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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Naturium Niacinamide Serum 12% Plus Zinc 2% versus Kate Somerville Kx Active Concentrates Bio-Mimicking Peptides Serum .

Published on March 19, 2021

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free, fungal acne (malassezia) safe, and reef safe serums. They have a total of 10 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain hyaluronic acid

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, dry skin, brightening skin and scar healing

Free From

They both do not contain any oils, parabens 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.

Serum American Brand United States
Serum American Brand United States

Serum

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

Serum

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

Price

Shop

Buy Niacinamide Serum 12% Plus Zinc 2%

Starts at $14.00
Shop

Buy Kx Active Concentrates Bio-Mimicking Peptides Serum

Starts at $98.00

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
Niacinamide
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

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

Notable Ingredients

Exfoliators
Hyaluronic Acid
Peptides (5)

Benefits

Hydrating
Reduces Irritation
Anti-Aging
Scar Healing (2)
Acne Fighting
Brightening

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin
Irritating
Rosacea (2)
Eczema (2)
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Ingredients Compared

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

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

Naturium Niacinamide Serum 12% Plus Zinc 2% contains this as ingredient number 1.

Kate Somerville Kx Active Concentrates Bio-Mimicking Peptides Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Solvent
Community Rating: Liked

Propanediol helps absorb ingredients into your skin, boosting their benefits. It can act as an emollient, making your skin softer. Propanediol can help products last longer by boosting the properties of preservatives within the formulation.

Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use.

It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.

Learn more about Propanediol

Naturium Niacinamide Serum 12% Plus Zinc 2% contains this as ingredient number 3.

Kate Somerville Kx Active Concentrates Bio-Mimicking Peptides Serum contains this as ingredient number 4.

3
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

Naturium Niacinamide Serum 12% Plus Zinc 2% contains this as ingredient number 4.

Kate Somerville Kx Active Concentrates Bio-Mimicking Peptides Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.

4
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

Zinc PCA (or "zinc salt") differs slightly from zinc itself. PCA stands for pyrrolidone carboxylic acid. However, Zinc PCA comes from zinc.

It can help reduce redness, regulate sebum, and promote the general healing process of the skin.

Zinc PCA tends to be especially useful for those with oily, acne-prone skin. It's certainly an ingredient worth trying out!

Learn more about Zinc PCA

Naturium Niacinamide Serum 12% Plus Zinc 2% contains this as ingredient number 5.

Kate Somerville Kx Active Concentrates Bio-Mimicking Peptides Serum contains this as ingredient number 18.

5
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

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 Hyaluronate

Naturium Niacinamide Serum 12% Plus Zinc 2% contains this as ingredient number 7.

Kate Somerville Kx Active Concentrates Bio-Mimicking Peptides Serum contains this as ingredient number 9.

6
What it does: Emollient, Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.

It is a common ingredient in many products, especially those designed to hydrate skin. The primary benefits are retaining moisture, skin softening, and promoting a healthy skin barrier.

Though Caprylyl Glycol is an alcohol derived from fatty acids, it is not the kind that can dry out skin.

This ingredient is also used as a preservative to extend the life of products. It has slight antimicrobial properties.

Learn more about Caprylyl Glycol

Naturium Niacinamide Serum 12% Plus Zinc 2% contains this as ingredient number 9.

Kate Somerville Kx Active Concentrates Bio-Mimicking Peptides Serum contains this as ingredient number 19.

7
What it does: Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Disliked

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 Gum

Naturium Niacinamide Serum 12% Plus Zinc 2% contains this as ingredient number 11.

Kate Somerville Kx Active Concentrates Bio-Mimicking Peptides Serum contains this as ingredient number 37.

8
What it does: Preservative
Community Rating: Disliked

Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.

Potassium sorbate is potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.

Potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.

Potassium sorbate is often used with stronger preservatives.

Learn more about Potassium Sorbate

Naturium Niacinamide Serum 12% Plus Zinc 2% contains this as ingredient number 12.

Kate Somerville Kx Active Concentrates Bio-Mimicking Peptides Serum contains this as ingredient number 30.

9
What it does: Emulsifying, Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Disliked

Hexylene Glycol is a surfactant. Glycols are a class of alcohols. Hexylene Glycol is a surfactant and emulsifier.

As a surfactant, Hexylene Glycol helps gather dirt and oil on your skin to be washed away.

As an emulsifier, Hexylene Glycol helps keep water and oil together. This prevents them from separating in a product. Hexylene Glycol also thins out the texture of a product by lessening viscosity.

Hexylene Glycol has a small molecular weight.

Learn more about Hexylene Glycol

Naturium Niacinamide Serum 12% Plus Zinc 2% contains this as ingredient number 15.

Kate Somerville Kx Active Concentrates Bio-Mimicking Peptides Serum contains this as ingredient number 33.

10
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

Naturium Niacinamide Serum 12% Plus Zinc 2% contains this as ingredient number 16.

Kate Somerville Kx Active Concentrates Bio-Mimicking Peptides Serum contains this as ingredient number 35.

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

50% are loved or liked
0% have mixed ratings
44% are disliked or very disliked
6% have no rating yet
39% are loved or liked
8% have mixed ratings
28% are disliked or very disliked
25% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Naturium Niacinamide Serum 12% Plus Zinc 2% 16 ingredients

5.0 /5
from 1 review
MichelleR's Avatar'
Dec 23, 2023

I really do love this product. The mix of niacinamide and zinc underneath my sunscreen make me feel super protected during the day. Especially since I cannot tolerate Vitamin C as my antioxidant. And this pairs super well with Paula's...

I really do love this product. The mix of niacinamide and zinc underneath my sunscreen make me feel super protected during the day. Especially since I cannot tolerate Vitamin C as my antioxidant. And this pairs super well with Paula's Choice BHA Gel Exfoliant on days where I'm having acne breakouts. I <3 it here!

Great Value
Light
Absorbs Well
No Scent

Kate Somerville Kx Active Concentrates Bio-Mimicking Peptides Serum 36 ingredients

Kx Active Concentrates Bio-Mimicking Peptides Serum hasn't been rated yet.
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