The Purest Solutions Vitamin B Complex Serum Versus maru.derm Vitamin C Daily Glow Serum

The Purest Solutions Vitamin B Complex Serum Versus maru.derm Vitamin C Daily Glow Serum

This barrier-repair serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Panthenol to strengthen the skin barrier and calm redness.

This brightening serum is formulated around Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate and Niacinamide to brighten dull-looking skin and fade the look of dark spots.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Niacinamide

Pentylene Glycol

Ethoxydiglycol

Glycerin

Panthenol

Butylene Glycol

Propylene Glycol

Propanediol

Agastache Mexicana Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Polysorbate 20

Ferulic Acid

Sodium PCA

Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer

Sodium Hyaluronate

Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate

Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Phenethyl Alcohol

1,2-Hexanediol

Tocopherol

Cyanocobalamin

Riboflavin

Pyridoxine

Biotin

Folic Acid

Water, Niacinamide, Pentylene Glycol, Ethoxydiglycol, Glycerin, Panthenol, Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Propanediol, Agastache Mexicana Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Polysorbate 20, Ferulic Acid, Sodium PCA, Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenethyl Alcohol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Tocopherol, Cyanocobalamin, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine, Biotin, Folic Acid

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Pisum Sativum Peptide

Arginine

Aspartic Acid

Glycine

Alanine

Serine

Valine

Proline

Threonine

Isoleucine

Histidine

Phenylalanine

Sodium Benzoate

Potassium Sorbate

Water, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Niacinamide, Propylene Glycol, Pisum Sativum Peptide, Panthenol, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Proline, Threonine, Isoleucine, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate

Reviews

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Hydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.

This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.

This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.

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.

Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.

There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.

D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.

Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):

Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.

This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.

Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.

This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.

Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.

As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.

The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.

True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).

It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.

Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.

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. Remember to stay hydrated!

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