Dermafirm L’Cream Restructuring Cream Versus Paula's Choice Clinical Niacinamide 20% Treatment

Dermafirm L’Cream Restructuring Cream Versus Paula's Choice Clinical Niacinamide 20% Treatment

This barrier-repair treatment is formulated around Centella Asiatica Extract and Snail Secretion Filtrate to strengthen the skin barrier and soften the look of wrinkles.

This pore-care treatment is formulated around Niacinamide and Acetyl Glucosamine to refine the look of pores and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

No concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Butylene Glycol

Centella Asiatica Extract

Glycerin

Cetearyl Alcohol

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Isopropyl Myristate

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Stearic Acid

Beeswax

Jojoba Esters

Snail Secretion Filtrate

Allium Cepa Bulb Extract

Aralia Elata Root Extract

Golden Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Flower Extract

Chamomilla Recutita Extract

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract

Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil

Arginine

Glycine

Serine

Glutamic Acid

Aspartic Acid

Leucine

Alanine

Lysine

Tyrosine

Phenylalanine

Threonine

Proline

Valine

Isoleucine

Histidine

Cysteine

Methionine

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Tocopherol

Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans

Hydrolyzed Algin

Boswellia Serrata Extract

Palmitoyl Oligopeptide

Copper Tripeptide-1

Tripeptide-29

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Oligopeptide-1

Oligopeptide-2

Glyceryl Stearate

PEG-100 Stearate

Octyldodecanol

Cetearyl Glucoside

Polysorbate 60

Allantoin

Glucose

Sodium Hyaluronate

Pentylene Glycol

Cetearyl Isononanoate

Ceteareth-20

Ceteareth-12

Cetyl Alcohol

Stearyl Alcohol

Sodium Phosphate

Cetyl Palmitate

Caprylyl Glycol

Citric Acid

Benzoic Acid

PPG-26-Buteth-26

Dimethicone

PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Alcohol

Glyceryl Caprylate

1,2-Hexanediol

Water, Butylene Glycol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isopropyl Myristate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Stearic Acid, Beeswax, Jojoba Esters, Snail Secretion Filtrate, Allium Cepa Bulb Extract, Aralia Elata Root Extract, Golden Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil, Arginine, Glycine, Serine, Glutamic Acid, Aspartic Acid, Leucine, Alanine, Lysine, Tyrosine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Proline, Valine, Isoleucine, Histidine, Cysteine, Methionine, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Hydrolyzed Algin, Boswellia Serrata Extract, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Copper Tripeptide-1, Tripeptide-29, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Oligopeptide-1, Oligopeptide-2, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Octyldodecanol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Polysorbate 60, Allantoin, Glucose, Sodium Hyaluronate, Pentylene Glycol, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Ceteareth-20, Ceteareth-12, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Sodium Phosphate, Cetyl Palmitate, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, PPG-26-Buteth-26, Dimethicone, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Alcohol, Glyceryl Caprylate, 1,2-Hexanediol

Niacinamide 20%

Acetyl Glucosamine

Ascorbyl Glucoside

Spiraea Ulmaria Extract

Portulaca Oleracea Extract

Camellia Japonica Flower Extract

Epigallocatechin Gallate

Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract

Lecithin

Pullulan

Panthenol

Silica

Xanthan Gum

Sclerotium Gum

Propanediol

Sodium Phytate

Phenoxyethanol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Water, Niacinamide 20%, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Acetyl Glucosamine, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Spiraea Ulmaria Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Camellia Japonica Flower Extract, Epigallocatechin Gallate, Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Allantoin, Lecithin, Pullulan, Panthenol, Silica, Xanthan Gum, Sclerotium Gum, Propanediol, Sodium Phytate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin

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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.

Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.

Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.

Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.

It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.

Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.

This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.

Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.

Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (tea extract) is one of the most well-researched plant extracts in skincare with an impressive resume.

Black tea, green tea, and oolong tea are all harvested from the Camellia Sinensis plant.

Studies show green tea extract and its catechins (like epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)) help your skin cells product energy more efficiently and reducing the number of free-radicals that can damage your skin from the inside.

In lab-grown skin models, this translated to younger, healthier, and stronger skin.

There's also good sun protection data; researchers saw less DNA damage and redness on human skin when green tea was applied before UVB exposure. And the more they applied, the better the protection.

Needless to say, this ingredient shouldn't replace your sunscreen. But it is a great supportive ingredient that you can already find in many sunscreens and antioxidant serums.

A 2009 study found a 2% green tea lotion was effective for mild-to-moderate acne thanks to its anti-inflammatory and mild antimicrobial activity.

The quality of the extract matters a lot here:

Good extracts contain 50-90% catechins while lower quality ones are mostly there for marketing. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the quality or source of their ingredients.

Human Repeated Insult Patch Testing showed no irritation or sensitization at use concentrations (0.86% in leave-on products and up to 30% as leaf water).

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.

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract is an extract of the roots of Licorice. It has been found to have several benefits such as skin hydrating, conditioning, and soothing.

One component, glabridin, has extra potent antioxidant and soothing properties. It has also been found to block pigmentation from UVB rays in guinea pigs.

Licorice Root also contains a flavonoid. Flavonoids are a natural substance from in plants. Flavonoids also have antioxidant properties.

Another component, glycyrrhizin, has been found to have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial benefits. This may make licorice root extract effective at treating acne. However, more research is needed to support this.

Liquiritin is one of the flavone compounds found in licorice. It has been found to help lighten skin by preventing tyrosinase from reacting with tyrosine. When the two react, protein is converted to melanin. Melanin is the substance in your body that gives your features pigmentation.

Pentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:

Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.

On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.

Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.

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!

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