Aug 14

Aug 14 PRODUCT REVIEW: PAULA’S CHOICE 10% NIACINAMIDE BOOSTER – THE BEST NIACINAMIDE SERUM TO BRIGHTEN SKIN AND CLEAR CLOGGED PORES

PM Regimen, AM Regimen, AM ROUTINE, anti-aging, anti-aging serums, best anti-aging, best anti-aging serum, PM ROUTINE, antioxidants, brightening, brightening serums, hyperpigmentation, Niacinamide, Vitamin C

PAULA’S CHOICE | 10% NIACINAMIDE BOOSTER

This review was originally part of my blog article titled, Three of the Best Facial Skincare Products I Want with Me in the Skinpocalypse! You can catch the full piece here.

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There are few skincare ingredients that I consider as indispensable as Niacinamide. While I had heard of it over the years, I had never paid much attention to the form of Vitamin B3 until Paula's Choice introduced the 10% Niacinamide Booster serum — the first serum of its kind on the market.

I bought it that very same day.

Three or so years later and a 10% concentration of Niacinamide is considered the gold standard. Paula’s Choice recently introduced a 20% concentration, the Niacinamide 20% Treatment — but I’ve held off so far. The #fomo is intensifying by the day, though, so stay tuned! (Psst…I recently reviewed the Paula’s Choice Niacinamide 20% Treatment on the blog here.)

I use a Niacinamide serum every day, twice a day — in both my AM and PM routines. And every time I talk about Niacinamide, also known as Nicotinic Acid, I feel the duty to impress upon readers its indispensable qualities and remarkable benefits for the skin.

What is Niacinamide?

From the Paula’s Choice Research Team, of course:

Also known as vitamin B3 and nicotinic acid, niacinamide is a very effective skin-restoring ingredient that offers multiple benefits for aging and blemish-prone skin. Among these benefits is the ability to visibly improve the appearance of enlarged pores, uneven skin tone, fine lines, dullness, and a weakened skin surface. Niacinamide can also mitigate and to some extent help visibly repair damage from UV light and offset other sources of environmental attack, including the negative impact of various types of airborne pollutants. Unlike many beneficial ingredients, niacinamide is stable in the presence of heat and light.

The Paula’s Choice 10% Niacinamide serum is one of the most well-rounded serums available.

It goes far beyond just the brightening potency and pore-flushing benefits of Vitamin B3 alone — with Ascorbyl Glucoside (a form of Vitamin C) and Sodium Hyaluronate (a form of Hyaluronic Acid) at very high levels.

Interestingly, Ascorbyl Glucoside and Niacinamide are true BFFs. Considered a stable form of Vitamin C when combined with Glucose, Ascorbyl Glucoside converts to Ascorbic Acid (the pure form of Vitamin C) when absorbed by the skin. Read more about this power duo here.

While it’s a true powerhouse for skin, the 10% Niacinamide Booster has also got a super watery texture (as light as water itself!) that makes it relatively easy to layer into any skincare routine.

And, it works perfectly in the “Skincarma ABC” step at the heart of every regimen; that is, Vitamin A (Retinol/Bakuchiol), Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide) and Vitamin C. You can’t go wrong if you stick to that — and it’s easy to remember at night when the last thing you want to think about is the application order of multiple serums!

At $44, 10% Niacinamide Booster is one of the priciest options, but as you can see, it’s well worth the money. You can pick it up on the Paula’s Choice site here.

What I think now: The 10% Niacinamide Booster is the OG of Niacinamide serums — and even of serious serum treatments. It’s just that good. If you want a simple, easy to follow regimen without compromising efficacy or skin health, it’s virtually indispensable. You could very easily cleanse, tone, apply the 10% Niacinamide Booster and follow with a moisturizer and/or SPF and have a perfectly legitimate skincare routine that gives the skin all it needs to stay healthy. In fact, why didn’t I think of that sooner?

Do I miss it?: I’m never without it!

SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Paula’s Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster for $44 here.

BUY PAULA’S CHOICE 10% NIACINAMIDE BOOSTER