Numbuzin No.9 Secret Firming Serum Versus Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment

Numbuzin No.9 Secret Firming Serum Versus Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 to soften the look of wrinkles.

This anti-aging treatment is formulated around Retinol and Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)

Propanediol

Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate

Niacinamide

Dimethicone

Butylene Glycol

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil

Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Lavandula Angustifolia Oil

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil

Cedrus Atlantica Bark Oil

Adenosine

Glyceryl Stearate Citrate

Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate

Glyceryl Stearate

Cetearyl Alcohol

Palmitic Acid

Stearic Acid

Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Glyceryl Caprylate

Sodium Polyacrylate

Xanthan Gum

Caprylyl Glycol

1,2-Hexanediol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Disodium EDTA

Carbomer

Tromethamine

Linalool

Limonene

Water, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Propanediol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Niacinamide, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Cedrus Atlantica Bark Oil, Adenosine, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Linalool, Limonene

Isononyl Isononanoate

Castor Isostearate Succinate

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Dimethicone Crosspolymer

PEG-33

Polysorbate 20

Behenyl Alcohol

PEG-100 Stearate

Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate

Polymethylsilsesquioxane

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Retinol

Ceramide Ng

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12

Sodium Hyaluronate

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Avena Sativa Kernel Extract

Arctium Lappa Seed Oil

Salix Alba Extract

Glycine Soja Sterols

Lecithin

Allantoin

Tocopheryl Acetate

Hydrolyzed Soy Protein

Sorbitan Laurate

Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Sodium Hydroxide

Tribehenin

Pentylene Glycol

PEG-75 Shea Butter Glycerides

PPG-12/Smdi Copolymer

PEG-10 Phytosterol

PEG-8 Dimethicone

PEG-14

Magnesium Aluminum Silicate

Arachidyl Glucoside

Arachidyl Alcohol

Sclerotium Gum

Phenoxyethanol

Benzoic Acid

Water, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Isononyl Isononanoate, Castor Isostearate Succinate, Glyceryl Stearate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, PEG-33, Polysorbate 20, Behenyl Alcohol, PEG-100 Stearate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Retinol, Ceramide Ng, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Sodium Hyaluronate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Arctium Lappa Seed Oil, Salix Alba Extract, Glycine Soja Sterols, Lecithin, Allantoin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Sorbitan Laurate, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Sodium Hydroxide, Tribehenin, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Pentylene Glycol, PEG-75 Shea Butter Glycerides, PPG-12/Smdi Copolymer, PEG-10 Phytosterol, PEG-8 Dimethicone, PEG-14, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Arachidyl Glucoside, Arachidyl Alcohol, Sclerotium Gum, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid

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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.

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).

Carbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.

Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.

It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.

Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.

A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.

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.

Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.

This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:

On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.

One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).

Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.

You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.

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.

Glyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.

Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.

This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.

A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.

Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.

Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.

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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