Numbuzin No.3 Super Glowing Essence Toner Versus Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster

Numbuzin No.3 Super Glowing Essence Toner Versus Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster

This brightening toner is formulated around Niacinamide and Lactobacillus Ferment to brighten dull-looking skin and strengthen the skin barrier.

This calming treatment is formulated around Azelaic Acid and Salicylic Acid to calm redness and fade the look of dark spots.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Dipropylene Glycol

Glycereth-26

1,2-Hexanediol

Niacinamide

Butylene Glycol

Glycerin

Methyl Gluceth-20

Spiraea Ulmaria Extract

Lactococcus/Bean Seed Extract Ferment Filtrate

Lactobacillus/Rice Ferment

Chlorella Ferment

Lactobacillus/Algae Extract Ferment

Saccharomyces/Grape Ferment Extract

Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Ferment Extract

Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract

Lactobacillus/Soybean Extract Ferment Filtrate

Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate

Saccharomyces/Barley Seed Ferment Filtrate

Saccharomyces/Calcium Ferment

Saccharomyces/Laminaria Saccharina Ferment

Saccharomyces/Potato Extract Ferment Filtrate

Lactobacillus/Eriodictyon Californicum Ferment Extract

Lactobacillus/Water Hyacinth Ferment

Lactobacillus/Rye Flour Ferment

Lactobacillus/Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Ferment Filtrate

Lactobacillus/Milk Ferment Filtrate

Lactobacillus

Lactobacillus/Acerola Cherry Ferment

Lactobacillus Ferment

Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate Filtrate

Lactococcus/Milk Ferment Lysate

Lactococcus Ferment

Lactococcus Ferment Extract

Lactococcus Ferment Lysate

Streptococcus Thermophilus Ferment

Aureobasidium Pullulans Ferment Filtrate

Bifida Ferment Filtrate

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Lactobacillus/Wasabia Japonica Root Ferment Extract

Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract

Bacillus/Glutamic Acid Ferment Filtrate

Bacillus/Rice Bran Extract/Soybean Extract Ferment Filtrate

Monascus/Rice Ferment

Saccharomyces/Rice Bran Ferment Filtrate Extract

Saccharomyces/Rice Bran Ferment

Lactobacillus/Pear Juice Ferment Filtrate

Pichia Ferment Lysate Filtrate

Alteromonas Ferment Extract

Saccharomyces/Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Ferment Filtrate

Saccharomyces/Soy Protein Ferment

Sphingomonas Ferment Extract

Saccharomyces/Malachite Ferment

Saccharomyces Ferment

Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate

Aspergillus Ferment

Aspergillus/Glucose/Soybean/Starch Ferment Filtrate

Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil

Sodium Hyaluronate

Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate

Cetearyl Alcohol

Betaine

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Tromethamine

Polyquaternium-51

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Adenosine

Geraniol

Citronellol

Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycereth-26, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Methyl Gluceth-20, Spiraea Ulmaria Extract, Lactococcus/Bean Seed Extract Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus/Rice Ferment, Chlorella Ferment, Lactobacillus/Algae Extract Ferment, Saccharomyces/Grape Ferment Extract, Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Ferment Extract, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Lactobacillus/Soybean Extract Ferment Filtrate, Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate, Saccharomyces/Barley Seed Ferment Filtrate, Saccharomyces/Calcium Ferment, Saccharomyces/Laminaria Saccharina Ferment, Saccharomyces/Potato Extract Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus/Eriodictyon Californicum Ferment Extract, Lactobacillus/Water Hyacinth Ferment, Lactobacillus/Rye Flour Ferment, Lactobacillus/Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus/Milk Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus, Lactobacillus/Acerola Cherry Ferment, Lactobacillus Ferment, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate Filtrate, Lactococcus/Milk Ferment Lysate, Lactococcus Ferment, Lactococcus Ferment Extract, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, Streptococcus Thermophilus Ferment, Aureobasidium Pullulans Ferment Filtrate, Bifida Ferment Filtrate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus/Wasabia Japonica Root Ferment Extract, Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract, Bacillus/Glutamic Acid Ferment Filtrate, Bacillus/Rice Bran Extract/Soybean Extract Ferment Filtrate, Monascus/Rice Ferment, Saccharomyces/Rice Bran Ferment Filtrate Extract, Saccharomyces/Rice Bran Ferment, Lactobacillus/Pear Juice Ferment Filtrate, Pichia Ferment Lysate Filtrate, Alteromonas Ferment Extract, Saccharomyces/Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Ferment Filtrate, Saccharomyces/Soy Protein Ferment, Sphingomonas Ferment Extract, Saccharomyces/Malachite Ferment, Saccharomyces Ferment, Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate, Aspergillus Ferment, Aspergillus/Glucose/Soybean/Starch Ferment Filtrate, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Betaine, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Polyquaternium-51, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Adenosine, Geraniol, Citronellol

Azelaic Acid

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate

Glyceryl Stearate

Dimethicone

Salicylic Acid

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract

Allantoin

Bisabolol

Cyclopentasiloxane

Xanthan Gum

Sclerotium Gum

Propanediol

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Azelaic Acid, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Dimethicone, Salicylic Acid, Adenosine, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract, Allantoin, Bisabolol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Xanthan Gum, Sclerotium Gum, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol

Reviews

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Adenosine is a purine nucleoside that your body already makes in every cell. In skincare, it acts mainly as a skin conditioning and anti-aging agent.

The way it works is fairly well mapped out:

Your skin has cells called fibroblasts that build collagen (the stuff that keeps skin firm and smooth). Adenosine basically flips a switch on these cells that tells them to get to work making more collagen and other proteins. These cells slow down on their own as skin ages, so Adenosine helps give them a little nudge to keep going.

The clinical backing is pretty solid too.

A blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 126 women aged 45-65 tested a 0.1% cream twice daily and found real improvements in crow's feet and frown lines using a precise 3D skin-mapping technique; these changes showed up by week 3 and held at 2 months.

A later study using Adenosine-loaded dissolving microneedle patches reported gains in wrinkle depth, dermal density, elasticity, and hydration.

On concentrations, South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has set 0.04% as the approved functional anti-wrinkle level. You'll typically see this ingredient used somewhere in the 0.04-0.1% range since it works at low doses.

This ingredient has been found safe for cosmetics with the data showing no irritation or sensitization.

Overall, this is a great ingredient for any anti-aging routine and has no photosensitizing effect, so it suits both AM and PM use.

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.

Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.

Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.

It plays several roles in a formula:

Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.

Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.

However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.

Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.

Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.

Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.

This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.

A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.

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.

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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