La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer Versus Paula's Choice Water-Infusing Electrolyte Moisturizer

La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer Versus Paula's Choice Water-Infusing Electrolyte Moisturizer

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Squalane and Niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

This moisturizer is formulated around Potassium PCA and Magnesium PCA to hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Squalane

Dimethicone

Zea Mays Starch

Niacinamide

Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate

Myristyl Myristate

Stearic Acid

Ceramide NP

Potassium Cetyl Phosphate

Glyceryl Stearate Se

Sodium Hydroxide

Myristic Acid

Palmitic Acid

Capryloyl Glycine

Caprylyl Glycol

Xanthan Gum

Water, Glycerin, Squalane, Dimethicone, Zea Mays Starch, Niacinamide, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Myristyl Myristate, Stearic Acid, Ceramide NP, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Sodium Hydroxide, Myristic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Capryloyl Glycine, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum

Butylene Glycol

Propanediol

Glyceryl Stearate

Isohexadecane

Potassium PCA

Magnesium PCA

Calcium PCA

Ethylhexyl Olivate

Polyglyceryl-4 Olivate

Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract

Laminaria Saccharina Extract

Actinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract

Coffea Arabica Seed Extract

Biotin/Folic Acid/Cyanocobalamin/Niacinamide/Pantothenic Acid/Pyridoxine/Riboflavin/Thiamine/Yeast Polypeptides

Garcinia Mangostana Peel Extract

Prunus Serotina Fruit Extract

Ceramide EOP

Ceramide AP

Pisum Sativum Extract

Phytosphingosine

Cholesterol

Acetyl Hexapeptide-37

Oryza Sativa Bran Extract

Tocopherol

Creatine

Bisabolol

Sorbitol

Inositol

Xylitol

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Sodium Levulinate

Behenyl Behenate

Tribehenin

Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate

Sodium Acrylates Copolymer

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Carbomer

Tetrasodium EDTA

Phenoxyethanol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Isohexadecane, Potassium PCA, Magnesium PCA, Calcium PCA, Ethylhexyl Olivate, Polyglyceryl-4 Olivate, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Laminaria Saccharina Extract, Actinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract, Coffea Arabica Seed Extract, Biotin/Folic Acid/Cyanocobalamin/Niacinamide/Pantothenic Acid/Pyridoxine/Riboflavin/Thiamine/Yeast Polypeptides, Garcinia Mangostana Peel Extract, Prunus Serotina Fruit Extract, Squalane, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide NP, Pisum Sativum Extract, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Acetyl Hexapeptide-37, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Tocopherol, Creatine, Bisabolol, Sorbitol, Inositol, Xylitol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Levulinate, Behenyl Behenate, Tribehenin, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin

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.

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.

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.

Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.

In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.

Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.

"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.

Squalane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).

It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.

This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.

Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.

Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.

No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).

Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.

This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.

Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.

Read more about squalene with an "e".

Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.

The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.

Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.

A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.

The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.

Stearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.

In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:

Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.

Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.

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!

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

Similar Comparisons