Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide Versus Beauty of Joseon Calming Serum: Green Tea + Panthenol

Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide Versus Beauty of Joseon Calming Serum: Green Tea + Panthenol

This acne serum is formulated around Propolis Extract and Niacinamide to clear breakouts and brighten dull-looking skin.

This calming serum is formulated around Panthenol and Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate to calm redness and strengthen the skin barrier.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

No concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Propolis Extract

Dipropylene Glycol

Glycerin

Butylene Glycol

Water

Niacinamide

1,2-Hexanediol

Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Curcuma Longa Root Extract

Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract

Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract

Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract

Centella Asiatica Extract

Corallina Officinalis Extract

Lotus Corniculatus Seed Extract

Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil

Betaine Salicylate

Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate

Tromethamine

Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate

Caprylyl Glycol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Dextrin

Pentylene Glycol

Octanediol

Tocopherol

Xanthan Gum

Carbomer

Propolis Extract, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Water, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Lotus Corniculatus Seed Extract, Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil, Betaine Salicylate, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Tromethamine, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dextrin, Pentylene Glycol, Octanediol, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer

Panthenol

Methylpropanediol

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Betaine

Allantoin

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Artemisia Capillaris Extract

Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer

Polyquaternium-51

Malt Extract

Coptis Japonica Root Extract

Water, Panthenol, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Methylpropanediol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Betaine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Allantoin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Artemisia Capillaris Extract, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Polyquaternium-51, Malt Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate

Reviews

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.

It is a:

Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin

Emollient, helping to soften skin

Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas

Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.

Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:

The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.

Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.

Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.

Topically, glycerin does several things at once:

Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.

Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.

This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.

Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract is from the Neem tree. Neem trees originate from India.

Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract contains antioxidants. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells, such as pollution.

The flowers of this tree are lilac colored.

This ingredient is also known as neem leaf extract. It contains natural compounds like nimbidin, quercetin, and other polyphenols that give it antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory activity.

Lab studies have shown neem leaf extract can inhibit acne-related bacteria and help calm skin. Animal studies on wound gels using 1-3% neem leaf extract found it sped up healing without causing irritation.

A wound-healing study testing gels with the extract at 1%, 2%, and 3% concentrations and found none of them irritated the skin.

Most commercial products also use it in a similar low range (typically under 5%).

Allergy-wise, there are some case reports on neem oil causing allergic contact dermatitis so people with plant/botanical sensitivities may want to patch test first.

Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.

In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.

Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:

Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.

Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.

You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.

Tromethamine (aka THAM) is a synthetic amino acid that shows up in skincare as a helper ingredient.

It functions as a pH adjuster to help neutralize acidic ingredients and set a formula's pH to the right spot.

This matters a lot because a lot of actives (like vitamin C) needs a specific pH to work well and feel comfortable on skin.

Concentration use ranges from 0.1-1.0% depending on the formula.

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!

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