Biologique Recherche Crème Splendide Toning Face Cream Versus Paula's Choice Resist Barrier Repair Moisturizer with Retinol

Biologique Recherche Crème Splendide Toning Face Cream Versus Paula's Choice Resist Barrier Repair Moisturizer with Retinol

This smoothing moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Ascorbyl Glucoside to refine skin texture and brighten dull-looking skin.

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Retinol and Ceramide NP to strengthen the skin barrier and soften the look of wrinkles.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Propylene Glycol

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Glycerin

Cetyl Alcohol

Sucrose Polystearate

Jojoba Esters

1,2-Hexanediol

Niacinamide

Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax

Betula Alba Bark Extract

Equisetum Arvense Extract

Hedera Helix Leaf/Stem Extract

Fucus Vesiculosus Extract

Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract

Terminalia Catappa Leaf Extract

Yeast Extract

Rhizobian Gum

Ascorbyl Glucoside

Tannic Acid

Sodium Hyaluronate

Acacia Decurrens Flower Wax

Tocopherol

Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene

Pvp

Polyglycerin-3

Caprylyl Glycol

Phenoxyethanol

Chlorphenesin

Water, Propylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Sucrose Polystearate, Jojoba Esters, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Betula Alba Bark Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Hedera Helix Leaf/Stem Extract, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract, Terminalia Catappa Leaf Extract, Yeast Extract, Rhizobian Gum, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Tannic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Acacia Decurrens Flower Wax, Tocopherol, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Pvp, Polyglycerin-3, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Ethylhexyl Stearate

Cocoglycerides

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Squalane

Sodium Polyacrylate

Lecithin

Adenosine

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Ceramide NP

Retinol

Punica Granatum Extract

Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane

Tetrahydrodemethoxydiferuloylmethane

Tetrahydrobisdemethoxydiferuloylmethane

Tocopheryl Acetate

Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract

Glycine Soja Seed Extract

Glycine Soja Oil

Butylene Glycol

Glyceryl Polymethacrylate

Xanthan Gum

Water, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Cocoglycerides, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Squalane, Sodium Polyacrylate, Lecithin, Adenosine, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Ceramide NP, Retinol, Punica Granatum Extract, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane, Tetrahydrodemethoxydiferuloylmethane, Tetrahydrobisdemethoxydiferuloylmethane, Tocopheryl Acetate, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Glycine Soja Oil, Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Xanthan Gum, 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.

Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.

As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.

The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.

True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).

It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.

Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.

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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