iUNIK Beta Glucan Serum Review: Is It Fungal Acne Safe?

I read the ingredient list on everything before it gets anywhere near my face.

That’s what seb derm does to you. After enough flare-ups you stop trusting the front of the bottle and go straight to the back, hunting for the oils and esters that set your skin off. (I got so fed up doing it by hand that I built my own skin ingredient checker, which tells you how deep this goes.)

So when I bought the iUNIK Beta Glucan Power Moisture Serum, I checked the list first. It passed. And it’s since become one of my go-tos whenever my skin needs extra hydration.

So this is my iUNIK Beta Glucan serum review. I’m starting with the bit that confused me, which is the two different ingredient lists you’ll find online.

My quick verdict on the iUNIK Beta Glucan serum

Buy the iUNIK serum▾See the UK and US options

iUNIK Beta Glucan Power Moisture Serum, 50ml

• SkinSeoul, code NEVEEN for 5% off
• STYLEVANA, code INF10NEVE for up to 25% off
• YesStyle, code NEVEEN15 built in
• StyleKorean, code NEVEEN20 built in
• Olive Young, code NEVEEN20 built in
• Superdrug
• buybeautykorea

SkinSeoul, STYLEVANA, YesStyle, StyleKorean and Olive Young all ship to the UK and the US. The same list is open further down the post.

For me, it’s worth it. It’s a hydrating serum and it doesn’t pretend to be anything else. There aren’t any exfoliating acids or retinol in it, just beta-glucan and a few humectants.

I reach for it most when my skin feels dry or a bit irritated. It’s also what I use when my barrier needs some help.

For calming my skin down and giving it a drink, I think it’s a really good pick. Don’t buy it hoping for anything dramatic, though.

What’s actually in it (and why there are two ingredient lists)

This part tripped me up, so I’m guessing it’s tripping you up too.

Search for the ingredients and two lists come up. The older formula has six ingredients, with water first and beta-glucan fourth. The current one has ten, and beta-glucan now leads the list. It also picks up glycerin, adenosine and a couple of thickeners (carbomer and sodium polyacrylate).

Current list: Beta-Glucan, Water, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butylene Glycol, Adenosine, Tromethamine, Sodium PCA, Carbomer, Sodium Polyacrylate.

Older list: Water, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Beta-Glucan, Sodium PCA, Ethylhexylglycerin.

← Swipe to see the full table on mobile

Which one will you get? Honestly, I can’t promise. Shops don’t always update their listings and old stock hangs around, so the box in your hands is the only list that counts.

On the big claims, retailers selling it say beta-glucan holds 20% more moisture than hyaluronic acid, and some listings mention 400,000ppm of beta-glucan. Those are the brand’s lab numbers and I’ve got no way of testing them at home. Does beta-glucan beat hyaluronic acid? No idea. I can tell you how it feels on my face though, and that’s coming up.

Is the iUNIK Beta Glucan serum fungal acne safe?

SkinSort says yes, for both versions. I can’t see any oils, esters or fatty acids on the current list, and no fragrance is listed. Those are the ones I scan for, because malassezia (the yeast behind fungal acne and seb derm) feeds on them.

When I checked it for my Korean skincare for mature skin post, it came out FA safe there too, and it sits in my seb derm skincare directory. If you’ve got seb derm like me, it’s one of the easier serums to fit in.

Still, paste the list from your own box into my skin ingredient checker and see what comes back. Takes seconds, and it’s how I check everything now.

How the iUNIK Beta Glucan serum feels on my skin

Comfortable is the word. It’s soothing going on and I’ve never found it heavy or greasy. It leaves a good layer of moisture behind, and my skin feels soft after.

Don’t expect to be wowed in the first five minutes. This is a quiet product, and somehow its the one I keep coming back to.

How to use it

After cleansing and toner, retailers say to pat a small amount into your skin until it’s absorbed, morning and evening. Moisturizer goes on after, plus sunscreen in the morning.

There are no actives in it, so it’s an easy one to layer in with whatever else you use.

Who should skip it

If you want visible results from actives, like brighter skin or fewer breakouts, look somewhere else. This one hydrates and that’s about it.

And if you already love your hydrating serum, I wouldn’t rush to swap. This earns its spot when your skin’s dry or irritated. Or if you need a fungal acne safe serum with a short ingredient list, it’s an easy pick. (For moisturizers that pass the same check, I did nine seb derm safe Korean moisturizers.)

Where to buy it, and the discount codes for each

Here’s where to get the iUNIK Beta Glucan Power Moisture Serum. SkinSeoul, STYLEVANA, YesStyle, StyleKorean and Olive Young all ship to the UK and the US, so these work wherever you are.

• SkinSeoul, code NEVEEN for 5% off
• STYLEVANA, code INF10NEVE for up to 25% off
• YesStyle, code NEVEEN15 built in
• StyleKorean, code NEVEEN20 built in
• Olive Young, code NEVEEN20 built in
• Superdrug
• buybeautykorea

FAQ: iUNIK Beta Glucan serum

Is iUNIK Beta Glucan serum good for fungal acne?

SkinSort lists both the old and new formulas as fungal acne safe, and there are no oils or fragrance on the current list. Check the list on your own box too, because older stock is still around.

Why are there two ingredient lists for the iUNIK Beta Glucan serum?

The formula changed. Older bottles have six ingredients with water first. The current one has ten, with beta-glucan first and glycerin and adenosine added.

Can I use iUNIK Beta Glucan serum every day?

Shops list it for morning and evening use, and there are no actives in it to overdo. I use it when my skin needs extra hydration.

Is beta-glucan better than hyaluronic acid?

Retailers quote a lab figure of 20% more moisture holding for beta-glucan. I can’t confirm that. Both pull moisture into your skin, so go with whichever your skin likes.

Does iUNIK Beta Glucan serum have fragrance?

No fragrance is listed on either version.

Where can I buy iUNIK Beta Glucan serum in the UK?

SkinSeoul, STYLEVANA, YesStyle, StyleKorean and Olive Young all ship to the UK, and I have a code at each one. On the high street, Superdrug sells it too.

More if you have seb derm or sensitive skin

• The Seb Derm Skincare Directory – face products that don’t make it worse
• Seb Derm Safe Korean Moisturizers – nine checked down to the last ingredient
• Seb derm on the scalp vs face – why they’re different and what helps each
• The best treatments for facial seborrhoeic dermatitis
• My STYLEVANA discount code and YesStyle discount code

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I bought this bottle myself (STYLEVANA did send me one a while back). Some links in this post are affiliate links, so I may earn a small commission if you buy through them or use my codes, at no extra cost to you.