Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Naturium Retinol Complex Serum versus La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum .
Last updated on July 18, 2023. Published on January 14, 2021
Overview
What they are
These products are both reef safe serums. They have a total of 9 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain hyaluronic acid, retinoid and Vitamin E
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing, dark spots and better texture
Free From
They both do not contain any common allergens, parabens or sulfates
What's Inside
They both contain fragrances and oils
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.
Ingredient Info
Naturium Retinol Complex Serum 27 ingredients
La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum 22 ingredients
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Contains Oils
Ingredients in this product that are types of oil:
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Vegan
This product is vegan 🎉
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
Contains Alcohol
Ingredients in this product that are types of alcohol:
Contains Silicon
Ingredients in this product that are types of silicon:
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Contains Oils
Ingredients in this product that are types of oil:
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
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
Naturium Retinol Complex Serum 27 ingredients
La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum 22 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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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 2 ingredients 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:
Benefits
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients 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:
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This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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This product contains 4 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Naturium Retinol Complex Serum 27 ingredients
La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum 22 ingredients
Water • Propanediol • Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter • Gossypium Herbaceum Fruit Water • Retinol • Glycerin • Bakuchiol • Bidens Pilosa Extract • Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil • Humulus Lupulus Extract • Sodium Hyaluronate • Tocopherol • Caprylyl Glycol • Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil • Copernicia Cerifera Wax • Phenoxyethanol • Carbomer • Potassium Sorbate • Xanthan Gum • Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate • Hexylene Glycol • Citric Acid • Sodium Hydroxide • Polysorbate 20 • Glyceryl Polyacrylate • 1,2-Hexanediol • Ethyl Ferulate
Water • Glycerin • Cyclohexasiloxane • Alcohol Denat. • Pentylene Glycol • Niacinamide • Dimethicone • Glycine Soja Oil • Ppg-6-Decyltetradeceth-30 • Sodium Hyaluronate • Retinol • Adenosine • Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate • Caprylyl Glycol • Citric Acid • Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate • Xanthan Gum • Polysilicone-11 • Retinyl Palmitate • Tocopherol • Phenoxyethanol • Parfum
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 WaterNaturium Retinol Complex Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.
La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.
Retinol is a form of Vitamin A and proven to help with anti-aging.
It promotes collagen production, increases new cell turnoever, and protects your skin as an antioxidant.
Retinol boosts collagen production and increases cell turnover. This makes retinol effective in removing wrinkles, fading dark spots, and reducing the appearance of pores.
Retinol is less effective when exposed to sun. Be sure to look for appropriate packaging to keep your retinol potent.
Using retinol and retinoids will increase sun-sensitivity in the first few weeks of use. Though studies show retinoids increase your skin's natural SPF with continuous use, it is best to always wear sunscreen and sun-protection.
We recommend speaking with a medical professional about using this ingredient during pregnancy.
Retinol may cause irritation in some people, so be sure to patch test. Experts recommend 'ramping up' retinol use: start using this ingredient once a week and work up to using it daily.
Read about Tretinoin
Learn more about RetinolNaturium Retinol Complex Serum contains this as ingredient number 5.
La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum contains this as ingredient number 11.
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 GlycerinNaturium Retinol Complex Serum contains this as ingredient number 6.
La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.
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 HyaluronateNaturium Retinol Complex Serum contains this as ingredient number 11.
La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum contains this as ingredient number 10.
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 TocopherolNaturium Retinol Complex Serum contains this as ingredient number 12.
La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum contains this as ingredient number 20.
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 GlycolNaturium Retinol Complex Serum contains this as ingredient number 13.
La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum contains this as ingredient number 14.
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.
Naturium Retinol Complex Serum contains this as ingredient number 16.
La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum contains this as ingredient number 21.
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 GumNaturium Retinol Complex Serum contains this as ingredient number 19.
La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum contains this as ingredient number 17.
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 AcidNaturium Retinol Complex Serum contains this as ingredient number 22.
La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum contains this as ingredient number 15.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Naturium Retinol Complex Serum 27 ingredients
La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum 22 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Naturium Retinol Complex Serum 27 ingredients
La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum 22 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Naturium Retinol Complex Serum 27 ingredients
Lakooo
Great product
The only reason I don't give this 5 stars is because it's not quite gentle enough to put around the eyes, nostrils, and lips. If you...
Great product
The only reason I don't give this 5 stars is because it's not quite gentle enough to put around the eyes, nostrils, and lips. If you want retinol for acne, this is the one! If you want retinol for wrinkles and fine lines, you will also need a retinol eye cream
La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum 22 ingredients
Lapaki
Very good and gentle retinol serum
My retinol journey began with this gentle serum with a concentration of 0.3% retinol: 0.1% pure retinol combined...
Very good and gentle retinol serum
My retinol journey began with this gentle serum with a concentration of 0.3% retinol: 0.1% pure retinol combined with 0.2% retinol palmitate that ensures gradual release of the active ingredients. It din't irritate my skin or cause any major break-outs, just some slight purging in the beginning, but that is concidered a normal reaktion that fades as soon as the skin gets used to it. I recommend it for retinol beginners and people with sensitive skin. [Edited]
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Naturium Retinol Complex Serum.
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