Brand Comparison
Olay vs Dr. Althea
A head-to-head comparison of two popular K-beauty brands. Which one is right for your skin?
Our Pick
Dr. Althea
Higher editor rating (8.8 vs 7.8)
Olay
Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream and Retinol 24 are sleeper-hit anti-aging picks that hold up against brands 3x the price. The body lotion lineup is forgettable.
Pros
- ✓ Peptide and retinol at drugstore prices
- ✓ Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream is a legitimate cult product
- ✓ Strong R&D pipeline
Cons
- ✗ Fragrance in most products
- ✗ Dated branding obscures genuinely good formulas
- ✗ Lots of line confusion (Total Effects, Regenerist, Luminous, Retinol 24...)
Dr. Althea
Dr. Althea is the dermatologist-led K-beauty brand quietly outperforming its more-hyped peers on every actives-forward product. The 147 Enriched Cream (147 active and adjunct ingredients in one barrier cream) is the reason Reddit's AsianBeauty community keeps pointing new people here. No sparkly packaging, no K-pop collab — just well-built formulas with peptide, ceramide, and panthenol stacks that hold up under scrutiny.
Pros
- ✓ dermatologist-led clinical approach
- ✓ 147 Enriched Cream is a legitimate barrier workhorse
- ✓ minimalist, no-nonsense branding
- ✓ every product is actives-first
Cons
- ✗ brand voice is drier than its peers
- ✗ distribution outside Korea and Sephora is limited
