Beauty of Joseon Pore Firming Serum Review - Newest Glowing Addition

Beauty of Joseon has delighted its fans with a series of new arrivals, with soothing formulas designed specifically to treat fine lines, whilst balancing oils and skin hydration. With a focus on traditional, Hanbang skincare, they stick to ingredients that have been known to work for a long time. This brand new serum release has been the first from Beauty of Joseon for years – bringing forth gently oily skin care with peptides. 

The Beauty of Joseon Firming Serum is denoted to contain ‘Red Bean PDRN + Peptides’ with a lightweight, nourishing formula that holds the standard of Beauty of Joseon’s gentle skincare. It’s infused with PDRN extracted from red bean, giving the reviving benefits of PDRN without the heaviness of salmon extract. Boosted with soothing centella extract, ceramides and hydrating beta-glucan, this serum is designed to balance oily skin. An exciting addition to this serum that differentiates it from previous Beauty of Joseon formulas, is the addition of ‘SYN-AKE’ peptide. It’s a peptide that mimics the venom of the famous Temple Vipor snake, which in small doses relaxes the facial muscles and helps smooth your visage. 

It is the equivalent of a microdose of botox, that helps smooth fine lines and prevent new lines from forming, for smooth and youthful glow. But who is it for? Is it truly for oily skin types? What is the effect for your pores? Let’s put it to the test and see if Beauty of Joseon has retained their K-Beauty crown with this latest addition. 

Niacinamide: brightening vitamin B3 that helps reduce dark spots and scarring, whilst balancing oily skin types for clearer, smoother skin texture. 

Adenosine: hydrating agent that helps improve skin protection, hydration and stimulates collagen production for firmer, plumper skin texture. 

Japanese Goldthread extract: this rich, soothing extract helps cool redness, improve acne spots and reduce heat and inflammation from the skin.  

Centella asciatica extract: deeply soothing herbal extract that boosts hydration and skin moisture, whilst cooling redness and inflammation. 

Fig extract: refreshing extract that helps balance sebum and moisture for refreshed skin texture and preventing oil build-up for oily skin types. 

PDRN (Red bean extract): this PDRN molecule extracted from Korean red bean helps repair the skin barrier and enhance skin function.  

Ceramides: plumping molecule that helps seal natural cracks that form in skin, preventing moisture loss and creating glassier, healthier skin. 

Beta-Glucan: deeply hydrating molecule that helps draw moisture into skin cells and soothing redness and heat, for a restorative application. 

Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate: SNY-AKE peptide which famously mimics Temple Viper venom, which relaxes facial muscles and prevents repetitive movements that to reduce depth of facial wrinkles. 

Although the ‘snake venom’ peptide might sound scary, this formula is actually very simple and gentle (keeping consciously with the rest of Beauty of Joseon's skincare products). This serum leans more towards gentle and sensitive skincare and is suitable for a variety of skin types from oily to dry. 

It is designed for oily skin (specifically pore care), but it does not mean it's necessarily suited to acne-prone skin types. It does have more hydrating ingredients which can trigger a flare, so purchase with care (especially if you are sensitive to one of the ingredients).

I have quite sensitive skin with fine lines and am a massive fan of peptide serums. The Medicube PDRN Pink Peptide serum has been one of my long-standing favourites and rarely ever leaves my routine, so I was excited to see a new pink peptide serum enter the K-beauty arena.

I started using this serum in my evening routine, as a hydrating boost. It's an incredibly lightweight gentle formula that absorbs smoothly into the skin, with zero irritation. Unlike high-concentration peptide formulas, this serum is far more subtle and balancing. It gives you a boost of hydration and glow, whilst slowly reducing pore size for a glassy finish.

After two weeks of use, I could feel the benefits of the red bean PDRN and peptide serum. If what makes you love Beauty of Joseon is their minimalism, blended with incredibly gentle formulas - this serum fits in with all of those. You won't feel any burning or stinging (which also means your face won't change overnight), but with regular use you'll see firming of skin and reduction of pores.

I had a gentle glow and it was a really soft alternative to the usual fine line serums. My skin texture was slightly more rosy and there was a genuine reduction in pore definition for smoother skin texture.

I would recommend this serum to any skin-gentle routines that are looking for purified ingredients with minimal irritation. This serum will work well with any routine, but is best suited for those with slight fine lines and large pores.

Looking to expand your K-beauty regime? Check out our curated Korean skincare range. For high-quality skincare, service and advice (from our in-house AI assistant Pogi), you have to check out Arktastic!

Want to know more about your favourite K-Beauty products? Check out our guide to the Beauty of Joseon brand and how they got started. Or check out our review of their new Firming Moisturizer!

What is the Beauty of Joseon Pore Firming Serum?
This nourishing serum is designed for rich oily skin care (especially pore care), whilst utilizing the gentle Hanbang properties of Beauty of Joseon's skin line. It infuses fig extract and centella asciatica, with red bean PDRN which helps shrink pores and create a glassy finish.

Is the Beauty of Joseon Pore Firming Serum for large pores?
Yes, this serum is specialized to help reduce pore size and create more uniform, smoother and firmer skin. It also contains ingredients to balance sebum and extra oils, whilst also improving moisture.

What skin type is the Beauty of Joseon Pore Firming serum best for?
It's best designed for oily skin and skin with fine lines and enlarged pores. You'll see less benefit with dry skin or acne-prone skin.

Can sensitive skin use the Beauty of Joseon Pore Firming serum?
Yes, this serum is incredibly gentle with a minimalist ingredient list designed to soothe and refresh your skin. Always perform a patch test however, and check to see if there are any ingredients you personally may be sensitive to.

How to Use the Beauty of Joseon Pore Firming serum?
This delicate serum can be used both AM/PM in your morning or evening routine. Apply 1-2 pumps to each side of your face and gently massage into skin with fingertips. Follow with a hydrating moisturizer for maximal effect (such as the Beauty of Joseon Firming Moisturizer).