Versus

Beauty of Joseon Glow Deep Serum: Rice + Arbutin Versus Cos De BAHA Retinol 2.5% Facial Serum With Vitamin E

Serum
Serum
Korean Brand South Korea
Korean Brand South Korea

Updated on October 10, 2024

Overview

What they are

These products are both vegan, cruelty-free, and reef safe serums. They have a total of 3 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain niacinamide

Suited For

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

Free From

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

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

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and see relevant ingredients

What's inside (and what isn't)

What's inside (and what isn't)

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products
Glow Deep Serum: Rice + Arbutin

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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 
Smoothing

Niacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.

And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.

You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.

In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.

If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.

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.

When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.

In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).

Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.

Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.

The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.

Learn more about Niacinamide

Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.

It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.

Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.

Learn more about Disodium EDTA

When to use

1,551 Routines
50% use in am
49% use in pm
90% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->
33 Routines
9% use in am
91% use in pm
58% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Beauty of Joseon Glow Deep Serum: Rice + Arbutin 32 ingredients

3.0 /5
from 20 ratings
No Scent (7) Absorbs Well (6) Doesn't Work (5)
SamanthaTan_417's avatar

SamanthaTan_417

2 years ago
Review

Fine, but not amazing
It was okay. No biggie, and definitely won't be buying this again.

Nothing wrong with it per se, I just didn't notice any difference/improvement in my skin.

It has a really nice, light texture though, so application was always pleasant.

isabellatom's avatar

Isabella Tom

6 months ago
Review

I noticed a small difference since I started using this, especially after being in the sun for a while. After, my skin wouldn't be as uneven or burnt, and I think it helped even out my skin tone. Not a huge difference though.

#light
#absorbs well
#no scent

Cos De BAHA Retinol 2.5% Facial Serum With Vitamin E 14 ingredients

2.7 /5
from 3 ratings
Doesn't Work (2) Great Value (2) Hydrating (1)
AshN.'s avatar

AshN.

6 months ago
Review

This was genuinely one of those products that I'm not sure if I noticed any results. Aside from the uncertainty of this product and the ingredients. I also did not enjoy the consistency of this serum. It felt as if it never fully absorbed and made my skin feel rather oily. Not sure about the other products from this brand, but I feel unlikely to repurchase this.

#great value
#heavy
#oily
#doesn't work
Elapidae's avatar

Ela

4 months ago
Review

UPDATE: their homepage actually says that it’s not retinol 2.5% but only 0.13%. That low percentage does nothing for your skin 😂 For me it’s misleading advertising and I have read they do that a lot with their products. Hence I m not buying anything more from them. Also in Germany a product that contains over 1% Retinol is considered medical care and usually needs prescription (EU regulations). So Show more

#doesn't work