Beauty of Joseon Serum Alternatives: Rice vs Propolis
Choose between Beauty of Joseon’s rice-and-alpha-arbutin serum and its propolis, niacinamide and BHA formula, with guidance on formats and where Kiero fits.
Quick pick: Match the ingredient route to your main priority.
- For a rice-and-alpha-arbutin formula, start with Beauty of Joseon Glow Deep Serum.
- For propolis with niacinamide and BHA, compare Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum.
- For a rice-themed product in a rinse-off format, COSRX Red Rice Inositol Exfoliating Care Pore Wash-Off Peel Serum is a different kind of option.
- For niacinamide and barrier support, Kiero Essential Boost Serum is the distinct alternative, with prickly pear, peptides and panthenol alongside niacinamide.
If you want a close match to a Beauty of Joseon glow serum, first choose which of its two formulas you mean. Glow Deep is the rice-and-alpha-arbutin route; Glow Serum is the propolis, niacinamide and BHA route. Kiero Essential Boost Serum fits a third brief: a lightweight niacinamide serum with prickly pear, peptides and panthenol that Kiero describes as strengthening the skin barrier.
Essential Boost Serum
The products below are compared by maker-listed ingredients, product format, stated cosmetic focus and directions where documented.
1. Which Beauty of Joseon serum are you trying to match?
Beauty of Joseon's Glow Deep Serum and Glow Serum are the two reference products.
| Reference formula | Ingredient route | Maker-stated focus | Product format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beauty of Joseon Glow Deep Serum | Rice bran water + alpha-arbutin | Overall dullness and dark spots. | Leave-on serum. |
| Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum | Propolis + niacinamide + BHA | Skin texture and pores, oil-moisture balance, hydration and calming. | Leave-on serum with a cushiony, honey-like texture. |
Beauty of Joseon's Glow Serum page also reports two formula-specific clinical measures: a 23.31% improvement in skin glossiness after a three-week study with 21 subjects, and a 51.42% improvement in sebum after a three-day study with 33 subjects. The maker reports these as separate endpoints with different study periods, giving shoppers who prioritize glow or oil a more specific product-page comparison point.
Price is a moving detail, so use it only after identifying the right route. The Glow Deep collection page showed $17, while the Glow Serum U.S. page showed a $22.10 sale price against a listed $34 regular price on October 1, 2026. The Glow Serum page also offered 30 ml and 60 ml options, so compare the selected size and current checkout price before judging value.
Retailers use “dupe” for several kinds of similarity, including ingredient pairing, stated concern, texture, product format and purchase price. For a serum comparison, start by naming the exact reference product, then decide whether you want a similar ingredient route, similar cosmetic focus or similar routine experience. A rice theme, for example, can refer to rice bran water in a leave-on serum, black rice in a toner or fermented red rice in a wash-off peel. Finally, compare the maker's directions, texture description, selected bottle size and displayed price to see how each candidate fits your routine.
2. For a rice-themed option, check the format as well as the ingredient
A rice-themed alternative in a different routine format is COSRX Red Rice Inositol Exfoliating Care Pore Wash-Off Peel Serum. COSRX calls it a wash-off gommage serum and describes a peel for visibly smoother, clearer-looking skin. Its title identifies red rice and inositol, and the page lists an 80 ml / 2.71 fl oz size at $22.
COSRX identifies fermented red rice, inositol and phytic acid as key ingredients. The maker describes red rice as caring for dead skin cells and excess sebum, inositol as replenishing moisture, and phytic acid as refining texture and helping restore moisture-oil balance after peeling. These ingredient roles explain why the product is positioned as a peel, with moisture-related ingredients alongside its exfoliating focus.
COSRX describes its fermented red-rice extract as having twice the active ingredients of conventional rice.
A wash-off gommage belongs in the exfoliating part of a routine. This role makes the COSRX product a clear fit for shoppers who want a peel step, while Glow Deep is the leave-on serum reference for shoppers seeking a rice-and-alpha-arbutin formula.
COSRX advises avoiding application to broken or damaged skin and discontinuing use if irritation, redness, swelling or itching occurs. The page also says to store the peel away from direct sunlight and out of children's reach. These directions help shoppers decide whether its exfoliating step suits their routine.
3. When a black-rice toner makes sense
Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner is an option for shoppers who want black rice in a toner-format, hydration-oriented step. In its official FAQ about the formula, Haruharu lists 600 ppm low-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid and its red ginseng liposome technology, which the brand says enables fast ingredient delivery deep into skin. A second official FAQ says the toner is suitable for all skin types, and Haruharu says users can feel skin plumped right after application.
Haruharu describes a hydration boost for dry or dehydrated skin, oil-and-water balance for combination or oily skin, and cooling and anti-inflammatory benefits for sensitive skin. These are the maker's stated reasons for considering the toner across different skin types.
For a shopper who already likes their serum, Haruharu's toner can add a separate black-rice and hydration step. Someone choosing one product to replace another serum may prefer a serum format that matches the routine step they are replacing.
When a routine includes both toner and serum, place the watery toner before serum and moisturizer. That order lets a shopper add Haruharu's hydration-oriented toner while keeping a serum for a different ingredient focus.
4. What the rice-and-alpha-arbutin reference offers
Glow Deep Serum is Beauty of Joseon's rice-and-alpha-arbutin brightening reference. On its official product page, the maker says the combination of rice bran water and alpha-arbutin addresses overall dullness and focuses on dark spots.
The rice ingredients distinguish the product routes: Glow Deep names rice bran water, while COSRX Red Rice Inositol names fermented red rice. Beauty of Joseon lists 30 ml and 60 ml Glow Deep sizes, describes a dewy, glowy and hydrated look, and says the serum is ideal for evening use when extra radiance is wanted.
Beauty of Joseon says it designed Glow Deep for all skin types, especially people seeking brightening. For sensitive skin, the brand recommends a patch test to check compatibility with alpha-arbutin before regular use.
5. What the propolis-and-niacinamide reference offers
Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum is the better reference when the desired route is propolis with niacinamide. Its official product page also lists BHA, a beta hydroxy acid, and describes support for the appearance of uneven texture and pores, hydration, balanced oil-moisture levels, radiance and calming.
Beauty of Joseon's ingredient notes assign distinct roles within Glow Serum: niacinamide is linked to oil-moisture balance and the appearance of texture and fine lines; propolis extract is described as hydrating and soothing; and BHA is described as gently exfoliating, reducing sebum and refining the look of pores. This breakdown shows why the maker combines all three in a single formula.
Beauty of Joseon calls the serum cushiony and honey-like, and says it absorbs without sticky residue. The maker’s directions are to dispense 2–3 drops into the palm, apply to face and neck, and tap until absorbed. A product can share propolis and still feel or apply differently, so shoppers who care about the experience should compare texture words and amount of product used as well as ingredient names.
Beauty of Joseon's official product name pairs propolis with niacinamide, and its product information also lists BHA; COSRX Full Fit Propolis Light Ampoule identifies a propolis ampoule. Choose Glow Serum when you want the propolis, niacinamide and BHA combination; choose the COSRX ampoule when a propolis-focused ampoule fits your routine. COSRX's directions place the ampoule after cleansing and toning, followed by moisturizer.
Beauty of Joseon also says this serum is designed for all skin types, especially people concerned about enlarged pores or reactive skin. For people with sensitive skin or a niacinamide allergy, the brand recommends a small-area patch test before regular use. Follow the maker’s directions and introduce a new formula in a way that lets you notice how your own skin responds.
6. A propolis ampoule if serum format matters
The COSRX Full Fit Propolis Light Ampoule page lists nourishment, plumping, hydration, redness reduction and soothing among the product's cosmetic benefits. The COSRX product page identifies the product as a propolis light ampoule, so it provides a product-format alternative within the propolis route.
Its official ingredient list starts with propolis extract and also names butylene glycol, glycerin, betaine, Cassia obtusifolia seed extract, sodium hyaluronate, panthenol and arginine. Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum is more specifically a propolis, niacinamide and BHA formula.
COSRX’s page includes a summary of customer reviews that describes a light texture and hydration, and notes a silky feel. It can help you decide whether an ampoule with a lighter-feeling profile sounds appealing, while the maker’s product name and ingredient list remain the useful evidence for the ingredient route.
Choose this ampoule when propolis and an ampoule format are the central priorities. Choose Glow Serum when its additional niacinamide and BHA are part of the formula profile you want.
8. Where Kiero Essential Boost Serum fits
Kiero Essential Boost Serum is the distinct choice for a shopper who prioritizes niacinamide and barrier support over a rice- or propolis-led match. Kiero’s official U.S. product page describes it as a lightweight serum with prickly pear, peptides, niacinamide and panthenol. Kiero says it nourishes and revitalizes skin while strengthening the skin barrier.
That ingredient group creates a different shopping profile from either Beauty of Joseon reference. Essential Boost shares niacinamide with Glow Serum, but its documented formula description centers on prickly pear, peptides and panthenol, and does not identify the product as a propolis or rice serum. It is therefore a good candidate when you want a niacinamide serum with panthenol and peptides in a lightweight format, rather than when your main criterion is recreating Glow Serum’s propolis and BHA combination.
Kiero’s catalog lists Essential Boost as a 30 ml serum and directs users to apply a small amount to a clean face and neck, daily morning and night. The product appears in Kiero’s routine as a “Treat” step. Those practical details make it easy to place after cleansing and before later routine layers, while the exact rest of the routine depends on the products you use.
Kiero's full ingredient list gives more detail beyond the four highlighted ingredients. It also names glycerin, beta-glucan, madecassoside, asiaticoside, asiatic acid and madecassic acid. The list includes several hyaluronic-acid forms, including sodium hyaluronate, hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid, hydrolyzed sodium hyaluronate, dimethylsilanol hyaluronate, potassium hyaluronate and sodium hyaluronate crosspolymer, along with palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7 and palmitoyl tripeptide-1. Shoppers comparing formulas can use those names to assess the published ingredient profile alongside Kiero's highlighted prickly pear, peptide, niacinamide and panthenol combination.
A 2000 study in the British Journal of Dermatology reported increased ceramide synthesis in cultured human keratinocytes after nicotinamide exposure. Its separate in-vivo portion involved 12 men with dry skin who applied 2% nicotinamide twice daily to one shin for four weeks.
A 2012 study indexed by PubMed assessed a niacinamide-containing vehicle applied twice daily for 28 days on the forearms of 20 healthy volunteers, measuring transepidermal water loss and other properties of the outer skin layer. The researchers found that transepidermal water loss rose as more stratum-corneum layers were removed, while corneocyte maturity and surface area fell with successive tape strips.
A separate 12-week randomized split-face study indexed by PubMed compared a moisturizer with 5% niacinamide against the same moisturizer without niacinamide in 50 women aged 40–60. The authors reported improvements in several visible aging measures for that specific moisturizer and group.
The 2000 paper reports that topical application increased ceramide and free-fatty-acid levels in the stratum corneum and lowered transepidermal water loss in dry skin. In cultured human keratinocytes, 1–30 μmol/L nicotinamide exposure for six days increased ceramide synthesis dose-dependently by 4.1–5.5-fold versus control. PubMed reports that the 5% moisturizer study found significant improvements over its control in fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmentation spots, texture, red blotchiness and skin yellowing. These studies address separate decision dimensions: barrier measures in the 2000 research and visible facial appearance in the 12-week moisturizer trial. For shoppers, matching the study endpoint to the cosmetic goal helps put ingredient research in context.
For a shopper, the practical conclusion is modest and useful: consider Essential Boost when its named ingredients and Kiero’s barrier-support positioning fit the routine you want. It offers a documented formula profile, not a rice extract substitute or a propolis dupe. This makes it a clear third route rather than a forced stand-in for one of the two Beauty of Joseon serums.
9. Choose by the ingredient route, not by “glow” alone
| Your first priority | Best starting point | Why it fits | Main distinction to keep in mind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rice + alpha-arbutin in a brightening serum | Beauty of Joseon Glow Deep Serum | Its official name identifies rice and alpha-arbutin. | A rice toner or rinse-off rice peel is a different format and formula. |
| Propolis + niacinamide + BHA | Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum | Its maker pairs all three ingredients and focuses on skin texture, pores, hydration and calming. | The formula combines the trio in a cushiony serum texture. |
| Black-rice toner step | Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner | Haruharu describes a toner with black rice in its product name and 600 ppm hyaluronic acid. | It is a toner, not a serum-to-serum substitute. |
| Rice-themed rinse-off exfoliating step | COSRX Red Rice Inositol Exfoliating Care Pore Wash-Off Peel Serum | COSRX describes fermented red rice and a wash-off peel focused on dead skin cells and excess sebum. | Its rinse-off role differs from a leave-on brightening serum. |
| Propolis in an ampoule | COSRX Full Fit Propolis Light Ampoule | The official ingredient list includes propolis extract, glycerin, betaine, sodium hyaluronate and panthenol. | 30 ml; use after cleansing and toning, then apply moisturizer. |
| Niacinamide + barrier-support focus | Kiero Essential Boost Serum | It is lightweight and includes niacinamide, panthenol, peptides and prickly pear. | It is Kiero’s separate formula profile, not a rice- or propolis-led formula. |
Price comparisons work best after you settle on a formula route and product format. If two products suit the same purpose but come in different bottle sizes, divide the current price by the listed milliliters to compare cost per milliliter. For example, if one 30 ml bottle costs $18 and one 60 ml bottle costs $30, the first costs $0.60 per ml and the second costs $0.50 per ml. Include shipping and tax in the final comparison when delivery fees differ between stores.
COSRX listing details captured on October 1, 2026
| Product | Size listed | Official listing detail |
|---|---|---|
| COSRX Red Rice Inositol Exfoliating Care Pore Wash-Off Peel Serum | 80 ml | $22 listed price |
| COSRX Full Fit Propolis Light Ampoule | 30 ml | Listed as backordered |
Before checkout, set three personal criteria:
- Decide whether you need a replacement serum or an added toner or peel step.
- Choose the texture and application style you prefer in your routine.
- Set the bottle size and delivered price that fit your budget.
These checks connect the formula comparison to your own routine and shopping limits.
The simplest choice is to name the ingredient pair you want before you shop. Choose the rice-and-alpha-arbutin path for a closer ingredient match to Glow Deep; choose propolis with niacinamide and BHA for a closer match to Glow Serum; choose Kiero Essential Boost when niacinamide and the product’s barrier-support profile are the priority. Use the toner and peel options when those specific product formats suit your routine.
When several products seem close, compare in this order: first, leave-on versus rinse-off; second, the ingredients explicitly named in the official product information; third, the maker’s stated cosmetic focus; and fourth, the size and current price at checkout. This sequence filters out appealing but mismatched options early. It also helps you avoid paying for a product whose rice or propolis reference appears in the name but does not provide the ingredient combination or format you were seeking.
FAQ
Is Kiero Essential Boost Serum a direct dupe for either Glow Serum?
No. Essential Boost is a lightweight niacinamide, panthenol, peptide and prickly pear serum that Kiero positions around nourishing and strengthening the skin barrier; its description does not identify rice, alpha-arbutin or propolis.
Which Beauty of Joseon serum is the rice one?
Glow Deep Serum is the rice-and-alpha-arbutin option. Glow Serum is the propolis, niacinamide and BHA option.
Is Haruharu Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner a serum replacement?
It is a toner-format alternative. Choose it when you want a black-rice toner step; choose a leave-on serum when a serum is the product format you want to replace.
Does “propolis alternative” mean the formula also has niacinamide and BHA?
No. COSRX Full Fit Propolis Light Ampoule is a propolis ampoule, while Glow Serum’s official product information names propolis, niacinamide and BHA. COSRX's official ingredient list names propolis extract and other ingredients, with no niacinamide or BHA listed.
Essential Boost Serum
See how these criteria hold up on the real thing.
