Skin science article
Advanced Clinicals Retinol Advanced Firming Cream Versus Paula's Choice Skin Revealing Body Lotion 10% AHA
Advanced Clinicals Retinol Advanced Firming Cream Versus Paula's Choice Skin Revealing Body Lotion 10% AHA This anti-aging body lotion is formulated around Retinol to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture. What's inside Key Ingredients Benefits C
Advanced Clinicals Retinol Advanced Firming Cream Versus Paula's Choice Skin Revealing Body Lotion 10% AHA
This anti-aging body lotion is formulated around Retinol to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Paraffinum Liquidum
Cetearyl Alcohol
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Butylene Glycol Myristate
Glycerin
Ceteareth-20
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Retinol
Tocopherol
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Phenoxyethanol
Caprylyl Glycol
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Sodium Hydroxide
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
BHT
Water, Paraffinum Liquidum, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Butylene Glycol Myristate, Glycerin, Ceteareth-20, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Retinol, Tocopherol, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Sodium Hydroxide, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, BHT
Glycolic Acid
Cyclopentasiloxane
Dimethicone
Glyceryl Stearate
Stearic Acid
Cetyl Alcohol
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
PEG-100 Stearate
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Tocopheryl Acetate
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract
Epilobium Angustifolium Extract
Allantoin
Butylene Glycol
Xanthan Gum
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Benzoate
Water, Glycolic Acid, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sodium Hydroxide, PEG-100 Stearate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium Extract, Allantoin, Butylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol
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.
Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
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!