Brand Comparison
Payot 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 7.9)
Payot
Payot invented the "Parisian facial massage" ritual. Their hand creams and face balms are Parisian spa-lounge classics. Less clinical than LRP/Vichy, more ritual-forward.
Pros
- ✓ 1920s heritage
- ✓ Distinct facial massage methodology
- ✓ Parisian aesthetic
Cons
- ✗ Pricing is high for the actives
- ✗ Less clinical than competitors
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
- ✗ packaging photographs less well than the K-pop-adjacent competition
