Versus

The Ordinary Soothing & Barrier Support Serum Versus The Raw Strong Barrier Serum

Serum
Serum
Canadian Brand Canada
Malaysian Brand Malaysia

Updated on February 03, 2025

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe serums. They have a total of 2 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 oils, parabens, silicones 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

About this product

About this product

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
Soothing & Barrier Support Serum
Strong Barrier Serum

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

It 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.

This ingredient is great for most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin. Unlike its cousin, nicotinic acid, niacinamide does not cause "niacin flush", or reddening skin with itchiness.

In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all. 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 needs to convert 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

When to use

988 Routines
43% use in am
57% use in pm
88% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->
50 Routines
40% use in am
60% use in pm
98% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

The Ordinary Soothing & Barrier Support Serum 45 ingredients

3.4 /5
from 15 ratings
Broke Me Out (4) Light (3) Irritating (3)
mikkoflam's avatar

mikkoflam

1 year ago
Review

unfortunately broke me out really badly after 1 week use.

#broke me out
JaxC's avatar

JaxC

11 months ago
Review

After using this for a few weeks I was amazed at how well it improved my skin’s texture. I have to take corticosteroids for life, which has thinned my skin substantially, which in turn has made my skin very susceptible to eczema and scarring from even the smallest acne spot. This has made my skin plump and healthy looking once again and made it so when a spot shows up, the scaring is almost Show more

#great value
#hydrating
#light
#sticky

The Raw Strong Barrier Serum 34 ingredients

4.5 /5
from 2 ratings
Absorbs Well (1) Hydrating (1) Works Well (1)
amitygayah's avatar

amity gayah

4 months ago
Review

the best serum suits my oily skin.. in one week my skin getting better

#hydrating
#absorbs well
#works well