Glossier Super Glow Versus Paula's Choice Resist Super Antioxidant Serum

Glossier Super Glow Versus Paula's Choice Resist Super Antioxidant Serum

This brightening serum is formulated around Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate to brighten dull-looking skin and refine skin texture.

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 to soften the look of wrinkles and brighten dull-looking skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Propanediol

Dimethicone

Glyceryl Stearate Se

Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Cetyl Alcohol

Glycerin

Magnesium PCA

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Evodia Rutaecarpa Fruit Extract

Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Corallina Officinalis Extract

Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract

1,2-Hexanediol

Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate

Betaine

Sodium Citrate

Xanthan Gum

Caprylhydroxamic Acid

Water, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Propanediol, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Magnesium PCA, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Evodia Rutaecarpa Fruit Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Betaine, Sodium Citrate, Xanthan Gum, Caprylhydroxamic Acid

Cyclopentasiloxane

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5

Ceramide NP

Tocotrienols

Tocopherol

Ubiquinone

Thioctic Acid

Tocopheryl Acetate

Ferulic Acid

Beta-Glucan

Superoxide Dismutase

Epigallocatechin Gallate

Ergothioneine

Glutathione

Xanthophylls

Glycine Soja Seed Extract

Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract

Lupinus Albus Seed Extract

Curcuma Longa Root

Elaeis Guineensis Oil

Phenoxyethanol

Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Ceramide NP, Tocotrienols, Tocopherol, Ubiquinone, Thioctic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Ferulic Acid, Beta-Glucan, Superoxide Dismutase, Epigallocatechin Gallate, Ergothioneine, Glutathione, Xanthophylls, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Glycerin, Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract, Lupinus Albus Seed Extract, Curcuma Longa Root, Elaeis Guineensis Oil, 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.

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.

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.

Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate (MAP) is a water-soluble form of Vitamin C. It is used in skincare because it tends to be more formulation friendly than pure vitamin C (ascorbic acid).

According to research, MAP has three major benefits:

While MAP is gentler on the skin than ascorbic acid, it is thought to be less easily absorbed into the skin.

In a well-known absorption study, pure vitamin C increased skin vitamin C levels when formulated correctly, but derivatives like MAP did not in that experiment. This suggests MAP may not always convert into active vitamin C in the skin.

Due to MAP's stability up to a pH level of 7, it is more stable to air and sunlight exposure than ascorbic acid. The best pH range for MAP is between 5 and 6.

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