Skin Treats Niacinamide Serum Versus Skin Treats Hyaluronic Acid Serum

Skin Treats Niacinamide Serum Versus Skin Treats Hyaluronic Acid Serum

This barrier-repair serum is formulated around Niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier and calm redness.

This hydrating serum is formulated around Sodium Hyaluronate and Allantoin to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Propylene Glycol

Niacinamide

Xanthan Gum

Hydroxyacetophenone

Phenoxyethanol

Sodium Hyaluronate

Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer

Pvm/Ma Copolymer

1,2-Hexanediol

Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate

Stephania Tetrandra Root Extract

Gentiana Scabra Root Extract

Water, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Xanthan Gum, Hydroxyacetophenone, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Pvm/Ma Copolymer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Stephania Tetrandra Root Extract, Gentiana Scabra Root Extract

Sericin

Carboxymethyl Chitosan

PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Allantoin

2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-Diol

PEG-3 Dioleate

Water, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Sericin, Carboxymethyl Chitosan, Gentiana Scabra Root Extract, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Xanthan Gum, Allantoin, Sodium Hyaluronate, 2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-Diol, PEG-3 Dioleate

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

We don't have a description for Gentiana Scabra Root Extract yet.

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.

Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.

As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.

The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.

True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).

It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.

Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.

Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.

In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.

Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:

Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.

Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.

You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.

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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