Earth Rhythm 10% Niacinamide + Phyto Ceramides + Hyaluronic Acid Serum Versus PCA Skin Hyaluronic Acid Boosting Serum

Earth Rhythm 10% Niacinamide + Phyto Ceramides + Hyaluronic Acid Serum Versus PCA Skin Hyaluronic Acid Boosting Serum

This oil-control serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Ceramide NP to balance excess oil and strengthen the skin barrier.

This hydrating serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Sodium Hyaluronate to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Niacinamide

Dimethicone

Glycerin

Polysilicone-11

Butylene Glycol

Polysorbate 40

Ethoxydiglycol

PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate

Ceramide NP

Sodium Hyaluronate

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6

Panthenol

Xanthan Gum

Phenoxyethanol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Water, Niacinamide, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Polysilicone-11, Butylene Glycol, Polysorbate 40, Ethoxydiglycol, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Ceramide NP, Sodium Hyaluronate, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Panthenol, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin

Propanediol

Hydrolyzed Yeast Extract

Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax

Coconut Alkanes

Isododecane

Jojoba Esters

Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Sodium Benzoate

Carbomer

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Cetyl Alcohol

Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate

Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate

Disodium Acetyl Glucosamine Phosphate

Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans

Sodium Hydroxide

Hexylene Glycol

Polygonum Bistorta Root Extract

Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil

Aroma

Polyglucuronic Acid

Hyaluronic Acid

Sodium Carrageenan

Ceramide AP

Phytosphingosine

Caprylyl Glycol

Cholesterol

Lecithin

Maris Sal

Ceramide EOP

Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Dimethicone, Hydrolyzed Yeast Extract, Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax, Coconut Alkanes, Phenoxyethanol, Isododecane, Jojoba Esters, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Polysilicone-11, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Benzoate, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Disodium Acetyl Glucosamine Phosphate, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Hexylene Glycol, Polygonum Bistorta Root Extract, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Aroma, Polyglucuronic Acid, Ceramide NP, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Carrageenan, Ceramide AP, Phytosphingosine, Caprylyl Glycol, Cholesterol, Lecithin, Maris Sal, Ceramide EOP

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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.

Ceramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.

Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.

This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.

A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.

Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.

Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.

Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.

Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.

What it does:

Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:

Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.

Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.

This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.

Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.

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.

Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).

It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.

On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.

Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).

You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.

Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.

Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.

Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.

Polysilicone-11 is a film-forming silicone that creates a non-tacky and matte finish on the skin. It's commonly used to improve texture, absorb excess oil, and help active ingredients spread evenly.

Due to its "rubber-like" structure, it stays on the skin's surface instead of being absorbed. On the skin, it creates a flexible layer that enhances wearability and stability.

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.

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