Side-by-side comparison

Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum : Propolis + Niacinamide vs The Inkey List Niacinamide Serum

Both are serums. They share a 77% active-ingredient overlap, so the real decision is about price, texture and the supporting ingredients. Here's the side-by-side.

77%Active overlap
Beauty of Joseon
Glow Serum : Propolis + Niacinamide
SerumBudgetMorning or evening
DullnessDamaged BarrierDrynesssensitive

60% propolis extract with 2% niacinamide — brightening, barrier-supporting, very gentle. The hero K-beauty serum for dull, dehydrated or mildly congested skin. Skip if you have a bee allergy; otherwise this one is hard to mess up.

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The Inkey List
Niacinamide Serum
SerumBudgetMorning or evening
OilinessCongestionDark Spots

A 10% niacinamide serum with added hyaluronic acid for oil control and blemish support. A clean, affordable single-active option; broadly comparable to other 10% niacinamide serums with a slightly more hydrating base.

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The verdict

Which should you choose?

Both sit in the Budget tier, so cost isn't the deciding factor here — choose on texture, finish and the supporting ingredients. The Beauty of Joseon leans toward Damaged Barrier, Dryness, Dullness. The The Inkey List leans toward Congestion, Dark Spots, Oiliness.

The overlap

What they share

At 77% active overlap, these are the ingredients doing comparable work in both formulas:

Niacinamide
The formulation

Ingredient stacks, side by side

Beauty of Joseon — top of the list

  • Propolis Extract60%
  • Butylene Glycol~5–25%
  • Glycerin~3–10%
  • Niacinamide2%
  • 1,2-Hexanediol~1.5–4%

The Inkey List — top of the list

  • Aqua~50–80%
  • Niacinamide~5–25%
  • Glycerin~3–10%
  • Sodium Hyaluron…~2–6%
  • Pentylene Glycol~1.5–4%

● marks ingredients that appear near the top of both lists. Percentages are positional estimates from INCI order, not disclosed doses.

At a glance

The specs

Beauty of JoseonThe Inkey List
CategorySerumSerum
Price tierBudgetBudget
Best forDullness, Damaged Barrier, DrynessOiliness, Congestion, Dark Spots
Usage notesMorning or eveningMorning or evening
Active overlap77% — Niacinamide
Questions

Common questions

Is the Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum : Propolis + Niacinamide or the The Inkey List Niacinamide Serum better?
Neither is clearly better — they overlap 77% on active ingredients and sit in the same price tier. The difference comes down to texture, finish and the supporting ingredients, so the right choice depends on your skin type and preferences.
What's the difference between the Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum : Propolis + Niacinamide and the The Inkey List Niacinamide Serum?
Both are serums that share Niacinamide. Where they differ: the Beauty of Joseon targets Damaged Barrier, Dryness; the The Inkey List targets Congestion, Dark Spots.
Are the Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum : Propolis + Niacinamide and The Inkey List Niacinamide Serum dupes for each other?
They share 77% active-ingredient overlap based on published INCI lists, so one can stand in for the other on the actives that matter — chiefly Niacinamide. A dupe matches the hero actives, not the full sensory experience, so expect differences in texture, fragrance and exact concentrations.
Can I use the Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum : Propolis + Niacinamide and The Inkey List Niacinamide Serum together?
They both fill the serum slot in a routine, so you'd normally pick one rather than layer both. If you want to use both, treat one as your daytime option and the other for evening, and patch-test when introducing anything new.
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77% overlap

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