Althea provides gentle, soothing, and hydrating formulas with a Superior fit for dry skin, whereas Galderma specializes in effective acne-clearing serums with a Superior fit for oily and acne-prone skin.
Dr. Althea or Galderma for dry skin?
For dry skin, Dr. Althea has a Superior routine fit, while Galderma has a High routine fit on this page. Reviewers report that Dr. Althea offers hydrating moisturizers and gentle cleansers, whereas Galderma products can cause severe dryness and peeling.
Which is more affordable, Dr. Althea or Galderma?
The provided page facts and reviews do not contain pricing information to determine whether Dr. Althea or Galderma is more affordable.
Which brand performs better for mature skin, Dr. Althea or Galderma?
For mature skin, Galderma achieves a superior Lovi fit, whereas Dr. Althea achieves a high Lovi fit.
How do Dr. Althea and Galderma compare regarding fragrance in their products?
Both Dr. Althea and Galderma feature no fragrance in the ingredients list for every product on this page.
Which brand is better suited for treating skin with dark spots?
Galderma is better suited for treating skin with dark spots, achieving a Superior Lovi fit level compared to Dr. Althea's High level.
Dr. Althea or Galderma for oily skin?
For oily skin, Lovi fit for Dr. Althea is High while Galderma is Superior. Galderma features effective acne-clearing serums, though reviewers sometimes note severe dryness and peeling.
Dr. Althea or Galderma for sensitive skin?
For sensitive skin, Dr. Althea has a High Lovi fit while Galderma has a Superior Lovi fit. Reviewers note that Dr. Althea offers gentle cleansers and soothing moisturizers, whereas Galderma products on this page can sometimes cause severe dryness, peeling, and irritation.
Dr. Althea or Galderma for acne-prone skin?
Both brands fit acne-prone skin well, with Dr. Althea achieving a Superior Lovi fit level for this skin type and Galderma also achieving a Superior Lovi fit level. Galderma is noted for effective acne-clearing serums, while Dr. Althea offers gentle and soothing cleansers and moisturizers.
Research behind their key ingredients
Behind this comparison
Lovi compares products by their fit scores, calculated from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
-

Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
-

Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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