Aspect Skincare Extreme C 20 Versus Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster

Aspect Skincare Extreme C 20 Versus Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 to soften the look of wrinkles.

This brightening serum is formulated around Ascorbic Acid and Ferulic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and soften the look of wrinkles.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Panthenol

Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate

Tocopheryl Acetate

Lecithin

Oryza Sativa Bran Oil

Phenoxyethanol

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil

Pullulan

Citrus Reticulata Peel Oil

Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract

Nannochloropsis Oculata Extract

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5

Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract

Backhousia Citriodora Leaf Extract

Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit Extract

Citrus Glauca Fruit Extract

Davidsonia Jerseyana Fruit Extract

Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate

Citrus Aurantium Amara Leaf/Twig Oil

Lactic Acid

Xanthan Gum

Sclerotium Gum

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Tetrasodium EDTA

Ethylhexylglycerin

Benzoic Acid

Sorbic Acid

Sodium Metabisulfite

Water, Glycerin, Panthenol, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Lecithin, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Pullulan, Citrus Reticulata Peel Oil, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Nannochloropsis Oculata Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Backhousia Citriodora Leaf Extract, Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit Extract, Citrus Glauca Fruit Extract, Davidsonia Jerseyana Fruit Extract, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Citrus Aurantium Amara Leaf/Twig Oil, Lactic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Sclerotium Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Benzoic Acid, Sorbic Acid, Sodium Metabisulfite

Ascorbic Acid

Dipropylene Glycol

Propanediol

Ethoxydiglycol

Sodium Hydroxide

PPG-26-Buteth-26

PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Bisabolol

Ferulic Acid

Sodium Phytate

Decylene Glycol

Tocopherol

1,2-Hexanediol

Sphingomonas Ferment Extract

Water, Ascorbic Acid, Dipropylene Glycol, Propanediol, Glycerin, Ethoxydiglycol, Sodium Hydroxide, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Bisabolol, Ferulic Acid, Sodium Phytate, Decylene Glycol, Tocopherol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sphingomonas Ferment Extract, Phenoxyethanol

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.

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!

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