Naturium The Smoother Glycolic Acid Body Lotion Versus Paula's Choice 5% Niacinamide Body Serum

Naturium The Smoother Glycolic Acid Body Lotion Versus Paula's Choice 5% Niacinamide Body Serum

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycolic Acid

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Cetearyl Alcohol

Isopropyl Palmitate

Sodium Hydroxide

Olus Oil

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Glycerin

Dimethicone

Glyceryl Stearate

C13-15 Alkane

Magnesium Aluminum Silicate

Potassium Cetyl Phosphate

Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit/Seed Oil

Euphorbia Cerifera Cera

Allantoin

Xanthan Gum

Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil

Xylitylglucoside

Anhydroxylitol

Xylitol

Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Glycolic Acid, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Isopropyl Palmitate, Sodium Hydroxide, Olus Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, C13-15 Alkane, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit/Seed Oil, Euphorbia Cerifera Cera, Allantoin, Xanthan Gum, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol

Panthenol

Niacinamide

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Myristyl Myristate

Pentylene Glycol

Squalene

Glyceryl Stearate Citrate

Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil

Mangifera Indica Seed Butter

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate

Propanediol

Saccharide Isomerate

Sodium Polyacrylate

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Caprylyl Glycol

Tocopherol

Hexylene Glycol

Sclerotium Gum

Lecithin

Pullulan

Hydrolyzed Opuntia Ficus-Indica Flower Extract

Pantolactone

Sodium Phytate

Silica

Ceramide AP

1,2-Hexanediol

Citric Acid

Sodium Citrate

Bacillus Ferment

Water, Panthenol, Niacinamide, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Myristyl Myristate, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, C13-15 Alkane, Squalene, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate, Propanediol, Saccharide Isomerate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Sclerotium Gum, Lecithin, Pullulan, Hydrolyzed Opuntia Ficus-Indica Flower Extract, Pantolactone, Sodium Phytate, Silica, Ceramide AP, 1,2-Hexanediol, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Bacillus Ferment, Phenoxyethanol

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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.

This ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.

Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).

In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).

Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.

Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.

While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.

This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.

C13-15 Alkane is a group of alkanes with 13 to 15 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain.

It is a solvent and texture enhancer. Solvents are used to keep ingredients together in a product. They can help dissolve ingredients to stable bases or help evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product.

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.

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.

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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