Amlactin Daily Nourish Lotion With 12% Lactic Acid AHA Versus Paula's Choice Skin Revealing Body Lotion 10% AHA

Amlactin Daily Nourish Lotion With 12% Lactic Acid AHA Versus Paula's Choice Skin Revealing Body Lotion 10% AHA

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Ammonium Lactate

Paraffinum Liquidum

Glycerin

Cetearyl Alcohol

Dimethicone

Glyceryl Stearate Se

Steareth-2

Stearyl Alcohol

Xanthan Gum

Phenoxyethanol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Water, Ammonium Lactate, Paraffinum Liquidum, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Steareth-2, Stearyl Alcohol, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin

Glycolic Acid

Cyclopentasiloxane

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

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.

Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.

What it does:

Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:

Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.

Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.

This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.

Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.

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.

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!

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

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