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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of La Roche-Posay 10% Pure Niacinamide Serum versus La Roche-Posay Glycolic B5 Dark Spot Corrector .

Published on April 06, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe . They have a total of 7 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain Vitamin E

Suited For

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

Free From

They both do not contain any common allergens, oils, 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 need an update? Let us know.

Serum French Brand France
Facial Treatment French Brand France

Serum

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

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

Shop

Buy 10% Pure Niacinamide Serum

Starts at $39.99
Shop

Buy Glycolic B5 Dark Spot Corrector

Starts at $44.99

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

Vitamin E
Exfoliators
Niacinamide
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating (2)
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing
Reduces Large Pores
Anti-Aging
Dark Spots
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting
Brightening (3)

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin (3)
Acne Trigger (2)
Irritating (2)
Rosacea (2)
Eczema (3)

Notable Ingredients

AHA
Vitamin E

Benefits

Hydrating
Good For Oily Skin
Reduces Irritation
Skin Texture
Reduces Large Pores
Anti-Aging (2)
Dark Spots (3)
Scar Healing (3)
Brightening (2)

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin
Irritating (3)
Rosacea (3)
Eczema (3)
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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

La Roche-Posay 10% Pure Niacinamide Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

La Roche-Posay Glycolic B5 Dark Spot Corrector contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Antimicrobial, Astringent, Masking, Solvent
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol and other additives. It has a low molecular weight and will evaporate quickly. This helps other ingredients become better absorbed and dry once applied.

Alcohol Denat. is volatile and may cause irritation. It helps draw out natural oils in skin and dry out your skin.

One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased irritation.

Alcohol is antibacterial by nature. This can help preserve products and increase their shelf life.

Other types of astringent alcohols include:

Learn more about Alcohol Denat.

La Roche-Posay 10% Pure Niacinamide Serum contains this as ingredient number 4.

La Roche-Posay Glycolic B5 Dark Spot Corrector contains this as ingredient number 2.

3
What it does: Emulsion Stabilising
Community Rating: Liked

Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate is a polymer made from ammonium salts. It helps add stability and texture to a product.

Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate is stable over a wide pH range. Due to its ability to absorb water, it can help thicken the texture of a product.

As an emulsion stabilizer, this ingredient is able to stabilize and mix the other ingredients. This creates a consistent texture.

Learn more about Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate

La Roche-Posay 10% Pure Niacinamide Serum contains this as ingredient number 18.

La Roche-Posay Glycolic B5 Dark Spot Corrector contains this as ingredient number 6.

4
What it does:
Community Rating: Disliked

Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.

It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.

Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.

Learn more about Disodium EDTA

La Roche-Posay 10% Pure Niacinamide Serum contains this as ingredient number 19.

La Roche-Posay Glycolic B5 Dark Spot Corrector contains this as ingredient number 14.

5
What it does: Antioxidant, Masking, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

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.

Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.

Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.

You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.

There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.

Learn more about Tocopherol

La Roche-Posay 10% Pure Niacinamide Serum contains this as ingredient number 25.

La Roche-Posay Glycolic B5 Dark Spot Corrector contains this as ingredient number 15.

6
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.

La Roche-Posay 10% Pure Niacinamide Serum contains this as ingredient number 26.

La Roche-Posay Glycolic B5 Dark Spot Corrector contains this as ingredient number 16.

7
What it does: Masking, Perfuming
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give aroma to products. Parfum, or fragrance, 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. One example is Calendula flower extract. Essential oil ingredients still impart a scent or 'fragrance'.

Depending on the blend, it can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.

Products use parfum often to give products a scent or cover up smells of different ingredients.

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 Parfum

La Roche-Posay 10% Pure Niacinamide Serum contains this as ingredient number 29.

La Roche-Posay Glycolic B5 Dark Spot Corrector contains this as ingredient number 17.

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

24% are loved or liked
3% have mixed ratings
59% are disliked or very disliked
14% have no rating yet
53% are loved or liked
6% have mixed ratings
35% are disliked or very disliked
6% 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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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

La Roche-Posay 10% Pure Niacinamide Serum 29 ingredients

3.0 /5
from 3 reviews
ewhw41's Avatar'
Aug 19, 2023

Always settles my skin down

Always settles my skin down

AnastasiaW's Avatar'
Dec 14, 2023

I applied a small amount to a dark spot. The next day I woke up with an inflamed cystic acne that just appeared out of nowhere. Looking at the ingredients now I am not surprised. Very disappointing, why do they make formulas like this???

I applied a small amount to a dark spot. The next day I woke up with an inflamed cystic acne that just appeared out of nowhere. Looking at the ingredients now I am not surprised. Very disappointing, why do they make formulas like this???

Broke Me Out
Doesn't Work

La Roche-Posay Glycolic B5 Dark Spot Corrector 17 ingredients

Glycolic B5 Dark Spot Corrector hasn't been rated yet.
Rate it now

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