Skinlex – 10% Niacinamide Serum

2 Reviews

1. 

   thriftyGelding4

   Reply

   I tried the Minimalistic version of this Niacinamide serum. The texture is like water which makes it very nice for using directly on your face or mixing into other products as a Niacinamide booster. Sadly that’s where the positives end for me. I’m not a fan of the plastic spray bottle. I would prefer a glass dropper bottle that would allow me to dispense a more consistent amount each time. I could have lived with that if I otherwise liked the product. My skin loves Niacinamide and I have successfully used Paula’s Choice 10% Niacinamide booster in the past. I expected to love this serum based on the price point and ingredient list. The Extended version contains willow bark which generally irritates my sensitive skin/rosacea so I chose the Minimalistic version. Surprisingly it broke me out. I purchased it 3 separate times because on paper there is nothing in it that should break me out, but every time it did. It may be something as simple as the water used to prepare this serum that doesn’t agree with my picky skin since I do have problems even with some highly touted thermal waters. So disappointing. Ingredients for both versions are as follows:

   Minimalistic Version (currentlly called 10% Niacinamide Essence)
   Water, Niacinamide (10% Vitamin B3), N-Acetyl Glucosamine (Amino Acid Sugar), Panthenol (Vitamin B5), Allantoin (Anti-irritant), Sodium Citrate (pH Adjuster), Ethylhexylglycerin (Preservative), Phenoxyethanol (Preservative).

   Extended Version (currently called 10% Niacinamide Serum)
   Water, Niacinamide (10% Vitamin B3), N-Acetyl Glucosamine (Amino Acid Sugar), Panthenol (Vitamin B5), Salix Nigra (Willow) Bark Extract, Butylene Glycol (Humectant), Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate (Hyaluronic Acid), Glycerin (Humectant), Allantoin (Anti-irritant), Xanthan Gum (Thickener), Sodium Citrate (pH Adjuster), Ethylhexylglycerin (Preservative), Phenoxyethanol (Preservative)

2. 

   dopeyGarlic5

   Reply

   For almost two years, I used The Ordinary’s Niacinamide serum (combined with the Alpha Arbutin). I convinced myself it was doing something but had the nagging suspicion that it was all in my head. My acne was minimized…sort of? And maybe my skin was a little brighter…a tiny bit? But then, after falling down a Reddit rabbit hole looking for The Ordinary dupes, I discovered Skinlex. Their Niacinamide serum is also 10% but also has Vitamin B5, N-Acetyl Glucosamine and Allantoin. According to lots of beauty experts, the NAG helps boost the effectiveness of the niacinamide. Lots of folks on Reddit compare Skinlex’s formula with Shark Sauce but at a fraction of the price. I got the “extended version” which also contains willow bark and licorice extracts. It’s $13.60 for 2 fl oz., which is a little more expensive than The Ordinary’s serum per fluid ounce but so far, it seems much more effective. I’ve been using it about 3 weeks now and my skin seems a bit brighter. Also, a spot of PIH has faded considerably (the same spot has been there for at least 6 months and did not change in appearance at all with The Ordinary’s niacinamide). This stuff feels more moisturizing and less sticky than TO. I also like that it’s not a dropper. No, the packaging is not elegant and has a more DIY feel to it, but it feels more hygienic to me. (It is a little frustrating to not be able to tell how much product I have left but that’s a minor gripe.) Some folks complain about it squirting out all over the place but that’s easily remedied by using half-pumps rather than pushing it all the way down. I will definitely be repurchasing this and am kind of mad at myself for wasting so much money on The Ordinary when I could have been using this the whole time (and gotten actual results!)