Glutathiosome Dark Spot Serum
Abib Glutathiosome Dark Spot Serum is a serum built around Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Betaine, formulated as Abib's Korean-market version of the routine step it fills.
No reviews yet50 ml
$35.28 per 100 ml
- Korean-market formula
- Ships from California or direct from Korea
- Korean barcode and batch code intact
- Suited to
- Normal skinDry skinDull-looking skinTargeted-active routines
- Helps with
- A concentrated treatment stepTargeted concerns before moisturizerLayering under a creamDaily AM or PM use
In stock. Arrives in 3 to 7 business days
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How it works
The formula is built around Butylene Glycol, which sits high enough on the ingredient list to carry real weight rather than trace amounts. Niacinamide works alongside it, and together they are what Abib is pointing at when the line is marketed for this routine step. Betaine rounds out the supporting cast, filling in texture and feel rather than acting as a headline ingredient. As a serum, it is meant to sit at its specific point in a layered Korean routine rather than replace the steps around it. Abib sources this as the same Korean-market formula sold in Korea, not a separate US-facing version.
Key benefits
- Built around Butylene Glycol and Niacinamide
- Carries Betaine for supporting texture and feel
- Formulated as a serum for its specific place in a layered routine
- Sourced as the authentic Korean-market formula, not a US reformulation
- Intact Korean-market barcode and batch code on every unit
Inside the formula
Inside the formula
What does Butylene Glycol do in this formula?
Butylene Glycol is a humectant and solvent that helps the formula's other ingredients dissolve evenly while adding a light layer of its own moisture-holding benefit. It sits toward the front of the ingredient list on this product, which is a reasonable signal of how central it is to the formula. Pairing it with the rest of the ingredient list is what gives this serum its particular feel and finish.
Where does this fit in a routine?
As a serum, this is meant to be used at the point in a layered Korean routine where that step normally sits, applied by pressing a few drops into skin after toner and before moisturizer. Using it out of order will not make it harmful, but it may change how well the following step absorbs. Consistency in where it sits in the routine matters more than the exact minute-by-minute order.
Is this the same formula sold in Korea?
Yes. Abib products sold through Korean Pharmacy are sourced as the authentic Korean-market formula, the same version stocked on shelf in Korea, rather than a separate US-facing reformulation many US retailers carry instead. Packaging carries the intact Korean-market barcode and batch code as part of that sourcing. This is the specific gap Abib shoppers in the US have been left with since Korean import channels tightened.
How long will one unit last?
How long a serum lasts depends entirely on how much is used per application and how often it is applied, so there is no single number that fits every routine. A smaller, daily-use amount will stretch the unit further than a heavier, occasional application. Checking the fill amount against your own usual per-use amount is the most reliable way to estimate it for your own routine.
Can this be layered with other actives?
Butylene Glycol on this ingredient list is not flagged as one that requires special spacing from common actives, so it generally layers into a routine without extra precautions. As with any new product, introducing it on its own for the first few uses is the sensible way to see how your skin responds before adding it alongside other actives. If you use a prescription-strength active elsewhere in your routine, following your own provider's layering guidance takes priority over general routine advice.
Not on the ingredient list below: fragrance or parfum, denatured or SD alcohol, essential oils, silicones, parabens, sulfate surfactants and mineral oil or petrolatum.
Full INCI (42): Water, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Saccharum Officinarum (Sugarcane) Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Chitosan, Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Betaine, Glucose, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Acetyl Glucosamine, Fructooligosaccharides, Fructose, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin*, Allantoin, Dipropylene Glycol, Adenosine, Glutathione, Madecassoside, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Beta-Glucan, Cholesterol, Asiaticoside, Ascorbic Acid, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Ceramide NP, Tocopherol, Ferulic Acid, Lactic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Carbomer, Iron Oxide Red
Ingredient list read from jolse.com on 10 September 2026.
42 of 42 explained
- Water solvent
- Water is the base almost every serum, toner and cream is built on. It dissolves the water-loving ingredients and sets how light the finished texture feels. On an INCI list it is usually first, which only means it is the largest single ingredient by weight.
- Butylene Glycol humectant
- Butylene Glycol is a small glycol that does two jobs at once: it holds water in the top layer of skin and it dissolves plant extracts and actives that plain water cannot. It also thins a formula, which is why watery Korean essences lean on it.
- Niacinamide active
- Niacinamide is vitamin B3, and it is the most studied active in Korean formulation. It is used at roughly 2 to 5 percent for the look of uneven tone and visible pores, and it is water soluble, stable and comfortable beside almost every other active, which is why it turns up in so many lists.
- 1,2-Hexanediol humectant
- 1,2-Hexanediol is a glycol used for two reasons: it holds water like glycerin, and it makes a formula harder for microbes to live in, so less traditional preservative is needed. Korean formulas use it heavily for that second reason.
- Zea Mays (Corn) Starch absorbent
- Corn Starch absorbs oil and moisture and gives a soft, matte finish. It also thickens a formula.
- Chondrus Crispus Extract plant extract
- Chondrus Crispus is Irish moss, a red seaweed. It is loaded with carrageenan, so it hydrates and thickens at once, and it leaves a cushioned, slippery film.
- Chlorella Vulgaris Extract plant extract
- Chlorella Vulgaris is a freshwater green algae. Its extract carries proteins, chlorophyll and amino acids and is used as a conditioning ingredient.
- Saccharum Officinarum (Sugarcane) Extract plant extract
- Sugarcane Extract carries natural glycolic acid and sugars. In cosmetics it is used as a humectant; the acid content is far too low to work as an exfoliant.
- Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract plant extract
- Centella Asiatica is the plant behind the whole cica category, sold as gotu kola or Madagascar centella. Its extract is the anchor of Korean formulas built for easily reddened skin, and its work is done by four triterpenes: asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic acid and madecassic acid.
- Chitosan film former
- Chitosan comes from the shells of crustaceans. It carries a positive charge, so it clings to skin and hair as a thin film, and it is a shellfish-derived ingredient.
- Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract plant extract
- Apple cells grown in a culture vessel rather than picked from fruit, then extracted. The method gives a consistent extract from a single plant line, and it carries apple polyphenols.
- Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6 thickener
- Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6 is a thickener chosen for a notably fresh, bouncy gel feel that breaks down to water on the skin.
30 more explained
- Betaine humectant
- Betaine is a sugar-beet-derived humectant that cells use to hold water. In a formula it hydrates and takes the edge off cleansers and acids, which is why it often appears alongside them.
- Glucose humectant
- Glucose is a simple sugar used as a humectant and as food for the ferment ingredients in the same formula. It hydrates mildly and adds a soft slip.
- Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer thickener
- This is a carbomer relative with fatty side chains, so it thickens and stabilises an emulsion at the same time. It gives a light gel-cream body rather than a heavy one.
- Tromethamine pH adjuster
- Tromethamine neutralises acidic thickeners such as carbomer so they gel, and holds a formula near skin-friendly pH. It is used at a fraction of a percent.
- Acetyl Glucosamine active
- Acetyl Glucosamine is the sugar unit hyaluronic acid is built from. It is used as a humectant and, at higher levels, for the look of uneven tone, often paired with niacinamide.
- Fructooligosaccharides humectant
- Fructooligosaccharides are short fructose chains used as humectants and as food for the skin's own resident microbes.
- Fructose humectant
- Fructose is a simple sugar used as a light humectant. It holds water in the outer layer and often arrives as part of a fruit or honey extract.
- Glycerin humectant
- Glycerin is the most used humectant in skincare. It draws water into the outer layer of skin and holds it there, and it is one of the very few ingredients whose hydrating effect is settled science rather than marketing. Higher amounts feel tacky, which is why it is usually blended.
- Pentylene Glycol humectant
- Pentylene Glycol hydrates and, like the other longer-chain glycols, makes a formula less hospitable to microbes so the preservative system can be lighter. It also improves how evenly a product spreads.
- Ethylhexylglycerin* preservative booster
- Ethylhexylglycerin softens skin and boosts a preservative system, which is why it is nearly always sitting beside phenoxyethanol or 1,2-hexanediol. It also cuts down the odour bacteria produce, so it turns up in deodorising products.
- Allantoin active
- Allantoin is a comfrey-derived compound used to condition skin and soften the outer layer so it feels smoother. It is one of the standard additions to a formula built for easily irritated skin.
- Dipropylene Glycol humectant
- Dipropylene Glycol is a glycol used as a solvent and a light humectant. Its main job is keeping the rest of the formula dissolved and the texture fluid rather than adding hydration of its own.
- Adenosine active
- Adenosine is a nucleoside that Korea's own cosmetic authority recognises as a wrinkle-care functional ingredient, which is why it appears on so many Korean lists at a low level. It is used for the look of fine lines and is stable and well tolerated.
- Glutathione antioxidant
- Glutathione is a small peptide the body uses as one of its main antioxidants. In skincare it is used as an antioxidant and for the look of dullness; it is unstable in water, so formulas that carry it are usually built around protecting it.
- Madecassoside active
- Madecassoside is the centella triterpene most associated with the look of redness, and the one brands lead with in cica products. It is water soluble and stable, so it appears in essences as readily as in creams.
- Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose thickener
- Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose is modified plant cellulose. It thickens water, forms a film, and stabilises foam, and it is the same material used to make capsule shells.
- Hydrogenated Lecithin emulsifier
- Hydrogenated Lecithin is lecithin with its unsaturated bonds filled in, which makes it far more stable. It emulsifies and is the standard shell for the liposomes that carry actives into the outer layer of skin.
- Beta-Glucan polysaccharide
- Beta-Glucan is a polysaccharide from oats or yeast. It holds a large amount of water, forms a soothing film, and is one of the ingredients formulators reach for in products aimed at reactive skin.
- Cholesterol barrier lipid
- Cholesterol is the third of the three lipids the outer layer of skin is built from, with ceramides and fatty acids. Formulas that carry all three are following the ratio skin itself holds.
- Asiaticoside active
- Asiaticoside is one of the four active triterpenes isolated from centella and the most studied of them. Korean formulas name it separately when they want to show which fraction of the plant they standardised.
- Ascorbic Acid antioxidant
- Ascorbic Acid is pure vitamin C, the most researched form and also the least stable: it needs a low pH and airtight packaging to stay active. It is an antioxidant used for the look of dullness and uneven tone.
- 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid antioxidant
- 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid is a stable vitamin C derivative that skin converts to ascorbic acid. It survives in a formula far better than pure vitamin C and works at a gentler pH, so it suits skin that finds the pure acid uncomfortable.
- Ascorbyl Glucoside antioxidant
- Ascorbyl Glucoside is vitamin C bound to glucose, which keeps it stable until enzymes in skin release it. It is a mild, slow-release route to a vitamin C formula.
- Ceramide NP barrier lipid
- Ceramide NP is the most used cosmetic ceramide, the same class of lipid that makes up roughly half the mortar between cells in the outer layer of skin. Added to a cream it slots into that structure, which is why ceramide formulas feel less leaky rather than merely greasy.
- Tocopherol antioxidant
- Tocopherol is vitamin E. It is an oil-soluble antioxidant that protects the oils in a formula from going rancid and works on skin as an emollient, and it is regularly paired with vitamin C because each keeps the other going for longer.
- Ferulic Acid antioxidant
- Ferulic Acid is a plant antioxidant from bran and seeds. Its main formulation job is stabilising vitamins C and E so a serum keeps working for longer, which is why the three appear together so often.
- Lactic Acid exfoliant
- Lactic Acid is a larger AHA than glycolic, so it works nearer the surface and is easier on skin, and it is a humectant as well as an exfoliant. It is the AHA of choice for dry skin.
- Disodium EDTA chelator
- EDTA is a chelator: it locks up trace metal ions from water and packaging that would otherwise turn a formula cloudy, off-colour or rancid. It does nothing to skin and appears at a fraction of a percent.
- Carbomer thickener
- Carbomer is a synthetic polymer that only gels once a base neutralises it, which is why arginine or tromethamine sits nearby on the list. It gives the clear, non-stringy gel texture a xanthan formula cannot reach.
- Iron Oxide Red colorant
- Iron Oxides are mineral pigments in red, yellow and black, and the three are blended to make every skin-tone shade in a tinted product. They are inert and sit on the surface.
- Market
- Korean market, the version sold in Korea
- Made in
- Republic of Korea
- Volume
- 50 ml
- Category
- Serum & Ampoule
- Actives
- Adenosine, Allantoin, Beta-Glucan, Centella Asiatica, Ceramide NP, Glutathione, Lactic Acid, Madecassoside, Niacinamide, Vitamin C
- Ships from
- California or Korea
Orders ship from California or direct from Korea with tracked delivery to your door, and both routes carry the same Korean-market release. Shipping is free on orders of $100 or more. Returns are accepted for 30 days, by mail.
We split shipments free, so one out-of-stock item never holds up the rest of your order.
Where this unit came from
- 1Seoul
Bought as Korean-market stock - 2Barcode
Listed against the Korean barcode on its box - 3California or Korea
Ships to you from either, as the same Korean-market release
We stock the version of a formula that is sold in Korea, not the release a brand prepares for another market under the same name.
Every unit keeps its original barcode and batch code intact, so the unit in your hands can be checked against the brand’s own records.
Every order ships from California or direct from Korea, and returns run for 30 days.
Every claim on this page traces to the unit in the box, the barcode, the batch code and the price you can read for yourself.
How to use
- Cleanse and tone first, and apply while the skin is still slightly damp so it spreads in one pass.
- Press a thin layer over the whole face rather than only the darker patches, since the aim is even colour overall.
- Follow with moisturizer to hold it in place, and with sunscreen as the last step in the morning.
- Do not put it on the same evening as a strong exfoliating product, and give each of them their own night instead.
Worth knowing
- Patch test on a small area before full-face use if you have known sensitivities.
- Discontinue use if irritation, redness, or discomfort develops.
Complete the routine
- This itemAbib Glutathiosome Dark Spot Serum$17.64

- From the same Korean-market lineAbib Heartleaf Calming Trial Kit$15.29

- Seal the routine in as the last stepAbib Glutathiosome Cream Vita Tube 75ml$50.00

Total for 3 items$82.93
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Abib Glutathiosome Dark Spot Serum
How it felt, how your skin took it, what you layer it with. Straight answers help the next person choose.
Abib, Korean-market original
Abib Glutathiosome Dark Spot Serum: authentic Korean-market serum, sourced for the Korean market.
Verify your unit when it arrives
Verify your unit when it arrives
Korean-market stock with the original barcode and batch code intact, exactly as it left Korea.
On the unit itself
- The Korean-market barcode, unaltered from the retail package.
- The manufacturer’s batch code, exactly as the maker printed it.
정품Genuine article, Korean-market stock
What professionals say
What professionals say
What skin-care professionals say about skin care, quoted from the medical sources linked beside each.
Your skin barrier is basically your outer layer of the skin.
Melissa Piliang, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic Pretty much every step of a Korean skin care routine is going to have some component of hydration.
Alok Vij, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic
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