Eucerin UreaRepair Plus 5% Urea Lotion Versus Paula's Choice Daily Replenishing Body Cream

Eucerin UreaRepair Plus 5% Urea Lotion Versus Paula's Choice Daily Replenishing Body Cream

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

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Urea

Cetearyl Alcohol

Glyceryl Glucoside

Cyclomethicone

Sodium Lactate

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Methylpropanediol

Octyldodecanol

Dicaprylyl Ether

Tapioca Starch

Glyceryl Stearate Se

Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides

Carnitine

Ceramide NP

Sodium PCA

Arginine Hcl

Serine

Alanine

Histidine

Citrulline

Lysine

Lactic Acid

Sodium Chloride

Dimethiconol

Glycogen

Mannitol

Sucrose

Glutamic Acid

Threonine

Chondrus Crispus Extract

Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate

1,2-Hexanediol

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Glycerin, Urea, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Glucoside, Cyclomethicone, Sodium Lactate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Methylpropanediol, Octyldodecanol, Dicaprylyl Ether, Tapioca Starch, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Carnitine, Ceramide NP, Sodium PCA, Arginine Hcl, Serine, Alanine, Histidine, Citrulline, Lysine, Lactic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Dimethiconol, Glycogen, Mannitol, Sucrose, Glutamic Acid, Threonine, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol

Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil

Cetyl Alcohol

Stearyl Alcohol

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract

Butylene Glycol

Glyceryl Stearate

PEG-100 Stearate

Dimethicone

Persea Gratissima Oil

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Ceramide AP

Ceramide EOP

Squalane

Cholesterol

Allantoin

Tocopherol

Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil

Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract

Epilobium Angustifolium Extract

Hydrolyzed Acacia Macrostachya Seed Extract

Phytosphingosine

Myristoyl Tripeptide-31

Lecithin

Panthenol

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Caprylyl Caprylate/Caprate

Ethylhexyl Olivate

Cyclohexasiloxane

Cyclopentasiloxane

Cellulose Gum

Maltodextrin

Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate

Sodium Hydroxide

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Xanthan Gum

Carbomer

Behenyl Alcohol

Myristyl Alcohol

Lauryl Alcohol

Arachidyl Alcohol

Benzoic Acid

Dehydroacetic Acid

Water, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Dimethicone, Persea Gratissima Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Ceramide AP, Ceramide NP, Ceramide EOP, Squalane, Cholesterol, Allantoin, Tocopherol, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium Extract, Hydrolyzed Acacia Macrostachya Seed Extract, Phytosphingosine, Myristoyl Tripeptide-31, Lecithin, Panthenol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Caprylyl Caprylate/Caprate, Ethylhexyl Olivate, Lactic Acid, Cyclohexasiloxane, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cellulose Gum, Maltodextrin, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Hydroxide, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Behenyl Alcohol, Myristyl Alcohol, Lauryl Alcohol, Arachidyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid

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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.

Ceramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.

Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.

This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.

A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.

Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.

Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.

Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.

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.

Lactic Acid is another well-loved alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). It is gentler than glycolic acid but still highly effective.

Its main role is to exfoliate the surface of the skin by loosening the “glue” that holds dead skin cells together. Shedding those old cells leads to smoother, softer, and more even-toned skin.

Because lactic acid molecules are larger than glycolic acid, they don’t penetrate as deeply. This means they’re less likely to sting or irritate, making it a great choice for beginners or those with sensitive skin.

Like glycolic acid, it can:

Lactic acid also acts as a humectant (like hyaluronic acid). It can draw water into the skin to improve hydration and also plays a role in the skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF) in the form of sodium lactate.

Studies show it can boost ceramide production to strengthen the skin barrier and even help balance the skin’s microbiome.

To get results, choose products with a pH between 3-4.

Lower strengths (5-12%) focus on surface exfoliation; higher strengths (12% and up) can reach deeper in the dermis (deeper, supportive layer) to improve skin texture and firmness over time.

Though it was originally derived from milk, most modern lactic acid used in skincare is vegan. It is made through non-dairy fermentation to create a bio-identical and stable form suitable for all formulations.

When lactic acid shows up near the end of an ingredient list, it usually means the brand added just a tiny amount to adjust the product’s pH.

Legend has it that Cleopatra used to bathe in sour milk to help reduce wrinkles.

Lactic acid is truly a gentle multitasker: it exfoliates, hydrates, strengthens, and brightens. It's a great ingredient for giving your skin a smooth, glowing, and healthy look without the harshness of stronger acids.

Read more about some other popular AHA's here:

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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