First Aid Beauty Dark Spot Serum With Niacinamide Versus alpyn beauty Wild Nettle & Niacinamide Instant Firming Serum

First Aid Beauty Dark Spot Serum With Niacinamide Versus alpyn beauty Wild Nettle & Niacinamide Instant Firming Serum

This brightening serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract to fade the look of dark spots and brighten dull-looking skin.

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Lactic Acid to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Niacinamide

Dimethicone

Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate

Glycerin

Butylene Glycol

Panthenol

Polysorbate 20

Actinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract

Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Allantoin

Aminomethyl Propanol

Hydroxyacetophenone

Undecylenoyl Phenylalanine

Acrylates/Vinyl Isodecanoate Crosspolymer

Dimethiconol

Laureth-4

Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer

Phenoxyethanol

Disodium EDTA

Pvm/Ma Copolymer

Tetrasodium EDTA

Water, Niacinamide, Dimethicone, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Panthenol, Polysorbate 20, Actinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Allantoin, Aminomethyl Propanol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Undecylenoyl Phenylalanine, Acrylates/Vinyl Isodecanoate Crosspolymer, Dimethiconol, Laureth-4, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Pvm/Ma Copolymer, Tetrasodium EDTA

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer

Urtica Dioica Extract

Nephelium Lappaceum Leaf Extract

Squalane

Sodium Phytate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Superoxide Dismutase

Lactic Acid

Sodium Levulinate

Potassium Sorbate

Lysolecithin

Sclerotium Gum

Xanthan Gum

Curcuma Longa Root Oil

Pullulan

Diheptyl Succinate

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Tocopherol

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract

Taraxacum Officinale Extract

Vaccinium Uliginosum Berry Extract

Prunus Davidiana Extract

Salix Alba Extract

Borago Officinalis Extract

Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract

Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract

Arnica Montana Flower Extract

Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract

Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract

Maltodextrin

Silica

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glycerin, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Niacinamide, Urtica Dioica Extract, Nephelium Lappaceum Leaf Extract, Squalane, Sodium Phytate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Superoxide Dismutase, Lactic Acid, Sodium Levulinate, Potassium Sorbate, Lysolecithin, Sclerotium Gum, Xanthan Gum, Curcuma Longa Root Oil, Pullulan, Diheptyl Succinate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Tocopherol, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract, Taraxacum Officinale Extract, Vaccinium Uliginosum Berry Extract, Prunus Davidiana Extract, Salix Alba Extract, Borago Officinalis Extract, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract, Maltodextrin, Silica, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

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.

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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