Paula's Choice Niacinamide 20% Treatment for mature skin
Niacinamide
Acetyl Glucosamine
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract Licorice Root Extract
Portulaca Oleracea Extract Purslane ExtractHigh
- SuperiorNormal Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A great choice for mature skin; a few serums fit it even better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with mature skin: fine lines, wrinkles, and loss of firmness. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Excellent suitability for your normal skin, as the high concentration of niacinamide and panthenol work to regulate sebum and repair your skin barrier, while acetyl glucosamine smooths texture.
- The formula also addresses your concerns about wrinkles and fine lines with niacinamide and ascorbyl glucoside, which promote collagen synthesis and provide antioxidant protection.
- The product is safe for your skin due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing components like niacinamide and glycerin.
How to apply
- Use this serum in your PM routine. Start by applying it 3 times a week, and work up to daily use if your skin likes it.
- Apply this serum after your toner and before your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and let it absorb for a minute.
- You can apply the serum on dry skin for the best results against fine lines.
- Always do a patch test before your first use and avoid the sensitive eye area.
People Say
★4.2Overall rating based on 1.1k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users with oily, combination, and aging skin frequently report significant improvements in skin texture and a visible reduction in the appearance of enlarged pores and "orange-peel" skin. Many praise its ability to smooth and brighten the complexion. A notable minority with sensitive skin experienced irritation, redness, or burning due to the high concentration of niacinamide.
Highlights
Minimizes enlarged pores Often Mentioned
- “pores stay clear and appear smaller”
- “visibly reduce the appearance of my pores”
- “tightened and smoothed my enlarged pores”
- “helps reduce the look of pores”
- “pores are less noticeable”
Smoother skin texture Often Mentioned
- “skin looks clearer and more even”
- “smooths out rough, orange-peel texture”
- “skin is a lot clearer and smoother”
- “skin feels great after using”
- “softens skin”
Brightens skin tone Sometimes Noted
- “skin looks brighter and healthier”
- “freckles looked lighter”
- “fades brown spots”
- “complexion looked brighter”
- “helps with redness and hyperpigmentation”
Lightweight non-sticky texture Sometimes Noted
- “absorbs very well... no tacky or sticky residue”
- “formula feels light and absorbs quickly”
- “sinks in without being tacky”
- “liquid-gel texture”
- “absorbs quickly without feeling sticky”
Causes skin irritation Sometimes Noted
- “burned so bad on application”
- “made my skin feel super dry”
- “irritates skin”
- “caused redness and stinging”
- “skin barrier felt compromised”
Expensive price point Sometimes Noted
- “expensive for on-going use”
- “pricey price”
- “little pricey for sustained use”
- “quite expensive for a small bottle”
- “wish it was cheaper”
Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
- “more pimples appears”
- “cystic breakouts”
- “caused tiny bumps”
- “broke me out”
No visible results Rarely Noted
- “didn't see any difference”
- “no noticeable improvement”
- “pores... still looking a bit bigger”
- “just ok... nothing to write home about”
- “not effective”
Sources: lovi.care, paulaschoice.com, sephora.com, reddit.com, projectvanity.com, bellyrubzbeauty.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Paula's Choice 20% Niacinamide Treatment a great fit for mature skin?
Paula's Choice 20% Niacinamide Treatment is a great fit for mature skin because its high concentration of niacinamide and panthenol helps repair your skin barrier and regulate sebum, while acetyl glucosamine smooths texture. Additionally, niacinamide and ascorbyl glucoside promote collagen synthesis to help address wrinkles and fine lines, and soothing components like glycerin keep the formula safe and gentle.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Which ingredients make this treatment a good fit for mature skin?
This treatment is a great fit for mature skin because niacinamide and ascorbyl glucoside promote collagen synthesis to help smooth fine lines and wrinkles. Additionally, niacinamide and panthenol work to repair your skin barrier, while acetyl glucosamine helps make your skin smooth.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025
What does Niacinamide do for mature skin?
Niacinamide helps mature skin by smoothing out fine lines and wrinkles, reducing dark spots, and improving overall skin elasticity. It is also very well tolerated and supports a strong skin barrier to keep skin looking healthy.
What does Acetyl Glucosamine do for mature skin?
Acetyl Glucosamine helps keep mature skin looking smooth and bright while improving hydration and firmness. It may also help reduce dark spots and signs of aging on the face and neck.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2010Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2007
Where does this treatment go in a skincare routine for mature skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine after your cleansing toner and before your moisturizer. Placing active serums at night provides extra safety around sun exposure and keeps your daily steps simple.
Can I use this treatment with retinol, and in what order?
This treatment can be used with retinol, applying the treatment first and following with your retinol product, or using them on alternate nights to keep your skin calm and comfortable.
How often should I use this treatment?
This treatment is used in the evening as part of your routine. It is a great fit for mature skin because its ingredients help smooth texture, support collagen, and keep your skin barrier healthy.
Can this treatment clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for mature skin?
This treatment is unlikely to cause breakouts for mature skin because it has a very low risk of breakouts according to reviews and features soothing components like niacinamide and glycerin. It also helps repair your skin barrier and regulate sebum, making it a great fit for your normal mature skin.
Is this treatment fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
A new topical panthenol-containing emollient significantly improved transepidermal water loss reduction, stratum corneum hydration, and intercellular lipid lamellae length compared with control in healthy subjects without negatively impacting bacterial viability.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017A panthenol-enriched mask significantly decreased erythema and hyperpigmentation, increased sebum and stratum corneum moisture, and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to a saline dressing in 60 subjects undergoing facial laser treatment.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Topical dexpanthenol acts as a moisturizer, improves stratum corneum hydration, accelerates wound healing and epidermal regeneration, reduces erythema, and improves symptoms of skin irritation compared to vehicle or no pretreatment.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002Topical post-laser application of human adipocyte-derived mesenchymal stem cell media combined with niacinamide significantly improved wrinkle index, melanin index, patient satisfaction, and investigator esthetic improvement scores compared to vehicle cream in patients with aging skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Topical nicotinamide prevented solar-simulated UV-induced immunosuppression in healthy volunteers, and men experienced immunosuppression at solar-simulated UV doses three times lower than those required for women.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2008Topical 5% niacinamide applied twice daily for 12 weeks reduced fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmented spots, red blotchiness, and skin sallowness, and improved skin elasticity compared to vehicle control in 50 female white subjects with facial photoaging.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2005Topical 2% niacinamide significantly decreased sebum excretion rate in Japanese individuals and casual sebum levels in Caucasian individuals compared to placebo or baseline.
Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 2006Topical 2% N-acetyl glucosamine reduced facial hyperpigmentation in an 8-week split-face clinical test, with an even greater effect observed when combined with 4% niacinamide.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2007N-acetyl-glucosamine-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers successfully delivered the hydrophilic agent through the skin and reduced melanin distribution in healthy volunteers.
Advanced Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 2016Topical cosmetic products containing hyaluronic acid, N-acetyl glucosamine, and gamma-amino butyric acid improved skin hydration by 24.28% to 33.60%, elasticity by 11.98%, and skin lightening by 5.26% over 2 months in 20 female participants.
Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 2019Topical application of 5% vitamin C cream significantly improved global clinical scores, increased skin microrelief density, and induced elastic tissue repair in photoaged skin compared to excipient control in healthy female volunteers.
Experimental Dermatology, 2003Ascorbic acid 2-glucoside gel significantly reduced gingival melanin pigmentation after 4 weeks compared to placebo in 73 subjects with symmetric pigmentation.
Journal of Periodontology, 2009Topical application of VC-IP cream twice daily for 8 weeks reduces periorbital wrinkles in female subjects compared to a placebo cream.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022Combining 755 nm alexandrite laser with topical licorice gel significantly reduces terminal hair counts compared to alexandrite laser with placebo in women with idiopathic hirsutism.
Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2015Licochalcone A activated Nrf2 signaling, elevated cytoprotective enzymes, increased the reduced-to-oxidized glutathione ratio, and decreased reactive oxygen species in human fibroblasts and neutrophils, while a LicA-rich licorice extract lowered UVA-induced oxidative processes in vivo.
Experimental Dermatology, 2015Bioactive glycyrrhizic acid and oxymatrine ionic liquid self-assembled nanomicelles significantly promoted the transdermal permeation, subcutaneous retention, and anti-photoaging efficacy of palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 in cellular and animal models compared to unformulated peptide.
Advanced Science, 2025Topical purslane at 5% and 10% concentrations achieved alleviation of symptoms and lesion remission comparable to topical 0.1% triamcinolone acetonide in 34 subjects with oral lichen planus over 90 days.
BMC Oral Health, 2023Facial masks containing low-temperature extracted Portulaca oleracea protect sensitive skin from photothermal stimulation and improve skin barrier function during photorejuvenation.
Cutaneous and Ocular Toxicology, 2025Portulaca oleracea extract ameliorated skin barrier damage and inflammation induced by combined exposure to glycolic acid and UVB in HaCaT cells.
Cutaneous and Ocular Toxicology, 2022
Ingredients
Water, Niacinamide, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Acetyl Glucosamine, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract Licorice Root Extract, Spiraea Ulmaria Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract Purslane Extract, Camellia Japonica Flower Extract, Epigallocatechin Gallate, Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Allantoin, Lecithin, Pullulan, Panthenol, Silica, Xanthan Gum, Sclerotium Gum, Propanediol, Sodium Phytate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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