Paula's Choice 5% Niacinamide Body Serum.

Body & Tan

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About this product

A 5% niacinamide serum formulated for body skin, designed to be used alone or alongside other active ingredients like retinoids.

Full ingredients

Water⁠, Panthenol⁠, Niacinamide⁠, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride⁠, Myristyl Myristate⁠, Pentylene Glycol⁠, Glycerin⁠, C13-15 Alkane⁠, Squalane⁠, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate⁠, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter⁠, Citrullus Lanatus (Watermelon) Seed Oil ⁠, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter⁠, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil⁠, Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate⁠, Propanediol⁠, Saccharide Isomerate⁠, Sodium Polyacrylate⁠, Hydrogenated Lecithin⁠, Caprylyl Glycol⁠, Xanthan Gum⁠, Tocopherol⁠, Ethylhexylglycerin⁠, Hexylene Glycol⁠, Sclerotium Gum⁠, Lecithin⁠, Hydrolyzed Opuntia Ficus-Indica Flower Extract ⁠, Pantolactone⁠, Sodium Phytate⁠, Silica⁠, 1, 2-Hexanediol⁠, Citric Acid⁠, Sodium Citrate⁠, Bacillus Ferment⁠, Phenoxyethanol

Guru Score

79%

Yay

6 experts · Strong agreement

6Gurus

5Yay

1Mixed

0Nay

What they liked

Lightweight texture, pairs well with retinol
Works as a facial moisturiser too

What they flagged

Too thin for body use alone

What the gurus are saying

This niacinamide formula earns consistent praise as an excellent pairing partner for retinol and other body actives. Reviewers incorporate it into their daily routines with retinoids and consistently describe the pairing as genuinely transformative. For anyone already using actives on their body, this serum is gentle enough to layer without irritation, making it straightforward to add to an existing regimen.

Synthesized from 6 expert reviews · most recent take April 2024

Type

Body & TanDrops & dropper

Key actives

NiacinamideVitamin ESqualane

Formula notes

Fragrance-freeNo drying alcohol

Where to buy

Sephora → Amazon → Google →

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What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored

Doctorly

3.59M subs

✓Yay

"Paula's Choice had a niacinamide at 5% perfectly functional for your skin. Now you can use that morning and night."

The Budget Dermatologist

724k subs

✓Yay

"[Paula's Choice] has this one this is a 5% niacinamide serum that I am obsessed with this is so helpful it has completely resolved that dry kind of crack skin appearance that is so rampant in the winter and then I lock in that hydration with my moisturizer so this one is absolutely incredible if you feel like your normal body moisturizer is just not enough add a body serum under it"

Doctor Anne

56k subs

✓Yay

"For a dedicated body product with [...] other helpful ingredients, [...] for example the Paula's Choice 5% Niacinamide Body Serum."

Dr. Jenny Liu

323k subs

✓Yay

"Another product I really like that I found to be very helpful for my body hyperpigmentation that is very gentle is from Paula's Choice and it's their 5% body serum. I really like this one because this is fragrance free, contains 5% niacinamide so an effective yet lower concentration that is not going to be as irritating compared to like say 10 or 15 or 20, as well as B5, vitamin B5 panthenol, that's soothing."

Gothamista

683k subs

✓Yay

"What I've been using most recently is Paula's Choice 5% Niacinamide Body Serum. It's no secret I'm a big fan of Paula's Choice niacinamide formulas, they're amongst my all-time favorites. It's just such a great formula for your skin and great to pair with retinol or any other actives you use. Ideally this is what I use every day together with the retinol, it's a great pairing and it's been quite transformative."

Dr Dray

2.69M subs

✓Mixed

"Update on the Paula's Choice 5% Niacinamide Body Serum, I've got to say I think this works as a facial moisturizer better than as a body moisturizer. It's kind of lightweight, it's not that body consistency, it's more a really lightweight lotion."

All 2 takes from Dr Dray

Vlog: SKIN CARE ROUTINE USING TIMELESS SERUMS 😊 @DrDrayzday

Vlog: PAULA'S CHOICE NIACINAMIDE 🙄 WHOLE FOODS SKIN CARE 🛍 @DrDrayzday

"It's moisturizing and it can help cut down on irritation in areas prone to hyperpigmentation from skin on skin contact. [...] I appreciate being gifted this, [...] and I do like Paula's Choice, they do a good job formulating their products, but this isn't something I feel like people need to drop everything and go buy. There are tons of products like this already out there, [...] we don't need any more niacinamide serum on this planet."

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Niacinamide

Niacinamide has evidence behind it for redness, uneven tone and supporting the skin barrier, and it is usually well tolerated even by skin that reacts to most things.

Source: DermNet

Humectants and emollients

Ingredients like these draw water into the surface layers and slow how fast it leaves. The evidence is for comfort, softness and hydration rather than for changing the structure of the skin.

Source: DermNet

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is an antioxidant, and it is often in a formula to keep the other ingredients stable rather than as the active itself. It pairs well with vitamin C, though on its own the evidence for visible change is limited.

Source: NIH, National Library of Medicine

Frequently asked.

What is Paula's Choice 5% Niacinamide Body Serum?

A 5% niacinamide serum formulated for body skin, designed to be used alone or alongside other active ingredients like retinoids.

Is Paula's Choice 5% Niacinamide Body Serum worth it?

Mostly yes. 5 of the 6 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 79%.

What is Paula's Choice 5% Niacinamide Body Serum's Guru Score?

Paula's Choice 5% Niacinamide Body Serum holds a Guru Score of 79%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 6 expert reviewers we have collected.