Biossance Squalane + Omega Repair Cream Versus Paula's Choice Defense Nightly Reconditioning Moisturizer

Biossance Squalane + Omega Repair Cream Versus Paula's Choice Defense Nightly Reconditioning Moisturizer

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Squalane and Ceramide NP to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

This barrier-repair night moisturizer is formulated around Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12 and Ceramide Ng to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Squalane

Glycerin

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Isoamyl Laurate

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Sorbitan Olivate

Cetearyl Olivate

Ceramide NP

Jojoba Esters

Sodium Hyaluronate

Euterpe Oleracea Sterols

Linoleic Acid

Oleic Acid

Linolenic Acid

Ethyl Linoleate

Tocopherol

Isoamyl Cocoate

Cetyl Palmitate

Sorbitan Palmitate

Cetearyl Alcohol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Carbomer

Sodium Hydroxide

Phenoxyethanol

Sodium Gluconate

Water, Squalane, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isoamyl Laurate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetearyl Olivate, Ceramide NP, Jojoba Esters, Sodium Hyaluronate, Euterpe Oleracea Sterols, Linoleic Acid, Oleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Ethyl Linoleate, Tocopherol, Isoamyl Cocoate, Cetyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Palmitate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Gluconate

Ethylhexyl Palmitate

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Prunus Serotina Fruit Extract

Almond/Borage/Linseed/Olive Acids/Glycerides

Medicago Sativa Extract

Sesamum Indicum Seed

Hydrolyzed Eruca Sativa Leaf

Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil

Hydrolyzed Algae Extract

Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12

Palmitoyl Dipeptide-10

Ceramide Ng

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Cocoyl Proline

Allantoin

Trehalose

Eclipta Prostrata Extract

Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate

Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil

Alaria Esculenta Extract

Adenosine Phosphate

PEG-10 Phytosterol

Tribehenin

Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein

Zinc Gluconate

Copper Gluconate

Magnesium Aspartate

Polyglyceryl-10 Caprylate/Caprate

Microcrystalline Cellulose

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Xanthan Gum

Pentylene Glycol

Butylene Glycol Stearate

Potassium Sorbate

Water, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Isoamyl Laurate, Prunus Serotina Fruit Extract, Almond/Borage/Linseed/Olive Acids/Glycerides, Medicago Sativa Extract, Sesamum Indicum Seed, Hydrolyzed Eruca Sativa Leaf, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Algae Extract, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-10, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide Ng, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Cocoyl Proline, Tocopherol, Allantoin, Trehalose, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Alaria Esculenta Extract, Adenosine Phosphate, PEG-10 Phytosterol, Tribehenin, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Sorbitan Olivate, Sodium Gluconate, Zinc Gluconate, Copper Gluconate, Magnesium Aspartate, Cetearyl Olivate, Isoamyl Cocoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polyglyceryl-10 Caprylate/Caprate, Microcrystalline Cellulose, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Xanthan Gum, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Ethylhexylglycerin

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Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.

Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.

In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.

While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.

Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.

This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.

This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.

Cetearyl Olivate is a plant-derived emulsifier and texture enhancer. It helps keep the oil and water phases from separating so your formulas stay stable.

You'll likely see it combined with Sorbitan Olivate (together sold as the trade name Olivem 1000). This combination generates a liquid crystal structure that closely resemble the lipid organization of the stratum corneum.

These "skin-like" liquid crystals improve skin barrier integrity and promote the delivery of actives into the skin.

This ingredient is well-tolerated and has no significant sensitization data.

Because it is derived from the fatty acids in olive oil, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.

Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:

The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.

Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.

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.

Isoamyl Cocoate isn't fungal acne safe. It can be bad for dry skin.

Isoamyl Laurate is a plant-derived and biodegradable lightweight emollient that is an Ecocert/COSMOS approved alternative to silicones.

It functions as an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin without leaving a greasy/sticky feel.

You'll find it in a range of products from makeup to sunscreen, and typically at low percentages (~2-5%).

This ingredient is deemed safe at current cosmetic use and non-sensitizing in human studies (it's even approved as a food additive flavoring substance).

Because this ingredient is an easter of lauric acid, it falls in the C11-24 range that Malassezia can feed on, making this ingredient not fungal acne safe.

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.

This is the synthetic salt of gluconic acid, a form of PHA and mild exfoliant.

It is mainly used to stabilize oil and butter formulations from going bad. Sodium gluconate is a humectant, pH regulator, and chelating agent.

Chelating agents help neutralize unwanted metals from affecting the formulation.

Sodium gluconate is water-soluble.

Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.

In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.

Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:

Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.

Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.

You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.

Sorbitan Olivate is created from the fatty acids in olive oil and sorbitol.

This ingredient is an oil in water emulsifier. It helps stabilize a product by preventing oils and waters from separating. Sorbitan Olivate also helps hydrate the skin.

This ingredient is also known as part of Olivem 1000, with Cetearyl Olivate being the other part.

According to a manufacturer, this ingredient helps preserve the natural microbiome of skin. Having a healthy microbiome helps keep our skin healthy and protects against harmful bacteria.

Please note, having a healthy microbiome is different from fungal acne; a healthy microbiome includes small amounts of yeast that normally live on your skin without causing problems.

Fungal acne happens when one type of yeast (Malassezia) grows out of control. This is usually because it's feeding on certain oils or fatty acids. Due to the olive oil base, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.

Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.

You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.

Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.

It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.

This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.

This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.

In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.

Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.

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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