Skin science article
Allies of Skin Prebiotics & Niacinamide Pore Refining Booster Versus Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops
Allies of Skin Prebiotics & Niacinamide Pore Refining Booster Versus Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops This pore-care serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide to refine the look of pores and strengthen the skin ba
Allies of Skin Prebiotics & Niacinamide Pore Refining Booster Versus Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops
This pore-care serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide to refine the look of pores and strengthen the skin barrier.
This brightening serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract to brighten dull-looking skin.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Niacinamide
Glycerin
Dimethyl Isosorbide
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Punica Granatum Extract
Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract
Lactobacillus
Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice
Bisabolol
Silver
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer-3
Lysophosphatidic Acid
Lysolecithin
Lecithin
Laminaria Digitata Extract
Disodium Adenosine Triphosphate
Pichia/Resveratrol Ferment Extract
Sodium Hyaluronate
Ribose
Ubiquinone
Chlorella Vulgaris Extract
Saccharide Isomerate
Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract
Astaxanthin
Ergothioneine
Glutathione
Tocopheryl Acetate
Sea Water
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Maltodextrin
Ethylhexylglycerin
Xanthan Gum
Citric Acid
Polysorbate 20
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Sodium Gluconate
Sodium Hydroxide
Phenoxyethanol
Water, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Punica Granatum Extract, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Lactobacillus, Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice, Bisabolol, Silver, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer-3, Lysophosphatidic Acid, Lysolecithin, Lecithin, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Disodium Adenosine Triphosphate, Pichia/Resveratrol Ferment Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ribose, Ubiquinone, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Saccharide Isomerate, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Astaxanthin, Ergothioneine, Glutathione, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sea Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Maltodextrin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Polysorbate 20, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Sodium Gluconate, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol
Propanediol
Glycereth-26
2,3-Butanediol
1,2-Hexanediol
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract
Eclipta Prostrata Extract
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Tromethamine
Glyceryl Stearate
Carbomer
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Polyquaternium-51
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Parfum
Benzyl Benzoate
Water, Propanediol, Glycereth-26, Glycerin, Niacinamide, 2,3-Butanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Tromethamine, Glyceryl Stearate, Carbomer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Polyquaternium-51, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Parfum, Benzyl Benzoate
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Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Niacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.
In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.
If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.
In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).
Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.
Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.
The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.
Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!
Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.