Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide (30ml) Review
A lightweight Korean facial serum built around 60% propolis extract and 2% niacinamide, sold in a 30ml (1 fl oz) dropper bottle. It is positioned as a hydrating, soothing step for irritated or uneven skin tone, and is fragrance-free enough to layer under a moisturizer or sunscreen. Widely recommended as an entry point into Korean skincare because of its low price relative to Western serums with comparable actives.
Kylie Harker's review
By Kylie Harker ·
Category scores
- Value for money 5
This is the strongest thing about it. You're getting 60% propolis extract and 2% niacinamide in a 30ml bottle at a fraction of what comparable Western serums ask, which is exactly why it gets recommended as a first step into Korean skincare. Nothing about it feels cheapened to hit that price.
- Who it actually suits 3.5
Excellent for skin that's irritated, dehydrated or uneven in tone, and for anyone wanting one sensible extra step. Less right for you if you're genuinely dry and expecting it to do a moisturiser's job, if you're already using a higher-strength niacinamide, or if you're vegan or sensitive to bee products. A good product, but not the right product for every face.
- Texture and wearability 4.5
It's slightly tacky for the first twenty or thirty seconds and then settles into a dewy finish rather than a sticky one. Two or three drops covers a whole face, it layers under sunscreen and makeup without pilling, and it doesn't leave you standing in the bathroom waiting for it to dry. That last point matters more than it sounds.
- Ease of use on a busy morning 4.5
Fast to apply, absorbs quickly, and doesn't need a careful technique or a wait before the next step. The dropper is a touch fiddly one-handed, which is the only real friction, but nothing here creates more work than it solves.
- Results on skin 4
The soothing and hydrating side shows up quickly, and skin feels calmer and less tight fairly early on. The evening-out of tone is the slow part and takes four to six weeks of consistent daily use, which is in line with what most reviewers report. Good, steady results rather than dramatic ones, and at 2% the niacinamide dose is deliberately modest.
The review
I am not a skincare obsessive. I have roughly four minutes between wrestling a four-year-old into his shoes and getting us both out the front door, and anything that wants shelf space in this house has to survive that. So my question about the Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum was never whether it delivers glass skin in eight weeks. It was whether I'd still be reaching for it in week three, or whether it would be quietly migrating to the back of the cupboard with the other good intentions.
I'm still reaching for it. Mostly.
What it actually is: 60% propolis extract and 2% niacinamide in a 30ml dropper bottle. Propolis is the resin honeybees use to seal up their hive, which sounds a bit like something you'd find on a nature documentary rather than your face, but it's the whole point of the product. There's a small amount of betaine salicylate in there too, which is a BHA, so it's not purely a soothing step. Worth knowing if you're already using an acid elsewhere in your routine.
The texture is the bit that sold me. It's golden and amber-coloured, thicker than a toner but nowhere near a proper thick serum, and it flows out of the dropper without any wrestling. Two or three drops covers my whole face. It goes on very slightly tacky, and for about twenty or thirty seconds you'll think you've made a mistake, and then it settles into something dewy rather than sticky. That's the important part for me, because a serum that sits wet on your skin for three minutes is a serum you'll skip on a Tuesday.
It layers. That's genuinely the thing I'd tell a friend. It goes under sunscreen without balling up on me, and it doesn't turn my makeup into something that slides off by half nine. The dropper is fiddly if you're doing this one-handed whilst answering questions about dinosaurs, but that's a dropper problem, not this dropper's problem specifically.
Results, honestly: this is not a dramatic product and I'd be suspicious of anyone telling you it is. What I noticed first was that my skin felt calmer and less tight, which happened fairly quickly. The evening-out of tone is the slow bit. The consensus across reviewers is four to six weeks of consistent daily use before you see anything on pigmentation, and that matches my experience. If you use it twice and decide it's done nothing, you've not really given it a fair go. Equally, if you're hoping it'll erase a stubborn dark spot, temper that.
The things I'd flag. It contains a bee product, so it's not vegan, and if you've ever had a reaction to bee stings or propolis you want to patch test properly rather than slapping it on your face. It's also very much a hydrating and soothing serum. If your skin is genuinely dry rather than dehydrated, this won't replace a moisturiser and you'll be disappointed if you try. And 2% niacinamide is a modest dose; if you're already on a 10% niacinamide product for oil control, this isn't a step up.
The verdict. This is one of the few skincare products where I understand the hype rather than rolling my eyes at it. It's not doing anything miraculous. It's doing a sensible, unglamorous job well, and it costs a fraction of what Western brands charge for a serum with comparable actives, which is really the whole argument for it. If you want one extra step in your routine that won't punish you for being inconsistent, it's an easy recommendation.
If you want a product that transforms your face by Friday, this isn't it, and neither is anything else.
Frequently asked questions
It's made from propolis. Is that a problem if I'm vegan or allergic to bees?
Yes, on both counts, so it's worth knowing before you buy. Propolis is made by honeybees, so this serum isn't vegan. And if you've ever reacted to bee stings, honey or propolis, patch test it on your inner arm for a couple of days before you put it anywhere near your face. Propolis is generally well tolerated, but it's not the ingredient to be cavalier about.
Can I use it morning and night, and will it sit under sunscreen and makeup?
Morning and night is fine, and twice daily is where people tend to see the most change. It layers well: apply it to clean, slightly damp skin, let it settle for about half a minute, then carry on with moisturiser and sunscreen as normal. It doesn't pill or ball up under sunscreen for me, and it doesn't make makeup slide about. One thing to watch is that it contains betaine salicylate, a BHA, so if you're already using an exfoliating acid elsewhere in your routine, ease in rather than piling everything on at once.
How long before I actually see anything?
Two different timelines. The hydrated, calmer, less tight feeling turns up within the first few days, and that's the bit most people notice first. Fading of dark spots and general evening-out of tone takes four to six weeks of daily use, and longer if you're only using it once a day. If you try it for a week and conclude it's done nothing, you haven't given it a fair run. If you're expecting a stubborn patch of pigmentation to vanish entirely, adjust your expectations rather than your product.
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