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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Paula's Choice Clinical Niacinamide 20% Treatment versus The INKEY List SuperSolutions Excess Oil Solution 20% Niacinamide Serum .

Last updated on July 18, 2023. Published on September 08, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe . They have a total of 6 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain niacinamide

Suited For

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

Free From

They both do not contain any 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.

Facial Treatment American Brand United States
Serum British Brand United Kingdom

Facial Treatment

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

Serum

Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Price

Shop

Buy Clinical Niacinamide 20% Treatment

Starts at $52.00
Shop

Buy SuperSolutions Excess Oil Solution 20% Niacinamide Serum

Starts at $18.00

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant 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

Notable Ingredients

Vitamin C
Exfoliators
Niacinamide

Benefits

Hydrating
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing (4)
Reduces Irritation (4)
Skin Texture
Reduces Large Pores (2)
Anti-Aging (2)
Dark Spots (3)
Scar Healing (2)
Acne Fighting (2)
Brightening (3)

Concerns

Rosacea
Eczema

Notable Ingredients

Niacinamide

Benefits

Hydrating (2)
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing
Reduces Large Pores
Dark Spots
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting (2)
Brightening (2)

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin
Irritating
Rosacea
Eczema
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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.

1
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 Clinical Niacinamide 20% Treatment contains this as ingredient number 1.

The INKEY List SuperSolutions Excess Oil Solution 20% Niacinamide Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
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 Clinical Niacinamide 20% Treatment contains this as ingredient number 2.

The INKEY List SuperSolutions Excess Oil Solution 20% Niacinamide Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.

3
What it does: Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Mixed

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

  • It is a solvent, meaning that it helps to dissolve other ingredients. This also enhances the absorption of the product into one's skin.
  • It is a humectant, which means that it helps attract moisture into the skin.
  • It helps improve product application.

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient. It is unlikely to irritate skin, and works well with pretty much all other ingredients.

Paula's Choice Clinical Niacinamide 20% Treatment contains this as ingredient number 4.

The INKEY List SuperSolutions Excess Oil Solution 20% Niacinamide Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.

4
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 Clinical Niacinamide 20% Treatment contains this as ingredient number 5.

The INKEY List SuperSolutions Excess Oil Solution 20% Niacinamide Serum contains this as ingredient number 6.

5
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 Clinical Niacinamide 20% Treatment contains this as ingredient number 24.

The INKEY List SuperSolutions Excess Oil Solution 20% Niacinamide Serum contains this as ingredient number 7.

6
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Mixed

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.

Paula's Choice Clinical Niacinamide 20% Treatment contains this as ingredient number 25.

The INKEY List SuperSolutions Excess Oil Solution 20% Niacinamide Serum contains this as ingredient number 12.

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

60% are loved or liked
12% have mixed ratings
20% are disliked or very disliked
8% have no rating yet
47% are loved or liked
20% have mixed ratings
33% are disliked or very disliked
0% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Paula's Choice Clinical Niacinamide 20% Treatment 25 ingredients

Clinical Niacinamide 20% Treatment hasn't been rated yet.
Rate it now

The INKEY List SuperSolutions Excess Oil Solution 20% Niacinamide Serum 15 ingredients

5.0 /5
from 1 rating
Larissa's avatar

Larissa

10 months ago · Oily Skin
Review

Really struggled using the basic % Niacinamide as my skin is really oily (like a mirror). When I started using this my oily skin changed...

Really struggled using the basic % Niacinamide as my skin is really oily (like a mirror). When I started using this my oily skin changed COMPLETELY! So much less shine and greasiness. However, not for sensitive skin people due to high %.

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