Versus

Paula's Choice Clinical Niacinamide 20% Treatment Versus RNW DER. CONCENTRATE Ceramide Plus

Facial Treatment
Serum
American Brand United States
Korean Brand South Korea

Updated on June 28, 2024

Overview

What they are

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

Cool Features

They both contain exfoliants and niacinamide

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive 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 needs an update? Let us know.

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and see relevant ingredients

What's inside (and what isn't)

What's inside (and what isn't)

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products
DER. CONCENTRATE Ceramide Plus

Water

Skin Conditioning

Dipropylene Glycol

Masking

Glycerin

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Methylpropanediol

Solvent

Glycereth-26

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water
Smoothing

Niacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.

And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.

You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.

In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.

If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.

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.

When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.

In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).

Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.

Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.

The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.

Learn more about Niacinamide
Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.

Learn more about Butylene Glycol
Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

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
Abrasive, Absorbent

Silica is a mineral naturally found in our skin. It helps to thicken and smooth the texture of a product. It also acts as an agent for other ingredients by increasing the absorption of other ingredients into the skin.

Silica is often used for absorption and can help reduce shine when products are applied. Silica occurs in naturally in materials like clay and sandstone, and it can also be produced synthetically.

Silica is present naturally within the skin during collagen production and when reducing inflammation.

Learn more about Silica
Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming

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
Skin Conditioning

Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.

You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.

When to use

224 Routines
41% use in am
59% use in pm
87% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->
102 Routines
49% use in am
51% use in pm
85% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Paula's Choice Clinical Niacinamide 20% Treatment 25 ingredients

3.0 /5
from 2 ratings
Expensive (2) Absorbs Well (1) Broke Me Out (1)
ThrowMeAway's avatar

ThrowMeAway

6 months ago
Review

I wanted to find a niacinamide product that had other benefits like antioxidants. This caused huge cystic acne and flared up my FA. I suspect it's due to the lecithin which I found is not FA safe and in higher concentrations is problematic for acne prone skin.

Lecithin is a mixture of diglycerides of stearic, palmitic, and oleic acids. It can contain soybean oil and phospholipid fatty acids Show more

#expensive
#broke me out
#oily
aw4's avatar

A W

4 months ago
Review

Good product :) My pores shrank and actually made a difference compared to 15 and 10 percent concentrations. I was surprised there was no irritation even after using twice a day. My skin loves niacinamide.

#expensive
#absorbs well
#no scent
#works well

RNW DER. CONCENTRATE Ceramide Plus 49 ingredients

4.4 /5
from 7 ratings
Absorbs Well (4) Hydrating (4) Works Well (3)
Clover's avatar

Clover

1 year ago
Review

Packed full of amazing ingredients!
This is one of my favorite serums for aiding in skin barrier health. The ingredient list is really impressive, but some stand outs that my skin just loves would be the ceramides, peptides, niacinamide, oatmeal extract, algae extract, cholesterol, and squalane (plus much more!). The consistency of this serum is on the thicker side, which I prefer to more watery Show more

#hydrating
#light
#absorbs well
#no scent
Rosy123's avatar

Rosy123

1 year ago
Review

I am on my second bottle of this. I bought it for the hydration and I have not been disappointed. This, along with Centella products and double moisturising at night have made a big difference in the hydration of my mature, dry skin. I can see this being a permanent fixture in my am routine.

#great value
#hydrating
#absorbs well
#no scent