If you've spent any time in Korean skincare circles lately, you've probably seen the name Dr. Melaxin appear, usually attached to a photo of someone's very shiny, very smooth-looking face, and usually with a caption asking what on earth a "peel shot" is.
It's one of the newer names in K-beauty, and it approaches things a little differently to the gentle, hydration-first brands most people start with. If you're curious but not sure where it fits in a routine, here's what you need to know.
Who is Dr. Melaxin?
Dr. Melaxin is a South Korean dermocosmetics brand founded in 2021. Compared to K-beauty houses that have been around for decades, that makes it a genuine newcomer, and its rapid spread through beauty communities has been driven largely by word of mouth rather than heavy advertising.
The brand keeps its research and manufacturing in Korea, and its positioning sits closer to the clinical end of K-beauty than the botanical end. Where a brand like Beauty of Joseon leans into traditional hanbang ingredients and heritage, Dr. Melaxin's language is laboratory-flavoured: named complexes, capsule textures, and formats borrowed from in-clinic treatments.
That's the appeal, and also the reason it's worth understanding before you buy. This isn't a range of gentle daily basics. It's a range of targeted treatment steps designed to sit within a routine you've already built.
The ranges, explained
Dr. Melaxin organises its catalogue into distinct lines, each built around a different concern. Knowing which line does what makes the whole brand much easier to navigate.
- Peel Shot — The range the brand is best known for. These are rinse-off exfoliating ampoules built around a rice-based complex the brand calls Pentarice. They come in variants, most commonly Black Rice and White Rice, and they're used as a treatment step rather than a leave-on product.
- Cemenrete Calcium — A line built around calcium compounds, spanning creams, serums, balms and eye patches. This is the range to look at if you want richer, more comforting textures.
- TX — Formulated around tranexamic acid, with niacinamide appearing alongside it in several products. Aimed at people focused on the look of an uneven-looking complexion.
- CACTOX Pore Relief — Pore-focused formulas including a dual capsule cream, a jelly serum mist and a multi balm.
- Eye care — Including the Eyephalt Eyebag Cream, a compact 10 ml treatment for the under-eye area.
Where to start
The Peel Shot Exfoliating Black Rice Ampoule
If you buy one Dr. Melaxin product, this is almost certainly the one. It's the product that built the brand's reputation and the one most people arrive looking for.
It's a rinse-off exfoliating treatment. You apply it to clean, dry skin, avoiding the eye and mouth area, massage it in, then rinse with lukewarm water and continue with your usual routine. The texture is distinctive, and the sensation of using it is a large part of why it gets talked about online.
A few practical notes. This is an exfoliating step, so it doesn't belong in your routine every day, start with once a week and see how your skin responds before increasing. It also pairs best with gentle, simple products afterwards rather than a stack of other actives. And if you're already using other exfoliants, this replaces them rather than joining them.
Shop the Peel Shot Exfoliating Black Rice Ampoule (80 ml, $31.40)
The Cemenrete Calcium Intense Cream
The anchor of the calcium line, and a good counterpart to the Peel Shot: a richer, more cushioning moisturiser to follow a treatment step with.
Shop the Cemenrete Calcium Intense Cream (50 ml, $37.05)
The Eyephalt Eyebag Cream
A concentrated 10 ml eye cream with a lightweight texture that absorbs quickly, formulated for the look of the under-eye area. The small size makes it a low-commitment way to try the brand.
Shop the Eyephalt Eyebag Cream (10 ml, $47.45)
Who Dr. Melaxin suits
A good fit if you already have a settled routine, cleanser, moisturiser, sunscreen, and you're looking to add a targeted treatment step. It also suits people who enjoy a product that feels like it's doing something, and who like the format-driven, slightly clinical side of Korean skincare.
Maybe not yet if you're just starting out in K-beauty. If you're building your first routine, you'll get further with a good cleanser, a hydrating toner and a moisturiser than with an exfoliating treatment. Dr. Melaxin will still be here when your routine has a foundation to build on.
Go slowly if your skin tends to feel reactive or easily irritated. Introduce one product at a time, leave a week or two between additions, and always patch test first.
How to fit it into your routine
A simple structure that works for most people:
- Cleanse — an oil cleanser followed by a gentle foaming cleanser
- Treat — your Peel Shot step, once or twice a week, rinsed off
- Hydrate — a toner or essence
- Moisturise — a cream suited to how your skin feels that day
- Protect — sunscreen every morning, without exception
On the days you use an exfoliating step, keep everything else simple. And because exfoliation can leave skin more sensitive to sun, morning sunscreen matters more than usual, which, in Australia, is saying something.
Frequently asked questions
Is Dr. Melaxin available in Australia?
Yes. We stock Dr. Melaxin at Beauty Luminella with fast Australia-wide shipping, and every product is sourced directly from official Korean distributors.
How often should I use the Peel Shot?
Start with once a week. Some people build up to twice weekly, but more is not better, exfoliation works best in moderation, and how often you use it should depend on how your skin feels afterwards.
Can I use Dr. Melaxin with other Korean skincare brands?
Absolutely. Very few people use a single brand top to bottom, and Dr. Melaxin's products are designed as treatment steps that slot into an existing routine.
Is it suitable for sensitive skin?
Some products will suit sensitive skin better than others. Patch test anything new, introduce one product at a time, and if you have a specific skin condition, check with your GP or a dermatologist before adding exfoliating products.
How do I know I'm buying authentic Dr. Melaxin?
Buy from an authorised retailer. Counterfeits and grey-market stock are a genuine issue in Korean beauty, and heavily discounted product from unfamiliar sellers is often near expiry or improperly stored.
Shop the range
Shop all Dr. Melaxin | Dr. Melaxin Hero Spotlight collection