Implora Dark Spot Treatment Versus Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster

See how these products line up with your preferences

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Implora Dark Spot Treatment versus Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster .

Last updated on July 18, 2023. Published on December 28, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both fungal acne (malassezia) safe and reef safe facial treatments. They have a total of 10 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, sensitive skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing and dark spots

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, fragrances, 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.

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Implora Dark Spot Treatment

Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster

Facial Treatment Indonesian Brand

Facial Treatment American Brand United States

Facial Treatment

Facial treatments are specially designed to treat a skin concern. Acne treatments and anti-aging products are common examples of facial treatments.

Facial Treatment

Facial treatments are specially designed to treat a skin concern. Acne treatments and anti-aging products are common examples of facial treatments.

Price

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.

Implora Dark Spot Treatment 23 ingredients

Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster 25 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

Implora Dark Spot Treatment 23 ingredients

Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster 25 ingredients

Notable Ingredients

Niacinamide

Benefits

Hydrating

Good For Oily Skin

Redness Reducing (2)

Reduces Irritation

Reduces Large Pores

Dark Spots (2)

Scar Healing

Acne Fighting

Brightening (2)

Concerns

Rosacea

Eczema (2)

Notable Ingredients

Vitamin C

Niacinamide

Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating

Good For Oily Skin

Redness Reducing (5)

Reduces Irritation (4)

Skin Texture

Reduces Large Pores

Anti-Aging (2)

Dark Spots (4)

Scar Healing (2)

Acne Fighting

Brightening (3)

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Ingredients Compared

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

Implora Dark Spot Treatment 23 ingredients

Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster 25 ingredients

Water • Propylene Glycol • Glycerin • Butylene Glycol • Niacinamide • Allantoin • Propanediol • Phenoxyethanol • Acrylates Copolymer • Triethanolamine • Sodium Hydroxide • Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract • Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose • Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract • Pouteria Lucuma Pulp Extract • Ethylhexylglycerin • Tetrasodium EDTA • Sodium Benzoate • Citric Acid • Potassium Sorbate • Glabridin • Benzoic Acid • Sodium Chloride

Water • Niacinamide • Acetyl Glucosamine • Ascorbyl Glucoside • Butylene Glycol • Phospholipids • Sodium Hyaluronate • Allantoin • Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract • Glycerin • Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate • Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract • Ubiquinone • Epigallocatechin Gallate • Beta-Glucan • Panthenol • Carnosine • Genistein • Citric Acid • Sodium Citrate • Sodium Hydroxide • Xanthan Gum • Disodium EDTA • Ethylhexylglycerin • Phenoxyethanol

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.

Water

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

Implora Dark Spot Treatment contains this as ingredient number 1.

Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster contains this as ingredient number 1.

Glycerin

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

Implora Dark Spot Treatment contains this as ingredient number 3.

Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster contains this as ingredient number 10.

Butylene Glycol

What it does: Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Community Rating: Mixed

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

It is a solvent, meaning that it helps to dissolve other ingredients. This also enhances the absorption of the product into one's skin.
It is a humectant, which means that it helps attract moisture into the skin.
It helps improve product application.

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient. It is unlikely to irritate skin, and works well with pretty much all other ingredients.

Implora Dark Spot Treatment contains this as ingredient number 4.

Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster contains this as ingredient number 5.

Niacinamide

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

Implora Dark Spot Treatment contains this as ingredient number 5.

Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster contains this as ingredient number 2.

Allantoin

What it does: Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Soothing

Community Rating: Loved

Allantoin plays a role in soothing and moisturizing the skin. Because of this, it is often added to products with strong active ingredients.

Some studies have shown this ingredient can promote wound healing with higher concentrations.

Allantoin is derived from the comfrey plant but produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.

Learn more about Allantoin

Implora Dark Spot Treatment contains this as ingredient number 6.

Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster contains this as ingredient number 8.

Phenoxyethanol

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.

Implora Dark Spot Treatment contains this as ingredient number 8.

Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster contains this as ingredient number 25.

Sodium Hydroxide

What it does: Buffering

Community Rating: Mixed

Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.

In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.

Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.

"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.

Learn more about Sodium Hydroxide

Implora Dark Spot Treatment contains this as ingredient number 11.

Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster contains this as ingredient number 21.

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

What it does: Bleaching, Emollient, Skin Conditioning, Smoothing, Soothing

Community Rating: Liked

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract is an extract of the roots of Licorice. It has been found to have several benefits such as skin hydrating, conditioning, and soothing.

One component, glabridin, has extra potent antioxidant and soothing properties. It has also been found to block pigmentation from UVB rays in guinea pigs.

Licorice Root also contains a flavonoid. Flavonoids are a natural substance from in plants. Flavonoids also have antioxidant properties.

Another component, glycyrrhizin, has been found to have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial benefits. This may make licorice root extract effective at treating acne. However, more research is needed to support this.

Liquiritin is one of the flavone compounds found in licorice. It has been found to help lighten skin by preventing tyrosinase from reacting with tyrosine. When the two react, protein is converted to melanin. Melanin is the substance in your body that gives your features pigmentation.

Learn more about Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Implora Dark Spot Treatment contains this as ingredient number 14.

Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster contains this as ingredient number 12.

Ethylhexylglycerin

What it does: Skin Conditioning

Community Rating: Mixed

Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.

You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.

Implora Dark Spot Treatment contains this as ingredient number 16.

Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster contains this as ingredient number 24.

Citric Acid

What it does: Buffering, Masking

Community Rating: Disliked

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 Acid

Implora Dark Spot Treatment contains this as ingredient number 19.

Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster contains this as ingredient number 19.

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