Numbuzin No.5 Vitamin-Niacinamide Concentrated Pad Versus Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 6% Mandelic Acid + 2% Lactic Acid Liquid Exfoliant

Numbuzin No.5 Vitamin-Niacinamide Concentrated Pad Versus Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 6% Mandelic Acid + 2% Lactic Acid Liquid Exfoliant

This brightening toner pad uses a pre-saturated pad with Niacinamide and Tranexamic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and fade the look of dark spots.

This smoothing exfoliator is formulated around Mandelic Acid and Lactic Acid to refine skin texture and brighten dull-looking skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Niacinamide

Dipropylene Glycol

Glycerin

Propanediol

Butylene Glycol

Hydroxyethyl Urea

Diethoxyethyl Succinate

Hydroxyacetophenone

Caprylyl Glycol

Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate

Betaine

Panthenol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Gluconolactone

Sodium Polyacrylate

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Sodium Citrate

Citric Acid

Maltodextrin

1,2-Hexanediol

Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Ascorbic Acid

Pantolactone

Tocopherol

Capryloyl Salicylic Acid

Tranexamic Acid

Tremella Fuciformis Extract

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Ascorbyl Glucoside

Ubiquinone

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Magnesium Chloride

Alcohol

Glutathione

Polysorbate 80

Calcium Gluconate

Pyridoxine Hcl

BHT

Yeast Extract

Cyanocobalamin

Disodium EDTA

Water, Niacinamide, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Diethoxyethyl Succinate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Betaine, Panthenol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Gluconolactone, Sodium Polyacrylate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Maltodextrin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ascorbic Acid, Pantolactone, Tocopherol, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Tranexamic Acid, Tremella Fuciformis Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Ubiquinone, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Magnesium Chloride, Alcohol, Glutathione, Polysorbate 80, Calcium Gluconate, Pyridoxine Hcl, BHT, Yeast Extract, Cyanocobalamin, Disodium EDTA

2,3-Butanediol

Mandelic Acid

Lactic Acid

Sodium Hydroxide

Myrica Cerifera Fruit Extract

Akebia Quinata Stem Extract

Prunus Lannesiana Flower Extract

Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate

Saccharomyces Lysate

Achillea Millefolium Extract

Saccharide Isomerate

Arginine

Sodium Phytate

Pentylene Glycol

Xanthan Gum

Sodium Benzoate

Water, 2,3-Butanediol, Mandelic Acid, Lactic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Myrica Cerifera Fruit Extract, Akebia Quinata Stem Extract, Prunus Lannesiana Flower Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Saccharomyces Lysate, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Saccharide Isomerate, Arginine, Hydroxyacetophenone, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Phytate, Pentylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Benzoate

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.

1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.

It is a:

Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin

Emollient, helping to soften skin

Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas

Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives

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.

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.

Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.

Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).

Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.

Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.

However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.

Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.

In skincare formulas, citric acid can:

While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.

Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.

Rosacea skin has a lower threshold for acids generally, with 62.5% of rosacea subjects in one study reacting to lactic acid in a sting test. This is why we mark citric acid as a potential rosacea trigger.

However, this ingredient shows up as a pH adjuster or chelator at roughly 0.1-1% in many products. These low levels are unlikely to be an issue for rosacea skin and becomes a potential trigger at exfoliating concentrations (20%). Because everybody's skin is unique, we recommend a patch test if you are unsure.

Hydroxyacetophenone is a small phenolic molecule that earns its place in a formulas as an antioxidant and preservative booster.

As a phenol, it is able to neutralize free radicals to protect both the product and the skin from oxidative stress.

Though it can't kill microbes on its own, it works as a good supporting agent when combined with other preservatives like Phenoxyethanol or 1,2-Hexanediol.

This ingredient naturally occurs as piceol in Norwegian spruce needles (~0.4-1.1% dry weight and in cloudberries). Though the cosmetic-grade material is synthesized for purity and consistency.

You'll usually see it used at low levels and suppliers recommend up to 1% added to a water phase.

Safety testing was done at concentrations like 0.05% in SPF products and 0.5% in a Human Repeated Insult Patch Test. The safety evidence is assuring; this ingredient is safe for cosmetics in current use and also holds safety status as a food flavoring as well.

An honest caveat: the "soothing" and "anti-inflammatory" claims come mostly from supplier marketing rather than published clinical trials. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review's own literature search found no useful efficacy studies on this ingredient.

So the antioxidant and preservative-boosting roles are the well supported ones while the calming benefit is plausible but thinly evidenced.

Overall, this is a well-tolerated, low-irritation multitasker that quietly helps a formula stay fresh and stable.

Sodium Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.

Its main functions are to maintain the pH of a product and neutralize metal ions.

The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome; normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5).

Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.

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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