Gisou Honey Infused Face Oil Versus Paula's Choice Moisture Renewal Oil Booster

Gisou Honey Infused Face Oil Versus Paula's Choice Moisture Renewal Oil Booster

This hydrating oil is formulated around Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil and Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier.

This hydrating oil is formulated around Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil and Ceramide Ns to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil

Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil

Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil

Camellia Japonica Seed Oil

Oenothera Biennis Oil

Rosa Rubiginosa Seed Oil

Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil

Tocopheryl Acetate

Mel

Propolis Cera

Vaccinium Macrocarpon Seed Oil

Punica Granatum Seed Oil

Glycine Soja Oil

Tocopherol

Pentylene Glycol

Parfum

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract

Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract

CI 40800

Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Rosa Rubiginosa Seed Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Mel, Propolis Cera, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Seed Oil, Punica Granatum Seed Oil, Glycine Soja Oil, Tocopherol, Pentylene Glycol, Parfum, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, CI 40800

Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil

Borago Officinalis Seed Oil

Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil

Ceramide Ns

Cholesterol

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Seed Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil, Ceramide Ns, Cholesterol

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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.

You may know this ingredient as argan oil. It has emollient and skin conditioning properties that help soften skin and reinforce the lipid barrier.

The fatty acid profile of argan oil is roughly 45-55% oleic acid, 28-36% linoleic acid, 10-15% palmitic acid, and 5-7% stearic acid. It also contains vitamin E, sterols, squalene, and polyphenols like ferulic acid.

Two clinical studies in postmenopausal women found that applying argan oil for 60 days significantly improved skin elasticity and moisturization (reduced transepidermal water loss and increased epidermal water content).

Since it is high in oleic and linoleic acid, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. Both of these fall in the C11-C24 range that Malassezia yeast can metabolize.

Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil comes from the seeds of the safflower plant. It is a skin conditioning agent that helps soften skin and keep it hydrated.

This seed oil has an unusual fatty acid profile: it is one of the highest linoleic acid plant oils out there (~55-77%). It also has low amounts of oleic acid, and this high-linoleic/low-oleic ratio gets people excited.

Linoleic acid helps maintain skin barrier integrity and is a building block for the ceramides in your stratum corneum. Notably, people with acne tend to have lower linoleic acid in their skin lipids as well (and this gets worse as acne gets more severe).

Overall, it's a lightweight, fast-absorbing oil that has a long safety track record. Lab testing has found it to be non-irritating for skin or eyes.

The Malassezia yeast can metabolize the fatty acids in this oil to grow; therefore this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil is a plant oil derived from the seeds of a sunflower.

It is rich in fatty acids, primarily linoleic acid and oleic acid. This gives it emollient and skin conditioning properties.

The reason this ingredient is so effective is because it forms a thin film on the skin that reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while supplying linoleic acid to the stratum corneum to improve barrier strength.

The high linoleic acid content is particularly noteworthy for acne-prone skin.

Research suggests that acne-prone skin tends to be deficient in linoleic acid in sebum. Topical application may help replenish this to support a healthier follicular environment and less comedone-promoting sebum.

One randomized study found sunflower seed oil preserved skin barrier integrity in adult volunteers with and without atopic dermatitis (outperforming olive oil).

This ingredient is well-studied, gentle, and an effective emollient suitable for most skin types.

On fungal acne: This ingredient may not be Fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) safe. This is because it contains fatty acids with carbon chain lengths in the C11-C24 range.

Oenothera Biennis Oil (aka Evening Primrose Oil) is a non-fragrant oil from the evening primrose. Like other botanical oils, it is an emollient that helps hydrate and nourish skin.

It has an interesting fatty acid profile: linoleic (70-74%) and γ-linolenic (8-10%), with some amounts ofoleic palmitic, and stearic acids.

The gamma-linoleic acid (GLA) is the headliner here; it's relatively rare in plant oils and acts as a precursor for anti-inflammatory signaling molecules in the skin.

There's a mixed body of clinical research with this ingredient as well, mostly on eczema/atopic dermatitis skin.

Some controlled trials showed improvement in inflammation, dryness, scaling, and overall severity. Other studies and large meta-analysis failed to show a significant effect; the honest takeaway here is "promising but inconsistent" rather than "miracle oil".

On the safety front, this ingredient is found to be safe as used in cosmetics and even has a history of safe food use.

Since this oil is contains oleic acid and palmitic acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between C11-C24. Oleic Acid sits at C18 and Palmitic acid sits at C16.

In vitro studies have shown that oleic acid and palmitic acid are some of the fatty acids that induce rapid Malassezia growth in lab settings.

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.

Vaccinium Macrocarpon Seed Oil is created from the seeds of the North American cranberry plant. This plant is native to eastern Canada.

Cranberry seed oil has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hydrating properties.

Due to its high linolenic acid, linoleic acid, and oleic acid content, cranberry seed oil is an effective emollient. Emollients help hydrate the skin by creating a film on the skin. This barrier prevents moisture from escaping. Linolenic acid also has anti-inflammatory properties.

Cranberry seeds also contain Vitamin E and Vitamin C, both potent antioxidants.

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