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Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Calming Gel Cream Versus Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster

Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Calming Gel Cream Versus Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster This calming moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Madecassoside to calm redness and strengthen the skin barrier. This calming treatment is formulated ar

By Peptide Skincare & Beauty Editorial TeamPublished

Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Calming Gel Cream Versus Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster

This calming moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Madecassoside to calm redness and strengthen the skin barrier.

This calming treatment is formulated around Azelaic Acid and Salicylic Acid to calm redness and fade the look of dark spots.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Butylene Glycol

Glycerin

Niacinamide

Caprylyl Methicone

Pentylene Glycol

1,2-Hexanediol

Eryngium Maritimum Callus Culture Filtrate

Cetearyl Olivate

Houttuynia Cordata Extract

Hydrogenated Polydecene

Ilex Aquifolium Leaf Extract

Sorbitan Olivate

Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Streptococcus Thermophilus Ferment

Achillea Millefolium Oil

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Hydroxyacetophenone

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Carbomer

Tromethamine

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract

Adenosine

DNA

Lavandula Angustifolia Oil

Disodium EDTA

Silica

Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract

Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil

Hydrolyzed Hibiscus Esculentus Extract

Lupinus Albus Seed Extract

Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract

Panthenol

Hedera Helix Extract

Amber Powder

Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract

Ethylhexylglycerin

Curcuma Longa Root Extract

Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract

Corallina Officinalis Extract

Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil

Madecassoside

Calcium Chloride

Asiatic Acid

Asiaticoside

Magnesium Sulfate

Madecassic Acid

Centella Asiatica Extract

Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Caprylyl Methicone, Pentylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Eryngium Maritimum Callus Culture Filtrate, Cetearyl Olivate, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Ilex Aquifolium Leaf Extract, Sorbitan Olivate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Streptococcus Thermophilus Ferment, Achillea Millefolium Oil, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Hydroxyacetophenone, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Adenosine, DNA, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Disodium EDTA, Silica, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Hydrolyzed Hibiscus Esculentus Extract, Lupinus Albus Seed Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract, Panthenol, Hedera Helix Extract, Amber Powder, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Madecassoside, Calcium Chloride, Asiatic Acid, Asiaticoside, Magnesium Sulfate, Madecassic Acid, Centella Asiatica Extract

Azelaic Acid

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate

Cetearyl Alcohol

Glyceryl Stearate

Dimethicone

Salicylic Acid

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract

Allantoin

Bisabolol

Cyclopentasiloxane

Xanthan Gum

Sclerotium Gum

Propanediol

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Azelaic Acid, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Dimethicone, Salicylic Acid, Adenosine, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract, Allantoin, Bisabolol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Xanthan Gum, Sclerotium Gum, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol

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.

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.

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.

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!

Similar Comparisons

The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

Connected source records selected through this article’s public topic index.

01

Formula cabinet

Ingredients & structured notes

Ingredient index

Ingredients Explained

  1. 01These ingredients are found in both products.
  2. 02Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
  3. 03Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice is the filtered, stabilized liquid pressed from the inner gel of the aloe vera leaf.
  4. 04In cosmetics, it shows up as either soothing active or a water-replacement base. It is roughly 98-99% water and the last 1-2% is an interesting mix of polysaccharides, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes.
  5. 05The polysaccharides do most of the work: they bind water at the skin surface for a light, non-greasy hydration boost. And one of the polysaccharides, glycomannan, is linked to fibroblast stimulation + collagen synthesis. This is also why aloe has su…
  6. 06This ingredient is also calming with anti-inflammatory and mild antimicrobial activity, making it a great pick for sensitive, irritated, or post-sun skin.
  7. 07Realistic expectations matter though; the solid evidence is mostly limited to hydration, soothing, and wound support. Deeper claims about anti-aging or sun protection are not well backed, and science reviews note it does not prevent radiation-induce…
  8. 08Because it plays well with almost everything, it's commonly used as a base alongside other actives like niacinamide or vitamin C.
  9. 09Typical usage concentrations range from 0.5% (where hydration benefits already show up) all the way to 90%+ (where it replaces water as the main base).
  10. 10The safety for this ingredient is well-establish as well. Overall, this is a great supporting ingredient for those who want a boost in hydration.
  11. 11Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
  12. 12The 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 …
  13. 13Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
  14. 14Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
  15. 15It 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.
  16. 16On 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.
  17. 17Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
  18. 18You'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.
  19. 19Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
  20. 20Safety-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.
Source · skinsort.com ⟶
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03

Comparison edit

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