Dr. Althea vs Hada Labo
Dr. Althea and Hada Labo are celebrated Asian skincare brands that offer thoughtful moisturizers, gentle cleansers, makeup removers, and nourishing serums driven by soothing formulas and advanced science. Both brands suit dry skin and acne-prone skin best, providing balanced hydration and calm comfort to support a healthy skin barrier without clogging pores. While Dr. Althea delivers standout solutions like the Amino Acid Gentle Bubble Cleanser, the 345 Relief Cream, and the Vitamin C Boosting Serum, the brand relies on Korean skincare traditions. In contrast, Hada Labo features options such as the Gokujyun Lotion, the Shirojyun Premium Whitening Lotion, and the Gokujun Premium, applying Japanese formulation to restore essential moisture and address dark spots or mature skin.
Dr. Althea is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2014 and owned by The Pure Lab Co., Ltd..
doctoraltheaglobal.comdoctoralthea.co.kr
Hada Labo is a Japanese skincare brand founded in 2004 and owned by Rohto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd..
en.wikipedia.orghadalabosa.co.zahadalabotokyo.pl
This page compares some of the most popular Dr. Althea and Hada Labo products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.
Popular Dr. Althea vs Hada Labo products
People Say
Hydration and Moisture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
- “skin drinks it up — Hada Labo Gokujyun Lotion”
- “Plumps fine lines — Hada Labo Gokujun Premium”
- “leaves skin soft, smooth, and hydrated — Hada Labo Shirojyun Premium Whitening Lotion”
- “hydrating but light — Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream”
Gentle Formula Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
- “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”
- “never stings my sensitive skin — Hada Labo Gokujyun Lotion”
Soothing and Calming Mostly MentionedSometimes 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”
- “calms my redness — Hada Labo Premium Whitening Lotion (Light)”
Lightweight and Fast Absorbing Often MentionedOften Mentioned
- “absorbs beautifully — Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream”
- “absorbs quickly — Dr. Althea Vitamin C Boosting Serum”
- “absorbs super quickly — Hada Labo Premium Whitening Lotion (Light)”
- “absorbs super quickly — Hada Labo Shirojyun Premium Whitening Lotion”
Skin Texture and Brightening Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
- “faded considerably — Hada Labo Shirojyun Premium Whitening Lotion”
- “Makes my skin plump and hydrating. — Hada Labo Gokujyun Perfect Gel”
- “faded my PIH considerably — Hada Labo Premium Whitening Lotion (Light)”
- “faded dark spots — Dr. Althea Vitamin C Boosting Serum”
Pleasant Texture Often MentionedSometimes Noted
- “rich but non-greasy — Dr. Althea Barrier Cream”
- “Melts instantly — Dr. Althea Pure Grinding Cleansing Balm”
- “foams up well — Dr. Althea Amino Gel Cleanser”
- “Thick serum-like — Hada Labo Gokujun Premium”
Sticky or Tacky Finish Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
- “leaves a tacky film — Dr. Althea Vitamin C Boosting Serum”
- “Tacky residue — Hada Labo Gokujun Premium”
Causes Breakouts and Clogging Sometimes NotedOften 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”
- “gave me tiny bumps — Hada Labo Gokujyun Lotion”
Insufficient Moisture Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
- “not enough for dry skin — Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream”
- “not enough for dry patches — Hada Labo Premium Whitening Lotion (Light)”
Dr. Althea vs Hada Labo routines for dry skin
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Cleanser
CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
€7.50
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Hydrating Toner
Gokujyun Lotion
Morning
€30.78
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Moisturizer
Elizabeth Arden Advanced Ceramide Lift and Firm Night Cream
Morning · Evening · Once a week
€76.29
-
SPF
Purito Daily Soft Touch Sunscreen
Morning
€12.98
-
Pre-Cleanser
MISSHA Ultra Hyalon Cleansing Cream
Evening · Once a week
€16.10
-
Serum or Treatment
Peach & Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum
Evening · Once a week
€86.15
-
Nourishing Mask
Anua Heartleaf 77% Soothing Sheet Mask
Once a week
€19.90
-
Cleanser
Amino Acid Gentle Bubble Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
€18.99
-
Hydrating Toner
COSRX Propolis Synergy Toner
Morning
€18.55
-
Moisturizer
345 Relief Cream
Morning · Evening · Once a week
€22.22
-
SPF
Purito Daily Soft Touch Sunscreen
Morning
€12.98
-
Pre-Cleanser
Pure Grinding Cleansing Balm
Evening · Once a week
€15.00
-
Serum or Treatment
Vitamin C Boosting Serum
Evening · Once a week
€18.95
-
Nourishing Mask
Anua Heartleaf 77% Soothing Sheet Mask
Once a week
€19.90
Dr. Althea vs Hada Labo routines for oily skin
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Cleanser
CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
€11.35
-
Hydrating Toner
Shirojyun Premium Whitening Lotion
Morning · Once a week
€18.20
-
Moisturizer
COSRX Oil-Free Ultra-Moisturizing Lotion (with Birch Sap)
Morning · Evening · Once a week
€17.47
-
SPF
make p:rem UV Defense Me Blue Ray Sun Cream
Morning
€34.30
-
Pre-Cleanser
Shu Uemura Ultime8 Sublime Beauty Cleansing Oil
Evening · Once a week
€40.00
-
Cleansing Toner
Pixi Glow Tonic
Evening
€29.29
-
Serum or Treatment
Peach & Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum
Evening · Once a week
€86.15
-
Enzyme Powder
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
Once a week
€49.00
-
Cleansing Mask
HERBIVORE Botanicals Blue Tansy BHA and Enzyme Pore Refining Mask
Once a week
€79.97
-
Cleanser
Amino Acid Gentle Bubble Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
€18.99
-
Hydrating Toner
Some By Mi Snail Truecica Miracle Repair Toner
Morning · Once a week
€19.99
-
Moisturizer
345 Relief Cream
Morning · Evening · Once a week
€22.22
-
SPF
make p:rem UV Defense Me Blue Ray Sun Cream
Morning
€34.30
-
Pre-Cleanser
Pure Grinding Cleansing Balm
Evening · Once a week
€15.00
-
Cleansing Toner
Pixi Glow Tonic
Evening
€29.29
-
Serum or Treatment
Vitamin C Boosting Serum
Evening · Once a week
€18.95
-
Enzyme Powder
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
Once a week
€49.00
-
Cleansing Mask
HERBIVORE Botanicals Blue Tansy BHA and Enzyme Pore Refining Mask
Once a week
€79.97
Dr. Althea vs Hada Labo routines for combination skin
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Cleanser
Paula's Choice Perfectly Balanced Foaming Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
€32.00
-
Hydrating Toner
Premium Whitening Lotion (Light)
Morning · Once a week
€18.20
-
Moisturizer
COSRX Oil-Free Ultra-Moisturizing Lotion (with Birch Sap)
Morning · Evening · Once a week
€17.47
-
Pre-Cleanser
Shu Uemura Ultime8 Sublime Beauty Cleansing Oil
Evening · Once a week
€40.00
-
Cleansing Toner
Medicube Zero Pore Pad 2.0
Evening
€17.15
-
Serum or Treatment
Peach & Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum
Evening · Once a week
€86.15
-
Enzyme Powder
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
Once a week
€49.00
-
Cleansing Mask
HERBIVORE Botanicals Blue Tansy BHA and Enzyme Pore Refining Mask
Once a week
€79.97
-
Cleanser
Amino Acid Gentle Bubble Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
€18.99
-
Hydrating Toner
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner
Morning · Once a week
€36.00
-
Moisturizer
345 Relief Cream
Morning · Evening · Once a week
€22.22
-
Pre-Cleanser
Pure Grinding Cleansing Balm
Evening · Once a week
€15.00
-
Cleansing Toner
Medicube Zero Pore Pad 2.0
Evening
€17.15
-
Serum or Treatment
Vitamin C Boosting Serum
Evening · Once a week
€18.95
-
Enzyme Powder
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
Once a week
€49.00
-
Cleansing Mask
HERBIVORE Botanicals Blue Tansy BHA and Enzyme Pore Refining Mask
Once a week
€79.97
Questions and answers
Dr. Althea or Hada Labo: which is better?
Both Dr. Althea and Hada Labo are fragrance-free brands founded in the 2000s, but they excel in different areas based on review themes. Dr. Althea does better with gentle, soothing formulas, while Hada Labo performs better for deep hydration, skin texture, and brightening.
What is the difference between Dr. Althea and Hada Labo?
Dr. Althea and Hada Labo both offer fragrance-free formulations, but Hada Labo excels at deep hydration with hyaluronic acid while Dr. Althea focuses more on gentle, soothing ingredients like Centella asiatica. Reviewers note that Hada Labo provides superior hydration and brightening, whereas Dr. Althea is praised for its gentle cleansers and soothing moisturizers.
Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016
Dr. Althea or Hada Labo for dry skin?
Both Dr. Althea and Hada Labo provide a Superior routine fit for dry skin. Reviewers often mention Hada Labo for deep hydration and moisturization, while Dr. Althea is noted for its gentle, fragrance-free products.
Dr. Althea or Hada Labo: which moisturizer is better?
Hada Labo provides the Gokujyun Perfect Gel moisturizer, while Dr. Althea offers moisturizers like the 345 Relief Cream and Barrier Cream, with routines for dry skin rated as a Superior Lovi fit for both brands. Hada Labo is often noted for deep hydration, whereas Dr. Althea's moisturizers are frequently highlighted for soothing and calming benefits.
Which is more affordable, Dr. Althea or Hada Labo?
The provided page and facts do not contain pricing information, so a comparison of affordability between Dr. Althea and Hada Labo cannot be made.
Between Dr. Althea and Hada Labo, which brand is better for sensitive skin?
Dr. Althea does better for gentle and soothing formulations, while every product on this page from both brands lists no fragrance in its ingredients. For sensitive skin, Dr. Althea has Lovi fit levels of High across most of its cleansers and moisturizers, and Hada Labo reaches High for dry sensitive skin on several toners and its cleansing oil.
Do Dr. Althea and Hada Labo products contain fragrance?
Every product on this page for both Dr. Althea and Hada Labo lists no fragrance in its ingredients.
Which brand performs better for brightening and dark spot reduction?
Hada Labo performs better for brightening and dark spot reduction, as review themes show it does better in skin texture and brightening compared to Dr. Althea.
Dr. Althea or Hada Labo for oily skin?
Hada Labo is the better choice for oily skin, as Lovi rates its routine fit as Superior compared to High for Dr. Althea. Hada Labo products also feature lightweight, fast-absorbing toners and deep hydration without adding heavy moisture.
Dr. Althea or Hada Labo for acne-prone skin?
Both Dr. Althea and Hada Labo provide a Superior Lovi routine fit for acne-prone skin, with Dr. Althea offering especially gentle cleansers and Hada Labo focusing on deep hydration with hyaluronic acid.
Research behind their key ingredients
Preparation and characterization of a lecithin nanoemulsion as a topical delivery system
The anti-wrinkles properties of sodium acetylated hyaluronate
Moisturizing Effects of Diglycerol Combined with Glycerol on Human Stratum Corneum
Development and efficacy assessments of tea seed oil makeup remover
Nanocomplex of quaternized cyclodextrin grafted chitosan and hyaluronic acid for a skin delivery
Effects of fermented tea seed oil on the skin lipid barrier and microbiome of sensitive skin
Combined Effect of Silybin and Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate on UV-Induced Photoaging
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
-

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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