BIOTHERM Blue Therapy Anti-Aging Night Cream Versus Paula's Choice Barrier Repair Advanced Moisturizer

BIOTHERM Blue Therapy Anti-Aging Night Cream Versus Paula's Choice Barrier Repair Advanced Moisturizer

This anti-aging night moisturizer is formulated around Adenosine and Vitreoscilla Ferment to soften the look of wrinkles.

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

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene

Glycerin

Butylene Glycol

Dimethicone

Cetyl Alcohol

Glyceryl Stearate

Zea Mays Starch

Elaeis Guineensis Oil

Paraffinum Liquidum

PEG-100 Stearate

Cera Alba

Sorbitol

Myristyl Myristate

Zea Mays Oil

PEG-14m

Cera Microcristallina

Paraffin

Algae

Sorbitan Tristearate

Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer

Dimethyl Isosorbide

Isohexadecane

Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract

Sodium Hydroxide

Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract

2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol

Phenoxyethanol

Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil

Adenosine

Chlorphenesin

Disodium EDTA

Propylene Glycol

Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol

Capryloyl Salicylic Acid

Vitreoscilla Ferment

Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil

Xanthan Gum

Maltitol

Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate

Octyldodecanol

Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer

Polysorbate 80

Oryza Sativa Bran Oil

Parfum

Water, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Zea Mays Starch, Elaeis Guineensis Oil, Paraffinum Liquidum, PEG-100 Stearate, Cera Alba, Sorbitol, Myristyl Myristate, Zea Mays Oil, PEG-14m, Cera Microcristallina, Paraffin, Algae, Sorbitan Tristearate, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Isohexadecane, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract, 2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Adenosine, Chlorphenesin, Disodium EDTA, Propylene Glycol, Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Vitreoscilla Ferment, Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil, Xanthan Gum, Maltitol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Octyldodecanol, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Polysorbate 80, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Parfum

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Ethylhexyl Stearate

Cocoglycerides

Squalane

Sodium Polyacrylate

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Ceramide NP

Ceramide AP

Ceramide As

Ceramide Ns

Ceramide EOP

Sodium Hyaluronate

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5

Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil

Caprylyl Glycol

Hydroxyacetophenone

Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Hexylene Glycol

Tocopherol

2,3-Butanediol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Sodium Phytate

Sodium PCA

Urea

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Trehalose

Polyquaternium-51

Triacetin

Cholesterol

Water, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Glycerin, Cocoglycerides, Squalane, Sodium Polyacrylate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide As, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide EOP, Sodium Hyaluronate, Adenosine, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Hexylene Glycol, Tocopherol, 2,3-Butanediol, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Phytate, Sodium PCA, Urea, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Trehalose, Polyquaternium-51, Triacetin, Cholesterol, Phenoxyethanol

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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.

Adenosine is a purine nucleoside that your body already makes in every cell. In skincare, it acts mainly as a skin conditioning and anti-aging agent.

The way it works is fairly well mapped out:

Your skin has cells called fibroblasts that build collagen (the stuff that keeps skin firm and smooth). Adenosine basically flips a switch on these cells that tells them to get to work making more collagen and other proteins. These cells slow down on their own as skin ages, so Adenosine helps give them a little nudge to keep going.

The clinical backing is pretty solid too.

A blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 126 women aged 45-65 tested a 0.1% cream twice daily and found real improvements in crow's feet and frown lines using a precise 3D skin-mapping technique; these changes showed up by week 3 and held at 2 months.

A later study using Adenosine-loaded dissolving microneedle patches reported gains in wrinkle depth, dermal density, elasticity, and hydration.

On concentrations, South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has set 0.04% as the approved functional anti-wrinkle level. You'll typically see this ingredient used somewhere in the 0.04-0.1% range since it works at low doses.

This ingredient has been found safe for cosmetics with the data showing no irritation or sensitization.

Overall, this is a great ingredient for any anti-aging routine and has no photosensitizing effect, so it suits both AM and PM use.

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.

Glyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.

Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.

This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.

A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.

Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.

Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.

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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