Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Garnier 3.5% Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Brightening & Anti Dark Spot Serum versus Advanced Clinicals 5% Niacinamide Serum .
Published on April 16, 2023
Overview
What they are
These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe serums. They have a total of 8 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and Vitamin C
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing, dark spots and better texture
Free From
They both do not contain any 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.
Price
Ingredient Info
Garnier 3.5% Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Brightening & Anti Dark Spot Serum 38 ingredients
Advanced Clinicals 5% Niacinamide Serum 22 ingredients
Contains Alcohol
Ingredients in this product that are types of alcohol:
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
Contains EU Allergens
Ingredients in this product that are EU allergens:
Vegan
This product is vegan 🎉
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Fragrance Free
This product is free of fragrances 🎉
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Garnier 3.5% Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Brightening & Anti Dark Spot Serum 38 ingredients
Advanced Clinicals 5% Niacinamide Serum 22 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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Concerns
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Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Benefits
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Garnier 3.5% Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Brightening & Anti Dark Spot Serum 38 ingredients
Advanced Clinicals 5% Niacinamide Serum 22 ingredients
Water • Glycerin • Alcohol • Dipropylene Glycol • Butylene Glycol • Niacinamide • Peg-9 • Glycol • Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid • Xylene Sulfonic Acid • Bis-Peg-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane • Dimethyl Sulfone • Isononyl Isononanoate • 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid • Citrus Junos Fruit Extract • Citrus Limon Fruit Extract • Sodium Citrate • Sodium Hyaluronate • Adenosine • Phenylethyl Resorcinol • Ammonium Alum • Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate • Disodium EDTA • Hydrogenated Lecithin • Citric Acid • Maltodextrin • Xanthan Gum • Oxothiazolidinecarboxylic Acid • Tocopherol • Tocopheryl Acetate • Salicylic Acid • Phenoxyethanol • Linalool • Geraniol • Limonene • Benzyl Alcohol • Benzyl Salicylate • Parfum
Water • Niacinamide • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride • Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract • Glycerin • Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer • Xylitylglucoside • Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice • Ascorbic Acid • Anhydroxylitol • Ferulic Acid • Phenoxyethanol • Xanthan Gum • Saccharomyces/Magnesium Ferment • Saccharomyces/Zinc Ferment • Hydroxyacetophenone • Xylitol • Glycol • Sodium Hyaluronate • Ethylhexylglycerin • Citric Acid • Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 WaterGarnier 3.5% Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Brightening & Anti Dark Spot Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.
Advanced Clinicals 5% Niacinamide Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.
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 GlycerinGarnier 3.5% Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Brightening & Anti Dark Spot Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.
Advanced Clinicals 5% Niacinamide Serum contains this as ingredient number 5.
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 NiacinamideGarnier 3.5% Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Brightening & Anti Dark Spot Serum contains this as ingredient number 6.
Advanced Clinicals 5% Niacinamide Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.
Glycol isn't fungal acne safe.
Garnier 3.5% Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Brightening & Anti Dark Spot Serum contains this as ingredient number 8.
Advanced Clinicals 5% Niacinamide Serum contains this as ingredient number 18.
Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.
Like hyaluronic acid, it is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. This makes it a great skin hydrating ingredient.
Sodium Hyaluronate is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateGarnier 3.5% Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Brightening & Anti Dark Spot Serum contains this as ingredient number 19.
Advanced Clinicals 5% Niacinamide Serum contains this as ingredient number 19.
Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).
If you spot Citric Acid near the end of an ingredient list, it's likely there as a pH adjuster rather than an active ingredient.
As an AHA, Citric Acid removes the top layer of skin cells from the newer layer of skin underneath. This helps skin to remove dark spots and look more even.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGarnier 3.5% Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Brightening & Anti Dark Spot Serum contains this as ingredient number 26.
Advanced Clinicals 5% Niacinamide Serum contains this as ingredient number 21.
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 GumGarnier 3.5% Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Brightening & Anti Dark Spot Serum contains this as ingredient number 28.
Advanced Clinicals 5% Niacinamide Serum contains this as ingredient number 13.
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.
Garnier 3.5% Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Brightening & Anti Dark Spot Serum contains this as ingredient number 33.
Advanced Clinicals 5% Niacinamide Serum contains this as ingredient number 12.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Garnier 3.5% Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Brightening & Anti Dark Spot Serum 38 ingredients
Advanced Clinicals 5% Niacinamide Serum 22 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Garnier 3.5% Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Brightening & Anti Dark Spot Serum 38 ingredients
Advanced Clinicals 5% Niacinamide Serum 22 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Garnier 3.5% Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Brightening & Anti Dark Spot Serum 38 ingredients
bibalapau
Hate it
My skin isn't even that sensitive, and my forehead was completely ruined. My pores got enormous, then i got an incredible amount of small...
Hate it
My skin isn't even that sensitive, and my forehead was completely ruined. My pores got enormous, then i got an incredible amount of small red pimples or something. I know my skin is kind of sensitive, but this serum was too much. Might work for some people, i know, but for me this was a no-no.
Mirq
Definitely not for sensitive skin
I have combo sensitive skin and it absolutely destroyed my skin barrier. My face was red, tight and burning after...
Definitely not for sensitive skin
I have combo sensitive skin and it absolutely destroyed my skin barrier. My face was red, tight and burning after second use. It smells like alcohol and have very strong scent. I will never ever use it not even on my neck or arms.
Advanced Clinicals 5% Niacinamide Serum 22 ingredients
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Garnier 3.5% Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Brightening & Anti Dark Spot Serum.
See 50 alternativesOur Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Advanced Clinicals 5% Niacinamide Serum.
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