Good (Skin) Days On The Bright Side Moisturizer Versus Paula's Choice Probiotic Nutrient Moisturizer

Good (Skin) Days On The Bright Side Moisturizer Versus Paula's Choice Probiotic Nutrient Moisturizer

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Rice Ferment Filtrate and Squalane to strengthen the skin barrier.

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

Rice Ferment Filtrate

Butylene Glycol

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Squalane

1,2-Hexanediol

Cetyl Alcohol

Stearyl Alcohol

Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate

Isopentyldiol

Water

Ceramide NP

Propanediol

Glycerin

Bifida Ferment Lysate

Streptococcus Thermophilus Ferment

Madecassoside

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Ethylhexylglycerin

Rice Ferment Filtrate, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Squalane, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Isopentyldiol, Water, Ceramide NP, Propanediol, Glycerin, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Streptococcus Thermophilus Ferment, Madecassoside, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin

Isoamyl Laurate

Sodium Polyacrylate Starch

Lauroyl Lysine

Lactobacillus/Rye Flour Ferment

Lactobacillus Ferment

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

Phenoxyethanol

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

Reviews

Be the first to review

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.

It is a:

Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin

Emollient, helping to soften skin

Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas

Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives

Bifida Ferment Lysate is a postbiotic ingredient made by fermenting Bifidobacterium to extract a nutrient-rich mix of peptides, amino acids, vitamins, organic acids, and polysaccharides.

These components are basically the building blocks that your skin already uses to stay hydrated, repair itself, and maintain its barrier. That's why this ingredient helps your skin hold onto moisture and stay resilient against irritation.

One in-vitro study found that this ingredient tells your skin cells to produce more of the proteins (filaggrin, loricrin, and involucrin) for building a strong and healthy barrier. This study also found this ingredient to be a solid antioxidant that helped neutralize damage against UV and pollution.

A study with people from 2010 found that sensitive, reactive skin using a cream with 10% of this ingredient for a month became noticeably less dry, less reactive, and harder to irritate compared to the group using a plain cream.

In short, this ingredient is a well-tolerated ingredient that can help with barrier repair, antioxidant protection, and calming reactive skin.

This ingredient is generally considered fungal acne (Malassezia) safe; Bifidobacterium is a bacterium, not a yeast or fungus.

The fungal acne concern with fermented ingredients mainly applies to yeast-derived ferments like Saccharomyces and Galactomyces, because those are in the same kingdom as Malassezia and could theoretically contain residual compounds that feed it.

Bifida is a completely different organism, so on its own it doesn't provide a food source for the Malassezia yeast that causes fungal acne.

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.

Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.

Its main roles are:

Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.

The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.

This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.

Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:

The 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 to patch test if you are unsure.

Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.

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