Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Kiehl's Ultra Pure High-Potency 9.8% Glycolic Acid Serum versus Kiehl's Ultra Pure High-Potency 5.0% Niacinamide Serum .
Published on April 20, 2023
Overview
What they are
These products are both fungal acne (malassezia) safe and reef safe . They have a total of 4 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain hyaluronic acid
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for dry skin, brightening skin, oily skin, reducing pores and dark spots
Free From
They both do not contain any 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.
Exfoliator
Exfoliators are used to exfoliate the skin, or remove dead skin cells from the skin. Exfoliators may be chemical or physical.
Serum
Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.
Price
Ingredient Info
Kiehl's Ultra Pure High-Potency 9.8% Glycolic Acid Serum 7 ingredients
Kiehl's Ultra Pure High-Potency 5.0% Niacinamide Serum 10 ingredients
Contains Alcohol
Ingredients in this product that are types of alcohol:
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 🎉
Malassezia Safe
This product is free of malassezia feeding ingredients 🎉
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 😥
Not Cruelty Free
This product is not 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 🎉
Malassezia Safe
This product is free of malassezia feeding ingredients 🎉
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 😥
Not Cruelty Free
This product is not cruelty-free 😥
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Kiehl's Ultra Pure High-Potency 9.8% Glycolic Acid Serum 7 ingredients
Kiehl's Ultra Pure High-Potency 5.0% Niacinamide Serum 10 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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 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 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:
Concerns
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:
Notable Ingredients
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 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 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Build your routine, track which ingredients work for you, and much more with your free account.
Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Kiehl's Ultra Pure High-Potency 9.8% Glycolic Acid Serum 7 ingredients
Kiehl's Ultra Pure High-Potency 5.0% Niacinamide Serum 10 ingredients
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 WaterKiehl's Ultra Pure High-Potency 9.8% Glycolic Acid Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.
Kiehl's Ultra Pure High-Potency 5.0% 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 GlycerinKiehl's Ultra Pure High-Potency 9.8% Glycolic Acid Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.
Kiehl's Ultra Pure High-Potency 5.0% Niacinamide Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.
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 HydroxideKiehl's Ultra Pure High-Potency 9.8% Glycolic Acid Serum contains this as ingredient number 5.
Kiehl's Ultra Pure High-Potency 5.0% Niacinamide Serum contains this as ingredient number 10.
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 HyaluronateKiehl's Ultra Pure High-Potency 9.8% Glycolic Acid Serum contains this as ingredient number 6.
Kiehl's Ultra Pure High-Potency 5.0% Niacinamide Serum contains this as ingredient number 7.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Kiehl's Ultra Pure High-Potency 9.8% Glycolic Acid Serum 7 ingredients
Kiehl's Ultra Pure High-Potency 5.0% Niacinamide Serum 10 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Kiehl's Ultra Pure High-Potency 9.8% Glycolic Acid Serum 7 ingredients
Kiehl's Ultra Pure High-Potency 5.0% Niacinamide Serum 10 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Kiehl's Ultra Pure High-Potency 9.8% Glycolic Acid Serum 7 ingredients
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Kiehl's Ultra Pure High-Potency 9.8% Glycolic Acid Serum.
See 50 alternativesOur Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Kiehl's Ultra Pure High-Potency 5.0% Niacinamide Serum.
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