Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Naturium Retinol Complex Serum versus Paula's Choice Clinical 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment .
Published on January 07, 2021
Overview
What they are
These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe . 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 harsh alcohols, common allergens, 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
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
Ingredient Info
Naturium Retinol Complex Serum 27 ingredients
Paula's Choice Clinical 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment 54 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 🎉
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Contains Silicon
Ingredients in this product that are types of silicon:
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 🎉
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 😥
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Naturium Retinol Complex Serum 27 ingredients
Paula's Choice Clinical 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment 54 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Concerns
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Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Benefits
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Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient 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
Paula's Choice Clinical 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment 54 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 • Dimethicone • Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate • Isononyl Isononanoate • Butylene Glycol • Bakuchiol • Arachidyl Alcohol • Glyceryl Polymethacrylate • Dimethicone Crosspolymer • Behenyl Alcohol • Glycerin • Peg-75 Shea Butter Glycerides • Glyceryl Stearate • C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate • Polysorbate 20 • Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate • Retinol • Ceramide Ng • Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 • Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12 • Sodium Hyaluronate • Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate • Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract • Avena Sativa Kernel Extract • Arctium Lappa Root Extract • Salix Alba Bark Extract • Glycine Soja Sterols • Lecithin • Allantoin • Tocopheryl Acetate • Hydrolyzed Soy Protein • Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 • Sodium Hydroxide • Tribehenin • Caprylyl Glycol • Dipeptide-2 • Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract • Peg-10 Phytosterol • Peg-8 • Magnesium Aluminum Silicate • Arachidyl Glucoside • Chrysin • Pentylene Glycol • Sodium Acrylates Copolymer • Steareth-20 • Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer • Cetearyl Alcohol • Coco-Glucoside • Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone • N-Hydroxysuccinimide • Disodium EDTA • Phenoxyethanol • Benzoic Acid • Ethylhexylglycerin
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.
Paula's Choice Clinical 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment 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.
Paula's Choice Clinical 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment contains this as ingredient number 17.
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.
Paula's Choice Clinical 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment contains this as ingredient number 11.
Bakuchiol is a plant-derived antioxidant (it's vegan!). It is often called the replacement for retinol although it is not part of the same family.
It has similar effects as retinol: skin smoothing, reducing discoloration, and preventing wrinkles. It does not cause as much irritation as traditional retinoids.
Bakuchiol works by breaking down free radicals and stimulating collagen production in skin.
Combining bakuchiol with retinol will not have adverse side effects. Studies show using them will just boost the benefits. Bakuchiol is also found to help stabilize retinol.
While bakuchiol does not make the skin more sun sensitive, we recommend wearing SPF on a daily basis.
Read more about traditional retinol
Learn more about BakuchiolNaturium Retinol Complex Serum contains this as ingredient number 7.
Paula's Choice Clinical 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment contains this as ingredient number 6.
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.
Paula's Choice Clinical 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment contains this as ingredient number 21.
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.
Paula's Choice Clinical 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment contains this as ingredient number 35.
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.
Paula's Choice Clinical 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment contains this as ingredient number 52.
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 HydroxideNaturium Retinol Complex Serum contains this as ingredient number 23.
Paula's Choice Clinical 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment contains this as ingredient number 33.
Polysorbate 20 is made by combining ethoxylation of sorbitan, ethylene oxide, and lauric acid. It is a mild cleansing agent, surfactant, and emulsifier.
As a surfactant, it helps collect dirt and oils for washing. Emulsifiers prevent oils and water from separating.
Polysorbate 20 also adds scent to a product. Since it is made using sorbitol, it has a sweet scent. Sorbitol can also be found in fruits such as apples and peaches.
The lauric acid used to create Polysorbate 20 is often derived from coconuts.
Polysorbate 20 may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Polysorbate 20Naturium Retinol Complex Serum contains this as ingredient number 24.
Paula's Choice Clinical 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment 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
Paula's Choice Clinical 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment 54 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
Paula's Choice Clinical 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment 54 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Naturium Retinol Complex Serum 27 ingredients
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,...
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
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