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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of CARE:NEL Niacinamide Zinc Serum versus Boost Lab Vitamin B3 Blemish Rescue Serum .

Published on December 31, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free, fungal acne (malassezia) safe, and reef safe serums. They have a total of 8 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain niacinamide

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, dry skin, brightening skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing and dark spots

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, oils, parabens, silicones or sulfates

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

Serum South Korean Brand South Korea
Serum Australian Brand Australia

Serum

Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Serum

Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Price

Shop

Buy Niacinamide Zinc Serum

Shop

Buy Vitamin B3 Blemish Rescue Serum

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Notable Ingredients

Niacinamide

Benefits

Hydrating
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing (2)
Reduces Irritation
Reduces Large Pores
Dark Spots
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting (2)
Brightening (2)

Notable Ingredients

Niacinamide

Benefits

Hydrating
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing
Reduces Large Pores
Dark Spots
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting (2)
Brightening (2)
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Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

1
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

CARE:NEL Niacinamide Zinc Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

Boost Lab Vitamin B3 Blemish Rescue Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Smoothing
Community Rating: Loved

Niacinamide has emerged as an all-star ingredient due to its many benefits.

It is known to treat acne by reducing inflammation. It also helps fade dark-spots and strengthen the skin by promoting the growth of the ceramide barrier.

Other benefits include smoothing wrinkles and minimizing redness.

The cherry on top? Niacinamide can also help build keratin, a protein that keeps skin firm.

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.

Niacinamide can be mixed with other ingredients to boost benefits. For instance, it has shown to be effective when used with copper, folic acid, and zinc to treat acne.

Learn more about Niacinamide

CARE:NEL Niacinamide Zinc Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.

Boost Lab Vitamin B3 Blemish Rescue Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.

3
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Mixed

Pentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.

The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.

This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can help thicken or emulsify a product. Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating.

Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.

Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.

Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.

Learn more about Pentylene Glycol

CARE:NEL Niacinamide Zinc Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.

Boost Lab Vitamin B3 Blemish Rescue Serum contains this as ingredient number 4.

4
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.

A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.

As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.

Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.

Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.

In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.

This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Learn more about Glycerin

CARE:NEL Niacinamide Zinc Serum contains this as ingredient number 4.

Boost Lab Vitamin B3 Blemish Rescue Serum contains this as ingredient number 7.

5
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

Zinc PCA (or "zinc salt") differs slightly from zinc itself. PCA stands for pyrrolidone carboxylic acid. However, Zinc PCA comes from zinc.

It can help reduce redness, regulate sebum, and promote the general healing process of the skin.

Zinc PCA tends to be especially useful for those with oily, acne-prone skin. It's certainly an ingredient worth trying out!

Learn more about Zinc PCA

CARE:NEL Niacinamide Zinc Serum contains this as ingredient number 5.

Boost Lab Vitamin B3 Blemish Rescue Serum contains this as ingredient number 6.

6
What it does: Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Disliked

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.

Learn more about Xanthan Gum

CARE:NEL Niacinamide Zinc Serum contains this as ingredient number 6.

Boost Lab Vitamin B3 Blemish Rescue Serum contains this as ingredient number 8.

7
What it does: Preservative
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent germ and microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.

It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.

CARE:NEL Niacinamide Zinc Serum contains this as ingredient number 9.

Boost Lab Vitamin B3 Blemish Rescue Serum contains this as ingredient number 9.

8
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Mixed

1,2-Hexanediol is a multi-tasker ingredient. It acts as a preservative to increase shelf-life and can aid other preservatives in preventing microbe growth. 1,2-Hexanediol also helps the skin retain moisture as a humectant.

In products that are water-based, this ingredient can help stabilize perfumes and fragrances. It can also help make the texture of products softer and more smooth.

CARE:NEL Niacinamide Zinc Serum contains this as ingredient number 14.

Boost Lab Vitamin B3 Blemish Rescue Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

43% are loved or liked
29% have mixed ratings
21% are disliked or very disliked
7% have no rating yet
40% are loved or liked
30% have mixed ratings
20% are disliked or very disliked
10% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

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Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to CARE:NEL Niacinamide Zinc Serum.

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Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Boost Lab Vitamin B3 Blemish Rescue Serum.

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