Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster Versus Naturium Niacinamide Essence 3%

See how these products line up with your preferences

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster versus Naturium Niacinamide Essence 3% .

Last updated on July 18, 2023. Published on August 05, 2021

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free, fungal acne (malassezia) safe, and reef safe . They have a total of 8 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain hyaluronic acid and niacinamide

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, dry skin, brightening skin, oily skin, reducing pores and dark spots

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, fragrances, oils, parabens, silicones 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.

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Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster

Naturium Niacinamide Essence 3%

Facial Treatment American Brand United States

Essence American Brand United States

Facial Treatment

Facial treatments are specially designed to treat a skin concern. Acne treatments and anti-aging products are common examples of facial treatments.

Essences are used to prep skin for further treatment and may provide extra skin benefits. They are usually used before serum and moisturizers. Essences are thought to have originated in either Japan or Korea and is an essential step in K-Beauty.

Price

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Buy 10% Niacinamide Booster

Starts at $49.00

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Buy Niacinamide Essence 3%

Starts at $16.00

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.

Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster 25 ingredients

Naturium Niacinamide Essence 3% 17 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

Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster 25 ingredients

Naturium Niacinamide Essence 3% 17 ingredients

Notable Ingredients

Vitamin C

Niacinamide

Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating

Good For Oily Skin

Redness Reducing (5)

Reduces Irritation (4)

Skin Texture

Reduces Large Pores

Anti-Aging (2)

Dark Spots (4)

Scar Healing (2)

Acne Fighting

Brightening (3)

Notable Ingredients

Niacinamide

Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating

Good For Oily Skin

Redness Reducing (2)

Reduces Large Pores

Dark Spots

Acne Fighting

Brightening (2)

Concerns

May Worsen Oily Skin

Eczema (2)

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Ingredients Compared

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

Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster 25 ingredients

Naturium Niacinamide Essence 3% 17 ingredients

Water • Niacinamide • Acetyl Glucosamine • Ascorbyl Glucoside • Butylene Glycol • Phospholipids • Sodium Hyaluronate • Allantoin • Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract • Glycerin • Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate • Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract • Ubiquinone • Epigallocatechin Gallate • Beta-Glucan • Panthenol • Carnosine • Genistein • Citric Acid • Sodium Citrate • Sodium Hydroxide • Xanthan Gum • Disodium EDTA • Ethylhexylglycerin • Phenoxyethanol

Water • Niacinamide • Propanediol • Glycerin • Sodium Hyaluronate • Biosaccharide Gum-1 • Beta-Glucan • Hydroxyacetophenone • Dipropylene Glycol • Phenoxyethanol • Xanthan Gum • Caprylyl Glycol • Acacia Senegal Gum • Algin • Benzoic Acid • Sorbic Acid • Sodium Hydroxide

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.

Water

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

Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster contains this as ingredient number 1.

Naturium Niacinamide Essence 3% contains this as ingredient number 1.

Niacinamide

What it does: Smoothing

Community Rating: Loved

Niacinamide has emerged as an all-star ingredient due to its many benefits.

It is known to treat acne by reducing inflammation. It also helps fade dark-spots and strengthen the skin by promoting the growth of the ceramide barrier.

Other benefits include smoothing wrinkles and minimizing redness.

The cherry on top? Niacinamide can also help build keratin, a protein that keeps skin firm.

When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.

Niacinamide can be mixed with other ingredients to boost benefits. For instance, it has shown to be effective when used with copper, folic acid, and zinc to treat acne.

Learn more about Niacinamide

Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster contains this as ingredient number 2.

Naturium Niacinamide Essence 3% contains this as ingredient number 2.

Sodium Hyaluronate

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

Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster contains this as ingredient number 7.

Naturium Niacinamide Essence 3% contains this as ingredient number 5.

Glycerin

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

Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster contains this as ingredient number 10.

Naturium Niacinamide Essence 3% contains this as ingredient number 4.

Beta-Glucan

What it does: Skin Conditioning

Community Rating: Loved

Beta-Glucan is a polysaccharide. It can be derived from the cell walls of seaweed, oats, yeast, and fungi.

Beta-Glucan is a humectant, meaning it can hold large amounts of water. This helps hydrate the skin. It also helps boost your skin's natural barrier.

Beta-Glucan has antioxidant properties. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells, such as pollution.

Studies show Beta-Glucan may be an effective wrinkle reducer as it can deeply penetrate into skin. It has also been show to help with wound healing.

Learn more about Beta-Glucan

Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster contains this as ingredient number 15.

Naturium Niacinamide Essence 3% contains this as ingredient number 7.

Sodium Hydroxide

What it does: Buffering

Community Rating: Mixed

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 Hydroxide

Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster contains this as ingredient number 21.

Naturium Niacinamide Essence 3% contains this as ingredient number 17.

Xanthan Gum

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

Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster contains this as ingredient number 22.

Naturium Niacinamide Essence 3% contains this as ingredient number 11.

Phenoxyethanol

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.

Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster contains this as ingredient number 25.

Naturium Niacinamide Essence 3% contains this as ingredient number 10.

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