Glow Simplified
Check your shelf

Head to head

Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide vs Vichy Minéral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Booster

Same comparison whichever way you searched it: Vichy Minéral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Booster vs Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide.

The bottom line

Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide does more across the board (it leads on barrier repair, brightening / tone, oil-control & blemishes), while Vichy Minéral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Booster is the simpler, more pared-back pick.

Reach for Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide if you want the actives; Vichy Minéral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Booster if you want fewer ingredients doing less, gently.

Reviewed by Maya FaourLast reviewed September 2026
Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum: Propolis + NiacinamideBeauty of JoseonGlow Serum: Propolis + NiacinamideSerum · ~€16See every ingredient in Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide, decoded
Vichy Minéral 89 Hyaluronic Acid BoosterVichyMinéral 89 Hyaluronic Acid BoosterSerum · ~€22See every ingredient in Minéral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Booster, decoded

Which should you pick?

Pick Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide if

  • you are dealing with breakouts and oiliness
  • dark spots, dullness or an uneven tone are your focus
  • you want the more affordable option

Pick Minéral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Booster if

  • you are prone to fungal acne (malassezia)
  • you prefer a simpler, more minimal formula

What each delivers

HydrationBarrierBrighteningOil-controlAnti-aging
Glow Serum: Propolis + NiacinamideMinéral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Booster
  • Hydration
    1010
  • Barrier repair
    97
  • Brightening / tone
    73
  • Oil-control & blemishes
    81
  • Anti-aging
    62

Side by side

Glow Serum: Propolis + NiacinamideMinéral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Booster
TypeSerumSerum
Key activesGlycerin, Niacinamide, Hyaluronic acidGlycerin, Hyaluronic acid
TextureA light, fast-absorbing texture that layers cleanly under the rest of your routine, with no greasy film.A light, fast-absorbing texture that layers cleanly under the rest of your routine, with no greasy film.
FragranceNone detectedNone detected
Fungal-acne safeNot likelyLikely
PregnancyNo flagged activesNo flagged actives
Ingredients30 listed14 listed
Price~€16~€22

What's in one but not the other

The two labels share 5 of the 39 ingredients between them. The actives are where they part company.

What each one adds acts on The living epidermis, Not established, The stratum corneum for Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide and nothing the other lacks for Vichy Minéral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Booster. That is the layer each is understood to act on, not how deep it travels.

Only in Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide

Both share

Only in Minéral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Booster

Nothing the other doesn't also have.

Where each label stops telling you the dose

Ingredients are listed in order of how much is inside, but only down to 1%. Below that the brand may list them in any order it likes, so the bottom of a label is a set, not a ranking. These two stop being a ranking in very different places.

Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide

  1. 1Propolis Extract
  2. 2Dipropylene Glycol
  3. 3Glycerin
  4. 4Butylene Glycol
  5. 5Water
  6. 6Niacinamide
  7. 71,2-Hexanediol
  8. 8Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
  9. 9Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
  10. 10Sodium Hyaluronate
  11. 11Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract
  12. 12Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
  13. 13Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Extract
  14. 14Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Extract
  15. 15Centella Asiatica Extract
  16. 16Corallina Officinalis Extract
  17. 17Lotus Corniculatus Seed Extract
  18. 18Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil
  19. 19Betaine Salicylate
  20. 20Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
  21. 21Tromethamine
  22. 22Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
  23. 23Caprylyl Glycol
  24. 24Ethylhexylglycerin
  25. 25Dextrin
  26. 26Pentylene Glycol
  27. 27Octanediol
  28. 28Tocopherol
  29. 29Xanthan Gum
  30. 30Carbomer

7 of 30 sit below the line, marked by Ethylhexylglycerin.

Vichy Minéral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Booster

  1. 1Aqua/Water/Eau
  2. 2Propanediol
  3. 3Glycerin
  4. 4PEG/PPG/Polybutylene Glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin
  5. 5Butylene Glycol
  6. 6Carbomer
  7. 7Methyl Gluceth-20
  8. 8Sodium Hyaluronate
  9. 9Hydroxyacetophenone
  10. 10Citric Acid
  11. 11Sodium Polyglutamate
  12. 12Caprylyl Glycol
  13. 13Maltodextrin
  14. 14Biosaccharide Gum-1

9 of 14 sit below the line, marked by Carbomer.

Below the line is not too little to work: ceramides, retinoids and peptides all act far under a percent. It means the position stops carrying information. Where the line falls is inferred from the first ingredient whose whole job is done at a fraction of a percent, so it is a close read of the label rather than a number from the formula sheet.

The molecule doing the work

Glow Serum: Propolis + NiacinamideGlycerin
Minéral 89 Hyaluronic Acid BoosterGlycerin

Better for…

  • Dark spots & uneven toneGlow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide
  • Fine lines & firmnessGlow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide
  • Breakouts & congestionGlow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide
  • Dryness & dehydrationEither works

Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide is the cheaper of the two (~€16 vs ~€22).

Ready to pick one?

Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide on amazon.comMinéral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Booster on amazon.com

Affiliate links, so a purchase sends us a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Glow Simplified earns from qualifying purchases. We make and sell nothing here, so the verdict above never bends toward a sale.

Common questions

Is Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide or Vichy Minéral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Booster better for dark spots & uneven tone?

For dark spots & uneven tone, Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide is the stronger pick by our read of the two formulas. Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide does more across the board (it leads on barrier repair, brightening / tone, oil-control & blemishes), while Vichy Minéral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Booster is the simpler, more pared-back pick. Reach for Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide if you want the actives; Vichy Minéral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Booster if you want fewer ingredients doing less, gently.

Which is cheaper, Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide or Vichy Minéral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Booster?

Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide is the cheaper of the two (~€16 vs ~€22).

Can I use Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide and Vichy Minéral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Booster together?

They are both serums, so you would normally pick one rather than layer both in the same step. You can keep both and alternate them (morning and night, or on different days) if you like variety, but you do not need two.

Compare it with…

VSSKIN1004Madagascar Centella AmpouleShares Centella Asiatica ExtractVSEucerinAnti-Pigment Dual SerumShares Hyaluronic acidVSEucerinAnti-Pigment Dual SerumShares Vitamin E and Hyaluronic acid
All 41 comparisons