Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum Review: Fungal Acne, Rosacea and Who Should Skip It

Last updated: October 2026

If you’ve been anywhere near K-beauty lately, you’ve seen this little golden bottle. The Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum turns up on every “best K-beauty serum” list going, usually next to someone’s very glowy cheekbone.

Glowy is lovely. But I’ve got combination skin and type 1 rosacea, so before anything gets a spot in my routine I want to know what’s in the bottle and how it behaves on my face, not someone else’s. So I went through all 30 ingredients and tried it on my own skin. Then I worked out who I’d hand this serum to (and the two groups I’d gently wave away).

Buy the Glow Serum hereUK: up to 25% off at LOOKFANTASTIC with code LFTFNEVEEN

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What is the Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum?

Its full name is Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide. Beauty of Joseon makes it for large pores and inflamed, blemish-prone skin, and you can get it in a 30ml bottle or a 60ml jumbo size. LOOKFANTASTIC sells the jumbo as an exclusive.

Retailers list it at 60% propolis extract and 2% niacinamide, and StyleKorean adds that there’s 0.5% BHA in there too. So it’s a hydrating serum first, with a little pore help tucked in.

Glow Serum vs Glow Deep Serum: they’re not the same bottle

Quick one, because this trips loads of people up. The names are one word apart, and when I searched for Glow Serum reviews, a few of the top results were about the other one.

The Glow Deep Serum is Rice + Alpha-Arbutin. The Glow Serum, the one I’m reviewing here, is Propolis + Niacinamide. Different ingredients, different job. Check the label before you hit buy.

How the Glow Serum feels on my skin

Okay, here’s my bit. When it comes out of the bottle it looks thick and a little syrupy. Think lightweight honey gel, not a runny essence.

Then it glides over your skin with this cushiony, slippery feel. Right after it goes on there’s a little grip to it – tacky for a moment. It settles in a short time though, and what’s left is skin that looks smooth and hydrated. Glowy too, which is the whole point.

If your skin’s on the thirsty side, or combo like mine, and you love a dewy finish, this one makes sense. Hate any kind of shine on your face? Then this probably isn’t your serum.

The good ingredients in the Glow Serum, and what they do

This is the bit I always want first. The positions below come from the ingredient list on LOOKFANTASTIC UK, which is the order most shops show. What each one does is in Beauty of Joseon’s words or a retailer’s where I say so, and from INCIDecoder or SkinSort for the rest.

Using it with other products? Check how it layers with your routine in my free routine checker.

Propolis being first is the big deal here. Ingredients are listed from most to least, so it’s the main thing in the bottle, ahead of the water. Niacinamide at 6th is right where I’d expect for a 2% serum.

There’s also neem, holy basil, cocoa and tea tree extract, 14th on the list, further down. I’ll come back to that tea tree in the rosacea bit, because it matters for skin like mine.

Heads up: there are two ingredient lists out there

This is the same thing I found with the Dynasty Cream. On LOOKFANTASTIC UK and most shops, propolis extract is 1st and water is 5th.

But Cult Beauty UK and Ocado both show a different order, with water first, propolis extract 5th and betaine salicylate moved up to 8th. Same main ingredients, shuffled. Since lists run from most to least, that’s a real difference in how much propolis is in the bottle.

Either way, both versions still have tea tree extract, the BHA, tamanu oil and polyglyceryl-10 laurate in them, so nothing I say below changes. I’d just check the box on the one you get.

Is the Glow Serum good for rosacea and sensitive skin?

It’s a maybe, and here’s why I won’t give it a straight yes. I didn’t see any added fragrance on the list, which is a good start. But it does have tea tree extract and a gentle BHA, and both of those can be a bit much for reactive cheeks.

Then there’s the propolis itself. If you know you react to propolis or bee products, skip this one, because it’s the main ingredient.

For rosacea skin like mine, I’d patch test on the jaw first, then try it on the T-zone and chin before going anywhere near red cheeks. Want a second opinion on the list? Paste it into my skin ingredient checker, which flags what’s worth a second look for rosacea, fungal acne, seb derm and pore clogging. My Korean skincare for rosacea post has the products that helped my redness.

Is the Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum fungal acne safe?

No, and it’s two ingredients near the end that do it.

Calophyllum inophyllum seed oil (that’s tamanu oil) is 18th and polyglyceryl-10 laurate is 22nd, an ester of lauric acid, which is a C12 fatty acid. Malassezia, the yeast behind fungal acne and seb derm, feeds on fatty acids and esters with C11 to C24 chains, and both of these fall in that range.

It’s a shame, because the serum is aimed at blemishes. But fungal acne isn’t regular acne, and it needs different rules. If you’re dealing with seb derm on your face, my seb derm face skincare directory has products I’ve already screened.

How to use the Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum

Directions say two or three drops onto clean skin after toner, then pat it in until it’s absorbed. StyleKorean suggests following with a moisturizer or layering it with Beauty of Joseon’s Dynasty Cream (I’ve gone through every ingredient in my Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream review if you’re thinking of pairing them).

Because there’s a mild BHA in it, I’d keep it off the nights you use a strong acid or a retinoid. At least to start. And give that tacky moment a minute to settle before your moisturizer goes on top.

Who I’d recommend it to, and who I wouldn’t

I’d point you at it if your skin’s combo or dehydrated and gets the odd regular breakout. A hydrating serum with gentle niacinamide and a soft BHA is a nice everyday pick for that, and the glow it leaves is lovely.

I’d skip it if you get fungal acne or seb derm, or if you know propolis dont agree with you. Very reactive rosacea skin should go slow because of the tea tree.

Over 40 like me and your skin’s started looking a bit flat? A dewy serum goes a long way. For dark spots and uneven tone, my Korean skincare for hyperpigmentation post covers the serums I’d look at. And if you need a moisturizer on top that’s kinder to seb derm, my seb derm safe Korean moisturizers post has nine I’ve screened.

Where to buy the Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum, and the discount codes for each

LOOKFANTASTIC is where I’d go first in the UK, because my code LFTFNEVEEN takes up to 25% off. Buying it in the US? STYLEVANA, YesStyle, Olive Young Global, SkinSeoul, StyleKorean, BuyBeautyKorea and iHerb all ship there as well as the UK, and Sephora US stocks it too. Over in Europe, Korean Skincare has it. Each code has its own page with the details: my LOOKFANTASTIC discount code, STYLEVANA discount code, YesStyle discount code, Olive Young discount code, SkinSeoul discount code and BuyBeautyKorea discount code pages, or all my discount codes in one place.

Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum FAQs

How much propolis is in the Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum?

Beauty of Joseon and its retailers describe it as 60% propolis extract, and propolis extract is the first ingredient on most published lists.

Is the Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum good for acne?

Beauty of Joseon makes it for blemish-prone skin, and it has 2% niacinamide and a gentle BHA called betaine salicylate. It isn’t a fit for fungal acne though, because polyglyceryl-10 laurate and tamanu oil are in it.

Is the Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum fungal acne safe?

No. Polyglyceryl-10 laurate and calophyllum inophyllum (tamanu) seed oil are both on the list, and both can feed malassezia.

Can I use the Glow Serum with rosacea?

Maybe. There’s no fragrance on the list, but it has tea tree extract and a mild BHA. Patch test first and try it on less reactive areas before your cheeks.

Is the Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum sticky?

It feels a little tacky for a moment right after it goes on, then it settles quickly and leaves a hydrated, glowy finish.

What is the difference between the Glow Serum and the Glow Deep Serum?

They’re two different serums. The Glow Serum is Propolis + Niacinamide, and the Glow Deep Serum is Rice + Alpha-Arbutin.

Can I use the Glow Serum with the Dynasty Cream?

Yes. StyleKorean suggests layering it with the Dynasty Cream. Just know that neither of them is fungal acne safe.

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