Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+ Versus Paula's Choice Water-Infusing Electrolyte Moisturizer

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+ Versus Paula's Choice Water-Infusing Electrolyte Moisturizer

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Petrolatum and Urea to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

This moisturizer is formulated around Potassium PCA and Magnesium PCA to hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Paraffinum Liquidum

Glycerin

Petrolatum

Stearic Acid

Glyceryl Stearate

Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil

Urea

Lanolin Alcohol

Triethanolamine

Hordeum Vulgare Extract

Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract

Helianthus Annuus Seedcake

Propylene Glycol Dicaprate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Butylene Glycol

Pentylene Glycol

Trisodium EDTA

Phenoxyethanol

CI 15985

CI 19140

CI 17200

Water, Paraffinum Liquidum, Glycerin, Petrolatum, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Urea, Lanolin Alcohol, Triethanolamine, Hordeum Vulgare Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seedcake, Propylene Glycol Dicaprate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Trisodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, CI 15985, CI 19140, CI 17200

Dimethicone

Propanediol

Isohexadecane

Potassium PCA

Magnesium PCA

Calcium PCA

Ethylhexyl Olivate

Polyglyceryl-4 Olivate

Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract

Laminaria Saccharina Extract

Actinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract

Coffea Arabica Seed Extract

Biotin/Folic Acid/Cyanocobalamin/Niacinamide/Pantothenic Acid/Pyridoxine/Riboflavin/Thiamine/Yeast Polypeptides

Garcinia Mangostana Peel Extract

Prunus Serotina Fruit Extract

Squalane

Ceramide EOP

Ceramide AP

Ceramide NP

Pisum Sativum Extract

Phytosphingosine

Cholesterol

Acetyl Hexapeptide-37

Oryza Sativa Bran Extract

Tocopherol

Creatine

Bisabolol

Sorbitol

Inositol

Xylitol

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Sodium Levulinate

Behenyl Behenate

Tribehenin

Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate

Xanthan Gum

Sodium Acrylates Copolymer

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Carbomer

Sodium Hydroxide

Tetrasodium EDTA

Ethylhexylglycerin

Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Isohexadecane, Potassium PCA, Magnesium PCA, Calcium PCA, Ethylhexyl Olivate, Polyglyceryl-4 Olivate, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Laminaria Saccharina Extract, Actinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract, Coffea Arabica Seed Extract, Biotin/Folic Acid/Cyanocobalamin/Niacinamide/Pantothenic Acid/Pyridoxine/Riboflavin/Thiamine/Yeast Polypeptides, Garcinia Mangostana Peel Extract, Prunus Serotina Fruit Extract, Squalane, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide NP, Pisum Sativum Extract, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Acetyl Hexapeptide-37, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Tocopherol, Creatine, Bisabolol, Sorbitol, Inositol, Xylitol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Levulinate, Behenyl Behenate, Tribehenin, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin

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.

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.

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.

Stearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.

In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:

Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.

Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.

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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