Is Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream worth it?

The gurus mostly approve it, but with enough reservations to keep it in the middle at a Guru Score of 69%.

What is Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream's Guru Score?

Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream holds a Guru Score of 69%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 9 expert reviewers we have collected.

Who is Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream best for?

Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream is generally suited to sensitive skin and acne-prone skin.

Dr. Althea

Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream.

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Moisturizers

About this product

A lightweight K-beauty moisturizer formulated with niacinamide, centella, ceramides, and hyaluronic acid, designed to hydrate and support skin barrier health, particularly for acne-prone skin.

Full ingredients

Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Cyclohexasiloxane, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Niacinamide, Panthenol, Polyglycerin-3, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Hydrogenated Polydecene, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Eclipta Prostrata Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Flower Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Agave Tequilana Leaf Extract, Sargassum Fulvellum Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Perilla Ocymoides Leaf Extract, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Empetrum Nigrum Fruit Juice, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, C14-22 Alcohols, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Dipropylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Guru Score

69%

Mixed

9 experts · Strong agreement

What the gurus are saying

This cream earns consistent praise for its lightweight texture and gentle support of skin barrier health, especially for those managing acne or using active ingredients like tretinoin. Gurus highlight its fragrance-free formula, non-irritating performance, and silky finish that works well under makeup and pairs seamlessly with treatments. However, texture preferences split sharply: some find it absorbs beautifully and feels skin-like, while others report it feels either too light or slightly stuffy from silicone, and a few note it underwhelms compared to hype, particularly for dry or mature skin types.

Synthesized from 9 expert reviews · most recent take October 2026

What they liked

Silky, skin-like finish once dried down
Affordable for the size

What they flagged

Too thin to moisturize dry or damaged skin
Texture feels inconsistent across skin types
May need layering for adequate hydration

Best for

Sensitive skin Acne-prone skin

Type

MoisturizersCream

Key actives

Niacinamide Hyaluronic acid

Formula notes

Fragrance-freeNo drying alcohol

Where to buy

Ulta → Amazon → Google → iHerb →

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What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored

AliceintheRabbitHole

59k subs

~Yay

"Another top recommendation is the Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream. [...] It might be too light for dry skin in the winter, that's the only catch, but it's non-irritating, has [...] gorgeous ingredients, and is lovely under makeup or before a night mask. [...] I'm recommending it because I think it moisturizes well, period, not because of any particular ingredient claim."

Sincerely Miss Ash

195k subs

~Yay

"I go through this quite a bit and I actually use it in the winter as well, I just really love how lightweight it is, and it's another good one to use with tretinoin and active ingredients. I really love it for my morning routine because of how thin and lightweight it is, and it always sits great underneath sunscreen as well as makeup. [...] It spreads quite nicely across the skin, it's never sticky or tacky, and it never pills with other skincare either."

All 7 takes from Sincerely Miss Ash

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"If I'm not using this at nighttime, I will opt for the Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream. I actually really like to use that one in my morning, but sometimes if I want more of that lightweight option, I will use the Dr. Althea on top of my tretinoin. This is fragrance-free. It's great for all skin types and I just really love this with actives."

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"It's fragrance-free. You don't need a lot of this product. It spreads quite nicely. You can use this [...] on top of tretinoin or on top of a retinol. You can use this with your exfoliating acids. You can honestly pair this up with anything like vitamin C, copper peptides. I have used this with so many things and I've just loved my experience every time I have used this. Once this dries down, you will have a silky finish to your skin and you might have a slight glow to your skin as well."

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"It's very lightweight and I just love the finish that it gives the skin because once it dries down, it's skin-like. It just looks like your skin. So, it's not super shiny. It's not mattifying and it just makes your skin feel so good. And when I have post acne marks, it actually does help to brighten up the skin, especially those areas. [...] This has a lot of ceramides in here as well, lipids, cholesterol, fatty acids. [...] This one is more lightweight and perfect for your morning routine."

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"Sometimes I like to use the Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream. I've talked about this before. This is great for acne-prone skin, great if you have discoloration, but also it's very hydrating and repairing. [...] This is K-beauty, by the way."

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"If I'm not using the Embryolisse, I'm using this. It's actually great for those that are acne prone with oily combination skin, it has a gel-lotion type of hybrid texture. If you have dryness and you're very tight, this might not be satisfying enough for you, you might like the Embryolisse better if you're on the drier side, or the Aurora face cream."

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"It's great for post acne marks and acne prone skin, and works for oily, dry, or normal skin, though if you have extremely dry, parched skin it may not be hydrating enough for you. This never breaks me out and it was hydrating enough for me even in the dead of winter. There are no conflicts, so you can pair it with tranexamic acid, retinol, copper peptides, or vitamin C. It's fragrance free and I've never experienced peeling with this."

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No BS Beauty

89k subs

~Mixed

"In terms of the it factor, I didn't love this product, I wasn't overly impressed, I just find it more of a moisturizer. That being said, it probably isn't geared towards my skin type, but if you really do have acne-prone skin, there are a lot of ingredients that are actually really gold standard treatments for acne. [...] This one's got a different ingredient list everywhere, so it's really hard to compare."

James Welsh

1.58M subs

~Mixed

"It does a good job at moisturizing. Some relief when my skin was irritated, but the texture has always been a bit of a letdown for me. Either I find myself getting too dry too quickly or too oily too quick. And obviously, that's on my skin. But there's other creams that I feel like do a very similar job, but do it better."

Nipun Kapur

412k subs

~Mixed

"This is great if you are someone with oily, acne-prone skin or even if you have active acne, because when you are treating acne, you end up using products that are drying, like adapalene and benzoyl peroxide. So this really works on your skin barrier, keeps it calm, keeps it restored, and soothes it. It is a really good cream, but please do not expect that it is going to completely transform your skin."

CYoung

95k subs

~Mixed

"I really didn't like the packaging, it's too Instagrammable and it's just annoying. I do like the cheaper version more. This one is easier and works for whatever your skin type is, you can easily use it. It's not too heavy, more like something between a lotion and a cream, so easy to apply. People say it works like a barrier repair if your skin is damaged, but I don't really think so. I would pick Aestura over this if I'm comparing, but it's not that bad."

All 4 takes from CYoung

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"345 is definitely the winner, I also put this in my moisturizer tier list video, and I tested it with my makeup artist friends and a lot of them love it because it feels like a really nice cream texture that [...] just goes into your skin so well, pretty good moisturizer for everyday, amazing. But I think some of the ingredients are there for barrier strengthening, it has maybe a little silicone layer, so it feels a little stuffy, and other makeup artists said the same thing."

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"Dr. Althea 345 Cream is known as a skin barrier cream, but I disagree, I think it's an everyday moisturizer with niacinamide and panthenol. Many reviews say it calms things down when you're about to break out, especially for acne prone skin, and this post acne cream is good for teens and people in their 20s. But the moisture is insufficient for dry, mature, or damaged skin. Normally what I'd reach for more often is Dr. Althea."

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"The texture is thick but I appreciate both the tube type and the naming because it is very smart. However, the moisturizing power is not strong enough to rebuild the skin barrier. It is good as an everyday moisturizer for dry skin, but if you need medicine for your skin in an emergency I will definitely choose the Illiyoon repair lotion instead."

Kelly Driscoll

91k subs

~Nay

"I'm just really not impressed by it that much. [...] I don't feel that this product falls into that at all. I think there's a very specific type of person that will be really thrilled with this product and I will be honest with you I am not that person. [...] My skin type does not jive with this product at all. [...] I do have combination skin so I do produce a little bit more oil in my T-Zone area and then my U Zone area is more dry and prone to dehydration."

All 3 takes from Kelly Driscoll

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"I personally don't enjoy it as much as I do the 147 cream. The 345 cream gets a lot more attention, particularly in content, but the 147 cream is really focused on calming the skin, strengthening the skin in this nice creamy texture that's not really heavy and dense."

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"Now, the reason why I'm calling it the worst, and it's not the worst, by the way, it's just a fine product in my opinion. For me, it was sort of a meh. It got really hyped up on TikTok particularly. A lot of folks go hard for this cream and for me it just didn't live up to the hype. [...] That's part of the reason why I want to name it as not even worse but a meh product just because I think the hype is a little bit bigger than this particular product."

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Tina Tanaka Harris

277k subs

~Yay

"I've never not had it in my collection since I discovered it maybe two years ago. They market it as a post-acne cream, but honestly, I think it's just a cover-all basis cream, and that is why so many people love using it as their everyday moisturizer."