Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum vs Glow Deep Serum: propolis or rice and arbutin?
Updated October 22, 2026
Pick Glow Serum if shine, visible pores and rough texture are your main complaints: it pairs 60% propolis with 2% niacinamide and 0.5% BHA, and you can use it morning or night. Pick Glow Deep Serum if dark spots and dullness bother you more: it pairs 68% rice bran water with 2% alpha-arbutin in a watery, fragrance-free formula that Beauty of Joseon directs for evening use.
Both cost the same at Sleepy Hello, $12.99 for 30 ml, checked October 2026, so the choice comes down to your main concern and the texture you prefer, not value. If you can't decide, the two work as a morning-and-evening pair, which we cover below.
This is a researched comparison of current US brand and retailer information, checked October 2026. We haven't worn or tested either serum; texture descriptions are Beauty of Joseon's, and the buying advice comes from comparing formulas, directions, sizes and prices.
What is the difference between Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum and Glow Deep Serum?
The names are nearly identical, but the formulas are built on different bases and aimed at different concerns. Glow Serum is a propolis serum for oil, pores and texture. Glow Deep Serum is a rice-water serum for dark spots and dullness.
Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide, 30 ml lists propolis extract first, followed by dipropylene glycol, glycerin, butylene glycol, water, niacinamide and 1,2-hexanediol. Propolis is a resin bees collect from plants; in skincare it is used to condition skin, and the brand credits it with soothing hydration and barrier support. Beauty of Joseon states 60% propolis, 2% niacinamide and 0.5% BHA.
That BHA is betaine salicylate, a salicylic acid derivative, and it sits further down the list among a cluster of botanicals: neem flower and leaf, turmeric root, holy basil, cocoa seed, tea tree, centella and tamanu seed oil. Sodium hyaluronate adds a little extra hydration.
Glow Deep Serum: Rice + Alpha-Arbutin, 30 ml starts with rice bran water, then water, glycerin, butylene glycol, 1,2-hexanediol, dipropylene glycol, alpha-arbutin and niacinamide. Alpha-arbutin is a brightening ingredient used for the look of dark spots; the brand states 2%, alongside 68% to 68.6% rice bran water. Panthenol, trehalose and glyceryl glucoside add moisture support, and the end of the list is a run of grain and seed extracts (soybean, barley, rice, sesame, wheat, mung bean and corn).
The overlaps and gaps worth knowing:
Both contain niacinamide (vitamin B3). Glow Serum states 2%; Glow Deep doesn't publish its amount.
Only Glow Serum contains an exfoliating acid, the 0.5% BHA.
Only Glow Deep contains alpha-arbutin.
Neither ingredient list includes fragrance (parfum) or ethanol. Glow Deep's page calls it fragrance-free, and Beauty of Joseon describes all four serums in its discovery kit as fragrance free.
Neither page publishes a pH.
Texture and directions, as Beauty of Joseon describes them
By the brand's description the two feel quite different. Glow Serum is thick and honey-like, cushiony as you apply it, then absorbs without a sticky feel or residue. Glow Deep is lightweight and watery, absorbs quickly and leaves a dewy finish.
The directions differ in one important way: when you use them.
Glow Serum: dispense two to three drops into your palm, apply to face and neck, and tap until absorbed. Use it during the day or at night. Because it contains BHA, the brand asks you to wear sunscreen when you use it in the daytime.
Glow Deep Serum: use it in your evening routine. Place two to three drops onto clean hands without letting the dropper touch your skin, pat it in until absorbed, then follow with moisturizer.
Beauty of Joseon doesn't explain on the product page why Glow Deep is an evening serum. Its discovery kit page repeats the evening-only direction and suggests that people with sensitive skin patch test Glow Deep before regular use, so we'd follow both instructions as written.
Which Beauty of Joseon serum is better for dark spots?
Glow Deep Serum is the one designed for dark spots. Beauty of Joseon lists dullness and dark spots as its two target concerns, and its 2% alpha-arbutin is the ingredient in either bottle most specifically aimed at the look of uneven pigment. Niacinamide adds brand-described support for a more even-looking tone.
Glow Serum also promises a brighter, more even-looking tone through its 2% niacinamide, but that isn't its focus. The brand leads with oil, pores and texture.
Two expectations to set. First, the brand frames results as gradual, with regular use supporting brighter-looking skin over time. Second, a dark-spot serum only does its part if you protect your skin from the sun during the day. Glow Deep goes on at night, so pair it with a daily sunscreen in the morning; our Beauty of Joseon sunscreen review covers the brand's Relief Sun options. If your marks come from past breakouts and new ones keep appearing, the oil-and-pore side of Glow Serum may matter as well.
Which is better for oily or blemish-prone skin?
Glow Serum is the better match on paper for oily, blemish-prone skin. Its target concerns are excess oil and visible pores, it includes 0.5% BHA that the brand says helps clear pores and smooth texture, and the list includes tea tree and neem extracts. Beauty of Joseon publishes its own figures for sebum and glossiness after short periods of use; the page doesn't describe the study, so we read them as brand claims rather than independent results.
There are caveats. Glow Serum is the thicker of the two and contains tamanu seed oil, so if you strongly prefer watery layers, Glow Deep's lighter feel may sit better even though it isn't aimed at oil. Glow Serum also isn't a breakout product in the medicated sense: 0.5% BHA is a modest amount, and the brand makes no acne claims for it. Think of it as a pore-and-oil serum that can sit alongside the products you already rely on.
Propolis is bee-derived. If you know you react to propolis or other bee products, Glow Serum is the one to skip.
If you already use an exfoliating toner, pad or acid serum, count Glow Serum's BHA as part of that exfoliation rather than piling it on top. Our best Korean niacinamide serum guide compares more niacinamide serums if you want other options.
Can you use Glow Serum and Glow Deep Serum together?
Yes. Their directions make the simplest split obvious: Glow Serum in the morning, followed by moisturizer and sunscreen, and Glow Deep Serum in the evening, followed by moisturizer. Each is used the way the brand describes, and the BHA serum is always covered by sunscreen during the day.
If you'd rather layer both at night, apply the thinner one first: Glow Deep (watery), then Glow Serum (thicker), two to three drops each, then moisturizer. Both contain niacinamide, but neither is marketed as a high-strength niacinamide serum, and because Glow Deep's amount isn't published we can't give you a combined total.
The ingredient to watch is the BHA. If you also use a retinoid, an exfoliating toner or another acid at night, keep Glow Serum to the morning instead of stacking everything in one routine. Introduce one serum at a time, a week or two apart, so that if something doesn't agree with your skin you know which bottle to set aside.
Pick Glow Serum if, or Glow Deep Serum if
Pick Glow Serum if:
Shine, visible pores and rough texture are your main complaints.
You want a serum you can use in the morning as well as at night, with sunscreen.
You like a cushiony, honey-like texture.
Pick Glow Deep Serum if:
Dark spots, uneven tone or dullness bother you most.
You prefer a watery, lightweight serum.
You want a formula with no exfoliating acid, or you already exfoliate with something else.
Beauty of Joseon says Glow Serum balances oil and moisture, smooths the look of pores, texture and fine lines, and supports a brighter, more even-looking tone. The 60% propolis is there for hydration and comfort, the 2% niacinamide for oil-moisture balance and tone, and the 0.5% BHA for smoother-looking pores.
Do both serums cost the same?
Yes. Each is $12.99 for a 30 ml bottle at Sleepy Hello, checked October 2026. The four-serum discovery kit is $20.99 for 40 ml in total, about $0.52 per ml, so it costs a little more per ml but lets you compare before buying a full bottle.
Does Glow Deep Serum contain niacinamide?
Yes. Niacinamide is the eighth ingredient, listed right after alpha-arbutin. Beauty of Joseon doesn't publish its percentage in Glow Deep.
Is either serum fragrance-free?
Neither ingredient list includes fragrance. Glow Deep's page calls it fragrance-free, and the brand describes all four discovery kit serums as fragrance free. Glow Serum does include turmeric root extract, which can play a scent role as well as a skin-conditioning one; the brand doesn't describe how the serum smells.
Which is gentler for sensitive skin?
Neither is positioned first as a sensitive-skin serum. Glow Deep has no exfoliating acid, but the brand itself suggests sensitive skin patch test it before regular use, and Glow Serum combines a low dose of BHA with bee-derived propolis. If calm, comfortable skin is your main goal, Calming Serum: Green Tea + Panthenol is the more direct choice in the same line, at $13.33 for 30 ml, checked October 2026.
How to use azelaic acid: apply after toner on dry skin, start once or twice a week and finish with SPF. Compare Anua, Medicube and Centellian24 10% serums.
