L'Oreal 12% Niacinamide + Amino Sulfonic + Ferulic Acid Dark Spot Serum Versus Nivea Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Expert Dual Action Serum - UK
Updated on May 31, 2024
Overview
What they are
These products are both reef safe serums. They have a total of 6 ingredients in common
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for anti aging, dry skin and brightening skin
Free From
They both do not contain any parabens or sulfates
What's Inside
They both contain harsh alcohols and fragrances
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that needs an update? Let us know.
Ingredient Info
L'Oreal 12% Niacinamide + Amino Sulfonic + Ferulic Acid Dark Spot Serum 29 ingredients
Nivea Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Expert Dual Action Serum 18 ingredients
Free from
Safety & Ethics
French Brand
Free from
Safety & Ethics
German Brand
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
L'Oreal 12% Niacinamide + Amino Sulfonic + Ferulic Acid Dark Spot Serum 29 ingredients
Nivea Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Expert Dual Action Serum 18 ingredients
Ingredients, at a glance
What's in this product, and how it might affect your skin.
Notable Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients, at a glance
What's in this product, and how it might affect your skin.
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
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.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
5 Concerns
We don't have a description for Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid yet.
Dimethicone is a silicone used for making products smooth and silky. It also has the added benefit of sealing in hydration. The amount of dimethicone found in beauty products is considered safe and non-comedogenic, meaning it won't clog pores.
Octyldodecanol is a fatty alcohol. It is primarily used to enhance the texture of products.
Peg-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate isn't fungal acne safe.
Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).
4 Benefits2 Concerns
Ferulic Acid is a plant based antioxidant. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells. Ferulic Acid can help reduce the formation of fine lines and hyperpigmentation.
Helps with Anti-Aging
Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate is used to help stabilize a product.
Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate is derived from cetearyl alcohol and sorbic acid.
Isopropyl Myristate is an emollient, thickening agent, and texture enhancer. It is created from isopropyl alcohol and myristic acid.
We don't have a description for Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer yet.
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate is a polymer made from ammonium salts. It helps add stability and texture to a product. This ingredient is stable over a wide pH range.
Ci 77891 is a white pigment from Titanium dioxide. It is naturally found in minerals such as rutile and ilmenite.
Isohexadecane is added to enhance texture, emulsify, and to help cleanse. It is an isoparrafin. It is a component of petrolatum.
Mica refers to a group of silicate minerals. Mica crystals are easily split to give products a shimmer. These crystals are able to reflect light to temporarily give your skin a glowy look.
Polysorbate 80 is a surfactant and emulsifier. It is used to keep ingredients together, and prevent oils and waters from separating.
Sorbitan Oleate is created from compounds in oleic acid and sorbitol. It is used to stabilize a product by preventing ingredients from separating.
Tin Oxide is an inorganic oxide used to add opacity and volume to a product. In nature, it is already found in mineral form. The main ore of tin is an opaque and shiny mineral called casseterite.
Tocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Antioxidant4 BenefitsMay cause irritation
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.
Dimethiconol is a silicone that resembles the popular dimethicone. Like other silicones, it is an emollient. Emollients create a thin film on skin to prevent moisture from escaping.
Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
2 Concerns
Water, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Dimethicone, Isopropyl Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Octyldodecanol, Peg-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Citric Acid, Ferulic Acid, Phenylethyl Resorcinol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Isopropyl Myristate, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, CI 77891, Isohexadecane, Mica, Poloxamer 338, Polysorbate 80, Sorbitan Oleate, Tin Oxide, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Dimethiconol, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
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.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is an emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
5 Concerns
Cocoglycerides is made from the mono, di and triglycerides of coconut oil. It is an emollient and emulsifer.
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate is a citric acid ester of glyceryl stearate.
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter is a plant lipid from the fruit of the Shea Tree. It is an effective skin hydrator and emollient.
2 Concerns
Ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q10) is a molecule already found in our bodies. It is a potent antioxidant and skin-soothing ingredient.
Helps with Anti-Aging
Hydroxyacetophenone is antioxidant and helps with skin conditioning.
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.
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.
Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
2 Concerns
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Alcohol Denat., Cocoglycerides, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Distarch Phosphate, Acetyl Hydroxyproline, Ubiquinone, 1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide, Creatine, Hydroxyacetophenone, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil, Parfum
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. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterGlycerin 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 GlycerinAlcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying - mostly due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue, constricting pores and leaving your skin dried out.
However, alcohol denat. is not all that bad.
Due to its low molecular weight, alcohol denat. tends to evaporate quickly. One study on pig skin found half of applied alcohol evaporated in 10 seconds and less than 3% stayed on skin.
This also helps other ingredients become better absorbed upon application.
Studies are conflicted about whether this ingredient causes skin dehydration. One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased skin dryness and irritation. Another study found irritation only occurs if your skin is already damaged.
Small amounts of alcohol are generally tolerated by oily skin or people who live in humid environments.
The rule of thumb is if this alcohol is near the end of an ingredients list, it will probably not affect your skin much.
Also...
This ingredient has antimicrobial and solvent properties.
The antimicrobial property helps preserve products and increase their shelf life. As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
Learn more about Alcohol Denat.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 GumPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent 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.
Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
In the US, the alternative name for parfum is 'fragrance'.
The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumIngredient Ratings
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these products.
When to use
L'Oreal 12% Niacinamide + Amino Sulfonic + Ferulic Acid Dark Spot Serum 29 ingredients
Nivea Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Expert Dual Action Serum 18 ingredients
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Here's what our community thinks
