My under-eye creases were eating every thick cream I threw at them. Then I got lazy one night and swiped this serum under my eyes instead. Forgot about it. Woke up and my concealer didn’t settle into a single line.
That’s when I realized I’d been overpaying for glorified Vaseline in fancy jars. This $22 bottle quietly replaced three separate products in my routine.
Beauty of Joseon calls this a face serum. That’s underselling it. It’s a retinal treatment with ginseng water as the base — sounds fancy, works harder. The claim that got me: “revives tired skin.” I call bullshit on most claims. This one held up.
Retinal (not retinol)
Stronger than retinol, less irritation — the sweet spot for beginners and sensitive types
Ginseng water base
Antioxidant-rich, calms redness while the retinal does the heavy lifting
No fragrance, no essential oils
Smells like nothing. My eyes didn’t water. That’s rare.
Photo: Fleur Kaan / Unsplash
The formula is boring in the best way. No glitter, no pink goo, no 47 botanical extracts that do nothing. Just retinal, ginseng, and a few supporting players that actually earn their spot.
- Retinal (0.1%): Smooths fine lines without the peel-and-flake circus
- Ginseng water: Boosts circulation — that ‘glow’ is literally blood flow
- Hyaluronic acid: Pulls in water so the retinal doesn’t dry you out
- Panthenol: Barrier repair — why you don’t get that tight, stripped feeling
Photo: Olga Ferstl / Unsplash
It’s a watery gel — not a cream. Drops disappear into skin in about 15 seconds. No tacky film, no pilling under moisturizer. You can layer it under sunscreen without your makeup sliding off. That alone is worth the price.
Week two, my skin purged a little around my chin. Tiny whiteheads, not the nuclear breakout I was scared of. They cleared in three days. By week three, my neck — which I’d been ignoring for years — looked like it actually matched my face.
Photo: Harper Sunday / Unsplash
Fine lines around my mouth are visibly softer — not gone, but softer. The crepey skin on my neck is the big win. My eye area looks rested, which is a lie because I have a toddler. What didn’t change: my dark circles. Those need sleep, not skincare.
This is the rare product that does what it says and then some. It’s not sexy. It just works — on your face, your neck, your cuticles, and anywhere else skin forgets to act young.