Dermalogica Super Rich Repair Moisturizer Versus Paula's Choice Clinical Ultra-Rich Moisturizer

Dermalogica Super Rich Repair Moisturizer Versus Paula's Choice Clinical Ultra-Rich Moisturizer

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Butyrospermum Parkii Butter and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Unsaponifiables and Ceramide NP to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Isohexadecane

Dipropylene Glycol

Caprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride

Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Dimethicone

Glycerin

Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate

Sodium Chloride

Isostearic Acid

Arginine/Lysine Polypeptide

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5

Avena Sativa Kernel Extract

Pyrus Malus Seed Extract

Borago Officinalis Seed Oil

Oenothera Biennis Oil

Hydrogenated Coconut Oil

Gardenia Taitensis Flower

Laminaria Digitata Extract

Yeast Extract

Glucosamine Hcl

Cedrus Atlantica Bark Oil

Cupressus Sempervirens Leaf/Stem Extract

Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil

Aniba Rosodora Wood Oil

Abies Sibirica Oil

Santalum Album Oil

Sodium Hyaluronate

Tocopheryl Acetate

Colloidal Oatmeal

Madecassoside

Urea

Hexyldecanol

Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate

Cetyl Dimethicone

Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Butylene Glycol

Caprylyl Glycol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Hexylene Glycol

Linalool

Geraniol

Citronellol

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Isohexadecane, Dipropylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride, Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate, Sodium Chloride, Isostearic Acid, Arginine/Lysine Polypeptide, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Pyrus Malus Seed Extract, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Hydrogenated Coconut Oil, Gardenia Taitensis Flower, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Yeast Extract, Glucosamine Hcl, Cedrus Atlantica Bark Oil, Cupressus Sempervirens Leaf/Stem Extract, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Aniba Rosodora Wood Oil, Abies Sibirica Oil, Santalum Album Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Colloidal Oatmeal, Madecassoside, Urea, Hexyldecanol, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Cetyl Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Butylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Linalool, Geraniol, Citronellol, Phenoxyethanol

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Unsaponifiables

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Glyceryl Stearate Se

Olea Europaea Fruit Oil

Stearic Acid

Glyceryl Stearate

Mangifera Indica Seed Butter

Cetyl Alcohol

Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract

Ceramide NP

Ceramide AP

Ceramide EOP

Sphingolipids

Phospholipids

Phytosphingosine

Squalene

Cholesterol

Tocopherol

Persea Gratissima Oil

Glycine Soja Oil

Oryza Sativa Bran Extract

Panthenol

Ascorbyl Palmitate

Beta-Sitosterol

Hydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides Citrate

Propylene Glycol

Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate

Xanthan Gum

Carbomer

Disodium EDTA

Water, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Unsaponifiables, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Dimethicone, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Cetyl Alcohol, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Sphingolipids, Phospholipids, Phytosphingosine, Squalene, Cholesterol, Tocopherol, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Glycine Soja Oil, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Glycerin, Panthenol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Beta-Sitosterol, Hydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides Citrate, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, 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.

Avena Sativa Kernel Extract is is derived from colloidal oatmeal. Besides being a healthy breakfast, oats have many benefits in skincare too.

This ingredient helps sooth, hydrate, and protect the skin. The starches in colloidal oatmeal are able to bind water, keeping the skin hydrated.

The cellulose and fiber in colloidal oatmeal help reduce inflammation. This can also help the skin feel softer.

Colloidal Oatmeal is also an antioxidant. Antioxidants protect our skin from free-radical damage.

Oatmeal also contains beneficial compounds:

This ingredient is created by mixing grounded oatmeal and a liquid base.

Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.

What it does:

Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:

Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.

Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.

This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.

Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.

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.

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.

Jojoba oil is one of the most well-studied plant-derived ingredients in cosmetics. It is an emollient with a special structure.

Because it is made up of 97-98% wax esters, it closely mirrors the linear monoesters found in human sebum. This makes it skin compatible, non-greasy, and lightweight.

Unlike other plant oils, jojoba wax doesn't easily penetrate skin. It mostly works in the uppermost layers as an emollient. This just means it forms a light barrier on the skin to help retain moisture.

Formulations with jojoba esters up to 90% reduced transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and increased barrier recovery by 81% (outperforming bisabolol at 47%).

Besides barrier support, the science also suggests jojoba to have anti-inflammatory effects and potential applications for skin infections, aging, and wound healing.

Fun fact: Indigenous cultures have used jojoba as a moisturizer and to help treat burns for centuries.

Fungal acne: The Malassezia yeast is known to metabolize fatty acids in the C11-24 range and jojoba's dominant fatty acid components fall into this range. 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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