Egg PHA Pore Serum 55g
Niacinamide sits sixth on this 55 g A'PIEU serum, with panthenol, sodium hyaluronate and centella behind it. The PHA the name points at, gluconolactone, is declared at 500 ppm in twenty-sixth place, and the egg albumen at 100 ppm in eleventh. Korean-market formula.
No reviews yet55 g
$59.09 per 100 g
- Korean-market formula
- Ships from California or direct from Korea
- Korean barcode and batch code intact
- Suited to
- Congested skinUneven textureDry skinCompromised barrier
- Helps with
- Shoppers looking for Gluconolactone in a serumRoutines that want Gluconolactone and Niacinamide in one stepFilling the serum step with a Korean-market formulaAnyone who wants the Gluconolactone serum sold on Korean shelves
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- 30-day returns
- Free US shipping on orders of $100 or more
- Tracked delivery to your door
How it works
The Egg PHA Pore Serum is a 55g serum, used after toner and before moisturizer, morning and evening. The exfoliant it is built around is Gluconolactone, named twenty-sixth on its own ingredient list. The same list carries Niacinamide, Adenosine and Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, so the exfoliant is not the only thing on it worth naming. How much of the Gluconolactone stays on the skin, and for how long, is decided by the serum format rather than by the list alone. This is the Original Korean Formula, the serum A'PIEU sells in Korea, Gluconolactone and all.
Key benefits
- Gluconolactone, the exfoliant this serum is built around
- Niacinamide and Adenosine on the same list, actives
- Capryloyl Salicylic Acid and Salicylic Acid on the same list, exfoliants
- Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 and Acetyl Octapeptide-3 further down the same list
- Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2 and Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3 further down the same list
- Gluconolactone named twenty-sixth on the manufacturer list printed on this page
Inside the formula
Inside the formula
Where does this serum go in my routine?
After toner and before moisturizer, morning and evening. Anything thinner than a serum goes on before it, and anything richer goes on after. If you are adding it to a routine you already like, give it a week on its own first, so what you see is the Gluconolactone and not three changes at once.
Is this the Korean-market serum or a US version?
The Korean-market one, Gluconolactone and all. We match this serum to its Korean barcode before it reaches the shelf, which is the check that tells you which market release you are holding.
Does this serum contain fragrance?
Yes. The ingredient list names Limonene and Linalool. They sit on the panel printed on this page, so you can read the position for yourself before you buy. If fragrance components are something you avoid, this serum is not the one.
What else is on the list besides Gluconolactone?
Niacinamide, Adenosine and Capryloyl Salicylic Acid. The order they are printed in on this serum's panel is the order on the box, so you can see where Gluconolactone sits relative to them. Further down the same panel: Salicylic Acid, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 and Acetyl Octapeptide-3.
Not on the ingredient list below: fragrance or parfum, denatured or SD alcohol, silicones, parabens, sulfate surfactants, mineral oil or petrolatum and added color.
Full INCI (59): Water, Glycerin, Isononyl Isononanoate, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Albumen Extract (100ppm), Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Castanea Crenata (Chestnut) Shell Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Extract, Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Pentylene Glycol, Diethoxyethyl Succinate, Gluconolactone (500ppm), Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Polyquaternium-51, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Sodium Citrate, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Citric Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propanediol, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Tocopherol, Ceramide NP, Salicylic Acid, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Ascorbic Acid Polypeptide, Beta-Sitosterol, Acetyl Octapeptide-3, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-9, Carnosine, Copper Tripeptide-1, Nonapeptide-1, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Limonene, Linalool
Ingredient list read from inkeedecoder.com on 10 September 2026.
53 of 59 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.
- 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.
- Isononyl Isononanoate emollient
- Isononyl Isononanoate is a branched ester used as a dry emollient. It spreads far for its weight and leaves almost no residue, which is why it appears in formulas that have to feel weightless.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Panthenol humectant
- Panthenol is pro-vitamin B5: skin converts it to pantothenic acid. It is a humectant that holds water and leaves skin feeling soft and less tight, and it is one of the ingredients formulators reach for when a formula also contains something harsh.
- Sodium Hyaluronate humectant
- Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt of hyaluronic acid, and it is what most products labelled hyaluronic actually contain. The salt dissolves more readily and the molecule is smaller, so it sits in the outer layer of skin rather than only on top of it.
- 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.
- Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil fragrance component
- Bergamot Fruit Oil is a citrus essential oil and the top note of eau de cologne. It scents a formula; citrus oils are the aromatic class most likely to bother reactive skin.
- Houttuynia Cordata Extract plant extract
- Houttuynia Cordata is heartleaf, and it is one of the two or three anchor plants of Korean calming skincare. Its extract carries quercitrin and other flavonoids and is used for the look of redness and blemish-prone skin.
- Castanea Crenata (Chestnut) Shell Extract plant extract
- Chestnut Shell Extract carries tannins and is used as an antioxidant plant extract, most often in formulas aimed at visible pores.
41 more explained
- Hydrolyzed Collagen protein
- Hydrolyzed Collagen is collagen broken into fragments small enough to dissolve in water. It cannot become collagen in skin; what it does is hold water at the surface and leave a smooth, conditioned film.
- Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract plant extract
- Pinus Palustris is longleaf pine. Its needle extract carries plant antioxidants and appears in Korean formulas alongside other conifer extracts.
- Pueraria Lobata Root Extract plant extract
- Pueraria Lobata is kudzu. Its root extract carries isoflavones, plant compounds structurally similar to oestrogen, and Korean formulas use it for the look of thinning, less resilient skin.
- Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract plant extract
- Ulmus Davidiana is Japanese elm, whose inner bark yields a naturally slippery mucilage. Korean formulas use the root extract for that cushioned feel and for the look of reactive skin.
- Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil emollient
- Argan Oil is pressed from the argan kernel and is rich in oleic and linoleic acids plus vitamin E. It is a medium-weight emollient that absorbs reasonably fast.
- Ethylhexyl Palmitate emollient
- Ethylhexyl Palmitate is a palm-derived ester used as a light emollient and a solvent for pigment. It gives a smooth, non-greasy slip.
- 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.
- Diethoxyethyl Succinate solvent
- Diethoxyethyl Succinate is a solvent that helps water-resistant actives spread and sink in evenly. It also leaves a light, silky feel.
- Gluconolactone (500ppm) exfoliant
- Gluconolactone is a PHA, the gentlest exfoliant class. Its molecule is too large to penetrate quickly, so it smooths the surface without the sting of an AHA, and it is a humectant at the same time.
- 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.
- Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer film former
- This is a polymer that forms a moisture-holding film on the surface, usually supplied with glycerin and propylene glycol as a hydrating complex.
- Polyquaternium-51 film former
- Polyquaternium-51 is a polymer, sometimes sold as Lipidure, built on the same phosphorylcholine structure as a cell membrane. It holds water in a film on the surface and gives a distinctive soft, dry finish.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Sodium Citrate pH adjuster
- Sodium Citrate is the salt of citric acid, used as a buffer: it holds a formula at a steady pH rather than pushing it in one direction. It is also a mild chelator.
- Capryloyl Salicylic Acid exfoliant
- Capryloyl Salicylic Acid is salicylic acid with a fatty tail, sometimes sold as LHA. It stays nearer the surface than salicylic acid and works at a higher pH, so it exfoliates more evenly and more gently.
- Citric Acid pH adjuster
- Citric Acid is used in tiny amounts to bring a formula to the pH its actives need, not as an exfoliant at that level. It is an AHA, so at much higher concentrations it can also exfoliate.
- Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride emollient
- Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is the light fraction of coconut oil, with the heavy parts removed. It is the workhorse emollient of modern formulas: it softens skin, dissolves oil-soluble actives and absorbs without the greasy weight of a whole plant oil.
- Propanediol humectant
- Propanediol is a plant-derived glycol used in place of propylene glycol. It hydrates, carries actives into solution, and gives a lighter, less sticky slip than glycerin at the same strength.
- Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate emulsifier
- Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate is a sugar-derived emulsifier known for a light, non-soapy feel. It builds gel-creams that do not read as rich.
- Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine emulsifier
- Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine is the stabilised form of the main lecithin phospholipid. It builds the liposome shells that hold an active together in a formula.
- 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.
- 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.
- Salicylic Acid exfoliant
- Salicylic Acid is a BHA, and the only common exfoliant that is oil soluble, so it can work inside a pore rather than only on the surface. It loosens the dead cells that block pores and is used for the look of congested, oily skin.
- Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 peptide
- Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 is a six-amino-acid peptide used for the look of expression lines, particularly around the eyes. It is the peptide sold under the name Argireline and is water soluble and stable.
- Ascorbic Acid Polypeptide antioxidant
- Ascorbic Acid Polypeptide is vitamin C attached to a short protein chain to keep it stable in water. It is an antioxidant used for the look of dullness.
- Beta-Sitosterol emollient
- Phytosterols are plant sterols, structurally close to the cholesterol in skin's own lipid layer. They soften skin and help the oil phase of a formula hold together.
- Acetyl Octapeptide-3 peptide
- Acetyl Octapeptide-3 is an eight-amino-acid peptide used for the look of expression lines. It is usually paired with acetyl hexapeptide-8 rather than used alone.
- Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2 peptide
- Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2 is a four-amino-acid peptide used for the look of firmness, particularly in eye and neck formulas.
- Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3 peptide
- Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3 is a four-amino-acid peptide used for the look of density and firmness. It appears in scalp formulas as often as in facial ones.
- Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5 peptide
- Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5 is a four-amino-acid peptide used in eye products for the look of puffiness and crepiness.
- Acetyl Tetrapeptide-9 peptide
- Acetyl Tetrapeptide-9 is a four-amino-acid peptide used for the look of firmness and density. It is most often supplied alongside acetyl tetrapeptide-11.
- Carnosine antioxidant
- Carnosine is a small peptide of two amino acids that acts as an antioxidant, particularly against the sugar-driven damage formulators call glycation. It is used for the look of dull, sallow skin.
- Copper Tripeptide-1 peptide
- Copper Tripeptide-1 is three amino acids bound to a copper ion, and the classic firming peptide in cosmetic chemistry. It is blue in solution, which is often why a serum carrying it is tinted, and it is used for the look of firmness and fine lines.
- Nonapeptide-1 peptide
- Nonapeptide-1 is a nine-amino-acid peptide used for the look of uneven tone rather than for firmness, which makes it unusual among cosmetic peptides.
- Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 peptide
- Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 is the five-amino-acid peptide originally sold as Matrixyl. It is used for the look of fine lines and is one of the longest-standing cosmetic peptides.
- Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 peptide
- Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 is a short peptide with a fatty tail added so it can travel through the oily outer layer of skin. It is used for the look of firmness and is almost always paired with palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7.
- Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 peptide
- Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 is a fatted three-amino-acid peptide used for the look of firmness and fine lines. The palmitoyl tail is what lets it cross an oily surface.
- Limonene fragrance component
- Limonene is the citrus-peel aromatic. It appears here because EU labelling requires 26 fragrance components to be named individually rather than hidden inside "fragrance", and it is one of them.
- Linalool fragrance component
- Linalool is a floral aromatic found in lavender, bergamot and coriander. It is one of the 26 fragrance components EU labelling requires to be declared by name.
- Market
- Korean market, the version sold in Korea
- EAN (barcode)
- 8809747963492
- Made in
- Republic of Korea
- Volume
- 55 g
- Category
- Serum & Ampoule
- Actives
- Adenosine, Centella Asiatica, Ceramide NP, Collagen, Heartleaf (Houttuynia Cordata), Niacinamide, Panthenol, Peptides, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, 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. The barcode in the specification above is the Korean-market one and it is printed on the box you receive.
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
- Use it as the serum step, AM and PM, after toner and before moisturizer, giving it a moment to settle before the next step.
Worth knowing
- Patch test this serum on a small area and wait a day before using it more widely, especially with Gluconolactone on the list.
- This list names Limonene and Linalool, so skip it if fragrance components are something you avoid.
- Citric Acid and Gluconolactone on this list makes this serum an exfoliating step, so do not stack it with another one on the same night.
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A'pieu Egg PHA Pore Serum 55g
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A'PIEU, Korean-market original
The Original Korean Formula serum from A'PIEU, 55g formulated with Gluconolactone and Niacinamide, shipped from California or direct from Korea.
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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