Dermatica Ultralight Recovery Moisturiser Versus Paula's Choice Probiotic Nutrient Moisturizer

Dermatica Ultralight Recovery Moisturiser Versus Paula's Choice Probiotic Nutrient Moisturizer

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Squalane and Niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier and calm redness.

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Lactobacillus Ferment and Bifida Ferment Lysate to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Squalane

Glyceryl Stearate

Cetearyl Alcohol

Shea Butter Ethyl Esters

Niacinamide

Disodium Cetearyl Sulfosuccinate

Panthenol

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Ceramide NP

Ceramide EOP

Ceramide AP

Tocopheryl Acetate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Phenoxyethanol

Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Cholesterol

Phytosphingosine

Sodium Hydroxide

Carbomer

Xanthan Gum

Water, Glycerin, Squalane, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Shea Butter Ethyl Esters, Niacinamide, Disodium Cetearyl Sulfosuccinate, Panthenol, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide AP, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Cholesterol, Phytosphingosine, Sodium Hydroxide, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum

Isoamyl Laurate

Butylene Glycol

Sodium Polyacrylate Starch

Cetyl Alcohol

Lauroyl Lysine

Lactobacillus/Rye Flour Ferment

Lactobacillus Ferment

Bifida Ferment Lysate

Glucomannan

Saccharomyces Lysate

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Glycine Soja Seed Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Acetyl Hexapeptide-1

Palmitoyl Dipeptide-10

Ceramide Ng

Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil

Palmitoyl Proline

Glycine

Serine

Threonine

Alanine

Valine

Arginine

Proline

Lysine Hcl

Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract

Adenosine

Lecithin

Phytic Acid

Yeast Extract

Faex

Tocopherol

Sodium PCA

Sodium Lactate

PCA

Magnesium Palmitoyl Glutamate

Sodium Palmitoyl Sarcosinate

Isopropyl Palmitate

Glutamic Acid

Betaine

Hydroxyacetophenone

Sodium Acrylates Copolymer

Ceteth-20

Steareth-20

Polysorbate 20

PEG-75 Stearate

Caprylyl Glycol

Propylene Glycol

1,2-Hexanediol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Water, Isoamyl Laurate, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Polyacrylate Starch, Cetyl Alcohol, Lauroyl Lysine, Lactobacillus/Rye Flour Ferment, Lactobacillus Ferment, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Glucomannan, Saccharomyces Lysate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Acetyl Hexapeptide-1, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-10, Ceramide Ng, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Palmitoyl Proline, Glycine, Serine, Threonine, Alanine, Valine, Arginine, Proline, Lysine Hcl, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, Niacinamide, Adenosine, Lecithin, Phytic Acid, Yeast Extract, Faex, Tocopherol, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, PCA, Magnesium Palmitoyl Glutamate, Sodium Palmitoyl Sarcosinate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Glutamic Acid, Betaine, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Ceteth-20, Steareth-20, Polysorbate 20, PEG-75 Stearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Propylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin

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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.

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.

Niacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.

And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.

You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.

In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.

If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.

When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.

When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.

In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).

Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.

Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.

The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.

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!

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