Paula's Choice 5% Niacinamide Body Serum Versus Watercome Niacinamide Essence Whitening Body Lotion

Paula's Choice 5% Niacinamide Body Serum Versus Watercome Niacinamide Essence Whitening Body Lotion

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

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

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

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Water

Cetearyl Alcohol

Ethylhexyl Palmitate

Propylene Glycol

Dimethicone

Butyrospermum Parkii Oil

Glyceryl Stearate

Parfum

PEG-40 Stearate

Ceteareth-20

Allantoin

Methylparaben

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Triethanolamine

Ethylhexyl Cocoate

Disodium EDTA

Butylene Glycol

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil

PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate

Polysorbate 20

Lactic Acid

Ascorbic Acid

Avena Sativa Kernel Extract

Alpha-Arbutin

Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer

Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate

Water, Glycerin, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Water, Niacinamide, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Propylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Butyrospermum Parkii Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, PEG-40 Stearate, Ceteareth-20, Allantoin, Methylparaben, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Polyacrylate, Triethanolamine, Ethylhexyl Cocoate, Disodium EDTA, Butylene Glycol, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate, Polysorbate 20, Lactic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Ascorbic Acid, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Alpha-Arbutin, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin

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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.

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.

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.

Pentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:

Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.

On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.

Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.

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.

Sodium Polyacrylate is the sodium salt of polyacrylic acid. It is used as an absorber, emollient, and stabilizer.

This ingredient is a super-absorbent polymer - meaning it can absorb 100 to 1000 times its mass in water. As an emollient, Sodium Polyacrylate helps soften and soothe skin. Emollients work by creating a barrier to trap moisture in. This helps keep your skin hydrated.

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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