Versus

Paula's Choice Clinical Niacinamide 20% Treatment Versus Sunday Riley B3 Nice 10% Niacinamide Serum

Facial Treatment
Serum
American Brand United States
American Brand United States

Updated on June 28, 2024

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe . They have a total of 5 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain 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 and dark spots

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, 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
B3 Nice 10% Niacinamide Serum

Water

Skin Conditioning

Niacinamide

Smoothing
Niacinamide IconGood for Oily Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps fight Acne IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Glycerin

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

Phenyl Trimethicone

Skin Conditioning
Silicon Icon

Dimethyl Isosorbide

Solvent

Octyldodecanol

Emollient

Resveratrol

Antioxidant
Antioxidant IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Dark Spots Icon

Diglucosyl Gallic Acid

Asiaticoside

Antioxidant
Antioxidant IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Madecassoside

Antioxidant
Antioxidant IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps with Anti-Aging Icon

Epigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside

Antioxidant
Antioxidant IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Boswellia Serrata Resin Extract

Smoothing

Curcuma Longa Root Extract

Masking
Fragrance Icon

Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract

Tonic

Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract

Skin Conditioning
Good for Dark Spots Icon

Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract

Emollient

Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract

Skin Conditioning

Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract

Skin Conditioning

Betaine

Humectant
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Dark Spots Icon

Corallina Officinalis Extract

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract

Skin Conditioning

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Skin Conditioning

Benzotriazolyl Dodecyl P-Cresol

UV Absorber

PEG-8

Humectant

Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane

Antioxidant
Antioxidant Icon

Tetrahydrodemethoxydiferuloylmethane

Antioxidant
Antioxidant Icon

Tetrahydrobisdemethoxydiferuloylmethane

Antioxidant
Antioxidant Icon

Punica Granatum Fruit Extract

Antioxidant
Antioxidant IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Dark Spots Icon

Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil

Emollient
Oil IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Dark Spots IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract

Emulsion Stabilising
Fragrance Icon

Citrus Grandis Peel Extract

Astringent
Fragrance Icon

Citrus Tangerina Peel Oil

Masking
Oil IconMay cause irritation Icon

Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract

Masking
Fragrance IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Citrus Limon Peel Oil

Masking
Fragrance IconOil IconMay cause irritation IconEU Allergen Icon

Sodium Phytate

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Emulsion Stabilising

Polysorbate 60

Emulsifying
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Sorbitan Isostearate

Emulsifying
1-2 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate

Antioxidant
Antioxidant Icon

Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate

Skin Conditioning
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Emulsion Stabilising

Dimethicone

Emollient
1 / 0 Silicon Icon

Trideceth-6

Emulsifying

PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone

Emulsifying
Silicon Icon

Tocopherol

Antioxidant
0-3 / 0-3 Vitamin E IconAntioxidant IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Phenoxyethanol

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Caprylyl Glycol

Emollient

Chlorphenesin

Antimicrobial
Preservative Icon

Triethyl Citrate

Masking
Fragrance 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, 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

Sodium Phytate is the synthetic salt form of phytic acid. Phytic acid is an antioxidant and can be found in plant seeds.

Sodium Phytate is a chelating agent. Chelating agents help prevent metals from binding to water. This helps stabilize the ingredients and the product.

Preservative

Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent 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.

When to use

227 Routines
41% use in am
59% use in pm
86% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->
105 Routines
50% use in am
50% use in pm
93% 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

Sunday Riley B3 Nice 10% Niacinamide Serum 49 ingredients

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