Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Swisse Bio-Retinol 0.5% Vitamin B3 10% Renewing Booster Serum versus La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum .
Last updated on December 04, 2023. Published on April 20, 2024
Overview
What they are
These products are both reef safe serums. They have a total of 10 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain hyaluronic acid and niacinamide
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, oily skin, reducing pores and dark spots
Free From
They both do not contain any common allergens, parabens or sulfates
What's Inside
They both contain oils
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.
Price
Ingredient Info
Swisse Bio-Retinol 0.5% Vitamin B3 10% Renewing Booster Serum 26 ingredients
La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum 22 ingredients
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Fragrance Free
This product is free of fragrances 🎉
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 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Not Cruelty Free
This product is not cruelty-free 😥
Contains Alcohol
Ingredients in this product that are types of alcohol:
Contains Silicon
Ingredients in this product that are types of silicon:
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 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Not Cruelty Free
This product is not cruelty-free 😥
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Swisse Bio-Retinol 0.5% Vitamin B3 10% Renewing Booster Serum 26 ingredients
La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum 22 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Benefits
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Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Notable Ingredients
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Benefits
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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This product contains 4 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Swisse Bio-Retinol 0.5% Vitamin B3 10% Renewing Booster Serum 26 ingredients
La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum 22 ingredients
Water • Niacinamide • Glycerin • Propanediol • Pentylene Glycol • Coco-Caprylate • Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate • Bakuchiol • Sodium Hyaluronate • Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer • Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate • Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate • C13-15 Alkane • Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer • Diheptyl Succinate • Glycine Soja Oil • Heptyl Undecylenate • Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer • Disodium EDTA • Xanthan Gum • Heptyl Glucoside • Citric Acid • Sodium Hydroxide • Ethylhexylglycerin • Caprylyl Glycol • Phenoxyethanol
Water • Glycerin • Cyclohexasiloxane • Alcohol Denat. • Pentylene Glycol • Niacinamide • Dimethicone • Glycine Soja Oil • Ppg-6-Decyltetradeceth-30 • Sodium Hyaluronate • Retinol • Adenosine • Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate • Caprylyl Glycol • Citric Acid • Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate • Xanthan Gum • Polysilicone-11 • Retinyl Palmitate • Tocopherol • Phenoxyethanol • Parfum
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 WaterSwisse Bio-Retinol 0.5% Vitamin B3 10% Renewing Booster Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.
La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.
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 NiacinamideSwisse Bio-Retinol 0.5% Vitamin B3 10% Renewing Booster Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.
La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum contains this as ingredient number 6.
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 GlycerinSwisse Bio-Retinol 0.5% Vitamin B3 10% Renewing Booster Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.
La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.
Pentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can help thicken or emulsify a product. Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolSwisse Bio-Retinol 0.5% Vitamin B3 10% Renewing Booster Serum contains this as ingredient number 5.
La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum contains this as ingredient number 5.
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 HyaluronateSwisse Bio-Retinol 0.5% Vitamin B3 10% Renewing Booster Serum contains this as ingredient number 9.
La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum contains this as ingredient number 10.
Glycine Soja Oil comes from the soybean. Glycine Soja is native to eastern Asia.
Soybean oil is an emollient. It is rich in antioxidants and fatty acids including palmitic, stearic, oleic, and linoleic acids.
As an emollient, the fatty acids in soybean oil helps keep your skin soft and hydrated. It does so by creating a film on top that traps moisture in.
Soybean oil is also rich in vitamin E, a potent antioxidant. Vitamin E is also anti-inflammatory and provides a soothing effect.
Studies show soy may help fade hyperpigmentation from UVB. It does so by disrupting the melanin process from UVB induced skin inflammation.
This ingredient may not be malassezia folliculitis, or fungal-acne, safe.
Soybeans are rich in proteins and are part of the legume family. Foods made with soybeans include tofu, soymilk, edamame, miso, and soy sauce.
Learn more about Glycine Soja OilSwisse Bio-Retinol 0.5% Vitamin B3 10% Renewing Booster Serum contains this as ingredient number 16.
La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum contains this as ingredient number 8.
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 GumSwisse Bio-Retinol 0.5% Vitamin B3 10% Renewing Booster Serum contains this as ingredient number 20.
La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum contains this as ingredient number 17.
Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).
If you spot Citric Acid near the end of an ingredient list, it's likely there as a pH adjuster rather than an active ingredient.
As an AHA, Citric Acid removes the top layer of skin cells from the newer layer of skin underneath. This helps skin to remove dark spots and look more even.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidSwisse Bio-Retinol 0.5% Vitamin B3 10% Renewing Booster Serum contains this as ingredient number 22.
La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum contains this as ingredient number 15.
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 GlycolSwisse Bio-Retinol 0.5% Vitamin B3 10% Renewing Booster Serum contains this as ingredient number 25.
La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum contains this as ingredient number 14.
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.
Swisse Bio-Retinol 0.5% Vitamin B3 10% Renewing Booster Serum contains this as ingredient number 26.
La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum contains this as ingredient number 21.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Swisse Bio-Retinol 0.5% Vitamin B3 10% Renewing Booster Serum 26 ingredients
La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum 22 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Swisse Bio-Retinol 0.5% Vitamin B3 10% Renewing Booster Serum 26 ingredients
La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum 22 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Swisse Bio-Retinol 0.5% Vitamin B3 10% Renewing Booster Serum 26 ingredients
La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum 22 ingredients
Lapaki
Very good and gentle retinol serum
My retinol journey began with this gentle serum with a concentration of 0.3% retinol: 0.1% pure retinol combined...
Very good and gentle retinol serum
My retinol journey began with this gentle serum with a concentration of 0.3% retinol: 0.1% pure retinol combined with 0.2% retinol palmitate that ensures gradual release of the active ingredients. It din't irritate my skin or cause any major break-outs, just some slight purging in the beginning, but that is concidered a normal reaktion that fades as soon as the skin gets used to it. I recommend it for retinol beginners and people with sensitive skin. [Edited]
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