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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of AXIS - Y Dark Spot Correcting Glow Serum versus Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide .

Last updated on October 22, 2023. Published on October 29, 2021

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe serums. They have a total of 9 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain hyaluronic acid and niacinamide

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin, oily skin, reducing pores and dark spots

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, parabens, silicones or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain fragrances and oils

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

Serum Brand
Serum South Korean Brand South Korea

Serum

Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Serum

Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Price

Shop

Buy Dark Spot Correcting Glow Serum

Starts at $11.99
Shop

Buy Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide

Starts at $13.60

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
ph level
6.3

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Notable Ingredients

Niacinamide
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating (2)
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing (2)
Reduces Irritation
Reduces Large Pores
Dark Spots
Acne Fighting
Brightening (2)

Notable Ingredients

BHA
Vitamin E
Niacinamide
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating
Good For Oily Skin (3)
Redness Reducing (2)
Reduces Irritation
Reduces Large Pores (2)
Dark Spots
Acne Fighting (2)
Brightening (3)

Concerns

Rosacea
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Ingredients Compared

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

1
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

AXIS - Y Dark Spot Correcting Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide contains this as ingredient number 5.

2
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.

A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.

As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.

Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.

Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.

In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.

This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.

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

Learn more about Glycerin

AXIS - Y Dark Spot Correcting Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.

Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide contains this as ingredient number 3.

3
What it does: Smoothing
Community Rating: Loved

Niacinamide has emerged as an all-star ingredient due to its many benefits.

It is known to treat acne by reducing inflammation. It also helps fade dark-spots and strengthen the skin by promoting the growth of the ceramide barrier.

Other benefits include smoothing wrinkles and minimizing redness.

The cherry on top? Niacinamide can also help build keratin, a protein that keeps skin firm.

When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.

Niacinamide can be mixed with other ingredients to boost benefits. For instance, it has shown to be effective when used with copper, folic acid, and zinc to treat acne.

Learn more about Niacinamide

AXIS - Y Dark Spot Correcting Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.

Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide contains this as ingredient number 6.

4
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.

Like hyaluronic acid, it is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. This makes it a great skin hydrating ingredient.

Sodium Hyaluronate is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints.

These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:

Learn more about Sodium Hyaluronate

AXIS - Y Dark Spot Correcting Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 4.

Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide contains this as ingredient number 10.

5
What it does: Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Mixed

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

  • It is a solvent, meaning that it helps to dissolve other ingredients. This also enhances the absorption of the product into one's skin.
  • It is a humectant, which means that it helps attract moisture into the skin.
  • It helps improve product application.

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient. It is unlikely to irritate skin, and works well with pretty much all other ingredients.

AXIS - Y Dark Spot Correcting Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 7.

Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide contains this as ingredient number 4.

6
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate is an ester of lauric acid and Polyglycerin-10.

Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate is a cleansing agent and emulsifier. It helps gather dirt, oil, and other pollutants to be rinsed away. As an emulsifier, it helps prevent ingredients from separating, such as oil and water.

Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate may not be fungal acne safe.

Learn more about Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate

AXIS - Y Dark Spot Correcting Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 14.

Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide contains this as ingredient number 22.

7
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Mixed

Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.

You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.

AXIS - Y Dark Spot Correcting Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 17.

Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide contains this as ingredient number 24.

8
What it does: Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming
Community Rating: Disliked

Carbomer is a polymer of acrylic acid. Its main role is to create gel consistency within products.

Carbomer is commonly found in many types of cosmetics products. It is found to be safe in concentrations up to 15%. However, a high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Most products contain 1% of less of carbomer.

AXIS - Y Dark Spot Correcting Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 18.

Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide contains this as ingredient number 30.

9
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Mixed

1,2-Hexanediol is a multi-tasker ingredient. It acts as a preservative to increase shelf-life and can aid other preservatives in preventing microbe growth. 1,2-Hexanediol also helps the skin retain moisture as a humectant.

In products that are water-based, this ingredient can help stabilize perfumes and fragrances. It can also help make the texture of products softer and more smooth.

AXIS - Y Dark Spot Correcting Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 20.

Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide contains this as ingredient number 7.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

48% are loved or liked
20% have mixed ratings
20% are disliked or very disliked
12% have no rating yet
60% are loved or liked
17% have mixed ratings
13% are disliked or very disliked
10% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

AXIS - Y Dark Spot Correcting Glow Serum 25 ingredients

4.0 /5
from 21 reviews
saqina_929's Avatar'
Oct 30, 2023

It helps fade acne though very slowly

It helps fade acne though very slowly

ChantelleAng's Avatar'
Feb 19, 2024

i used to have a reaction to this when i first started using this. after the 4th try, i used it daily and i can VISIBLY see how much it brightened my skin. omg it made my skin GLOWWWW. not so much in fading dark spots tho

i used to have a reaction to this when i first started using this. after the 4th try, i used it daily and i can VISIBLY see how much it brightened my skin. omg it made my skin GLOWWWW. not so much in fading dark spots tho

Hydrating
Absorbs Well
Light Scent
Works Well
JannatulFerdous's Avatar'
Apr 1, 2024

Best vegan serum I use till now.

Best vegan serum I use till now.

Great Value
Hydrating
Light
Absorbs Well
No Scent
Works Well

Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide 30 ingredients

3.2 /5
from 24 reviews
TarteEcole_113's Avatar'
Apr 6, 2023

Glow yes acne no
Well it's my first time trying niacinamide and I don't like it (new red spots appeared) , or maybe I am allergic to propolis idkn tbh, but it does give glow

Glow yes acne no
Well it's my first time trying niacinamide and I don't like it (new red spots appeared) , or maybe I am allergic to propolis idkn tbh, but it does give glow

enecr's Avatar'
Apr 18, 2023

I also got acne from this
Like others have said, I also got acne from using this (never seen such reviews on other websites). It's VERY hydrating and it repairs your skin barrier, but it caused a lot of acne on my forehead. I stopped...

I also got acne from this
Like others have said, I also got acne from using this (never seen such reviews on other websites). It's VERY hydrating and it repairs your skin barrier, but it caused a lot of acne on my forehead. I stopped using it on my forehead after about 3 weeks and the acne went away. I used other niacinamide products without an issue before but I tried propolis for the first time. I'm not sure if that's the cause of acne. Before using this, though, my cheeks were very dry due to the cold dry weather and previous retinol attempts. I can say that it seems to have helped with that. So, I kept using it below my forehead, but I wouldn't purchase it again.

tabby_274's Avatar'
Apr 17, 2023

not for me
i like the consistency but that’s about it. really tried to like this product as i went through two bottles of it. everytime i used this product it would leave a shiny film on my skin that would pill under makeup and/or...

not for me
i like the consistency but that’s about it. really tried to like this product as i went through two bottles of it. everytime i used this product it would leave a shiny film on my skin that would pill under makeup and/or moisturizer no matter what i did. i suspect it also caused closed comedones from product buildup. after i ceased use the pilling and cc’s went away. didn’t improve my skin in any way.

Alternatives

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Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide.

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