Honest Review: Beauty of Joseon Serums

There must be a good reason why Beauty of Joseon serums are highly sought after. But with the endless serum options (okay there’s four), you’re probably wondering which is best for your skin. To quell your worries, I had the opportunity to test out and personally try three of the four Beauty of Joseon serums. Want to learn more about the products? Here’s a detailed breakdown.

Beauty of Joseon Calming Serum: Green Tea & Panthenol

Helps with: hydrating & strengthening the skin barrier

Texture: Runny & watery

Key ingredients: Green tea leaf water, Centella Asiatica extract, panthenol, mugwort

Finish: Moist-skin like finish

Editor’s Review

Let me first preface this. I have oily, acne-prone, and sensitive skin that erupts in clusters of hormonal acne around my chin every month. In recent weeks, my face took a heavy blow. Not only did the skin feel dry and taut (I blame turning on my A/C and the fan on top of two business trips), but it also stung like crazy. So on top of the hormonal acne and excess oils, there’s irritation, inflammation, and dehydration added to the mix. Fun fun. 

Enter the Beauty of Joseon serums. 

Prior to receiving two deluxe minis for the Calming and Glowing serums after making a purchase for a moisturizer, I was always intrigued by these beautiful bottles and their formulations. I felt particularly drawn to the Calming serum since my skin was in desperate need of some relief, so that’s the first thing I applied when starting my nighttime routine. The Calming Serum is a beautiful liquid that glides easily as I spread it across my skin. The effect is almost instant – once the serum settles nicely and absorbs into the skin, I’m left with a hydrated and skin-like finish!

Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum: Propolis & Niacinamide

Helps with: brightening dull skin

Texture: Slightly viscous; holds its shape

Key ingredients: Propolis, Niacinamide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Centella Asiatica

Finish: Glowing & dewy

Editor’s Review

I find the application experience very unique. Instead of a runny and watery texture that you’d get with most serums, this had a slightly viscous and thick texture that holds its shape while dispensing it. In a way, this can be comparable to honey without the stickiness. I also found this serum feeling very nice when I spread it across my skin and left it looking glowing and radiant almost instantly. The only caveat with this serum is getting it to collect in the dropper from the mini-sized bottle, but it might be easier for the full-size version.

Beauty of Joseon Glow Deep Serum: Rice & Arbutin

Helps with: hyperpigmentation

Texture: runny & watery

Key ingredients: Rice bran water & extract, arbutin, panthenol, trehalose

Finish: Skin-like finish (absorbs quickly)

Editor’s Review

During the two weeks I used this product, I can say that it’s making a difference on my skin. Now that my skin is gradually recovering, I’m left with red acne marks (which unfortunately stand out on my fair skin). Since this serum contains rice bran extract, rice bran water, and arbutin, these ingredients can hypothetically help lessen the redness. 

During the two weeks, I noticed a subtle improvement in my overall skin complexion. Although the acne marks are still visible, my skin looked less red and angry than before. As for the other parts of my face, the serum absorbed quickly and left my skin looking radiant without leaving a sticky residue. 

If I’m being honest, this serum doesn’t hydrate as much as the other serums, but it can help give your skin a gradual and healthy glow. As for how well it can help with hyperpigmentation, I will provide an update as soon as I use up the bottle.

Beauty of Joseon Repair Serum: Ginseng & Snail Mucin

The word on the street is that this serum is getting a name change to “Revive Serum” (formulation is staying the same!). Snail mucin and ginseng sound amazing for restoring skin barrier health and addressing fine lines! When I finish the other serums, this will be the next to try out. Keep an eye out for a follow-up article!

Summary

During the times I used the samples, I was surprised to find out how these serums significantly calmed down my inflamed skin. In particular, the Calming Serum with green tea and panthenol was an absolute joy to help hydrate and give my irritated skin some relief. I’d dispense a dropper-full or two onto my palm and pat the serum over my skin. And as a side note, I would also mix a few drops of serum into my CC cream to prevent dry patches or flakes, while simultaneously giving a glass-skin-like glow.

The Highlights

• Easy to integrate into your routine
• Ingredients are gentle enough to use for all skin types
• Instantly hydrates and leaves skin looking glowing

Final Verdict

Would I purchase full-sized bottles? If I were to choose, I’d purchase the full-sized versions of the Calming or the Glow serums.

Do I think it’s worth it? Absolutely, especially if you’re looking for a boost of hydration. In terms of price point, the full-sized bottles are $17 – I’d say that’s reasonable!

Who would benefit most from these serums? I’d say anyone who’s looking to hydrate their skin. These serums are also fragrance and essential oil-free, so anyone can try them out!

More About the Brand

Beauty of Joseon is a skincare brand that serves as a modern interpretation of traditional methods used during the Joseon Dynasty (a time in Ancient Korea that lasted for 500 years) for a natural and glowing complexion. By incorporating Hanbang ingredients alongside science-backed ingredients, this brand aims to bring out the skin’s natural health and radiance.

Fel and Ro love their products, packaging, and brand philosophy. On top of the serums, they also praise the brand’s cleansing balm, moisturizer, and bubble toner as effective and solid products for any skincare routine.

Here’s a video where Fel + Ro talk more about Beauty of Joseon:

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