Nu Skin Nutricentials Thirst Fix Hydrating Gel Cream Versus Paula's Choice Barrier Repair Advanced Moisturizer

Nu Skin Nutricentials Thirst Fix Hydrating Gel Cream Versus Paula's Choice Barrier Repair Advanced Moisturizer

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

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

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Butylene Glycol

Cyclopentasiloxane

Glycerin

Pentylene Glycol

Dimethicone

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Urea

Fructose

Trehalose

Sodium PCA

Sodium Lactate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Glucose

Selaginella Lepidophylla Extract

Rhodiola Rosea Extract

Rhaponticum Carthamoides Root Extract

Inonotus Obliquus Extract

Maltose

Allantoin

Cleome Gynandra Leaf Extract

Eleutherococcus Senticosus Root Extract

Malachite Extract

Propanediol

Carrageenan

Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer

Sodium Chloride

Carbomer

Parfum

Aminomethyl Propanol

Sodium Hydroxide

Citric Acid

Phenoxyethanol

Chlorphenesin

Sodium Benzoate

Linalool

Geraniol

Limonene

Water, Butylene Glycol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Urea, Fructose, Trehalose, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glucose, Selaginella Lepidophylla Extract, Rhodiola Rosea Extract, Rhaponticum Carthamoides Root Extract, Inonotus Obliquus Extract, Maltose, Allantoin, Cleome Gynandra Leaf Extract, Eleutherococcus Senticosus Root Extract, Malachite Extract, Propanediol, Carrageenan, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Sodium Chloride, Carbomer, Parfum, Aminomethyl Propanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Benzoate, Linalool, Geraniol, Limonene

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Ethylhexyl Stearate

Cocoglycerides

Squalane

Sodium Polyacrylate

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Ceramide NP

Ceramide AP

Ceramide As

Ceramide Ns

Ceramide EOP

Adenosine

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5

Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil

Glyceryl Stearate

Caprylyl Glycol

Hydroxyacetophenone

Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Hexylene Glycol

Tocopherol

2,3-Butanediol

Xanthan Gum

Ethylhexylglycerin

Sodium Phytate

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Polyquaternium-51

Triacetin

Cholesterol

Water, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Glycerin, Cocoglycerides, Squalane, Sodium Polyacrylate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide As, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide EOP, Sodium Hyaluronate, Adenosine, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Hexylene Glycol, Tocopherol, 2,3-Butanediol, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Phytate, Sodium PCA, Urea, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Trehalose, Polyquaternium-51, Triacetin, Cholesterol, Phenoxyethanol

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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.

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.

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.

Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.

In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.

Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:

Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.

Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.

You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.

Sodium PCA (the salt of PCA) is one of the most well-established humectants in skincare.

Why is it so special? Your skin already makes it naturally; it's a natural component of your skin's Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF), or the mix of water-binding compounds inside your skin cells that keeps things soft and hydrated.

As a cosmetic ingredient, it grabs water and holds it in the upper layers of skin to smooth roughness and ease dehydration.

There's some clinical support for the NMF approach with a study showing that a cream built to mimic the skin's NMF significantly boosted hydration.

Safety-wise, this ingredient non-irritating, non-comedogenic, and non-phototoxic in testing, with minimal skin absorption.

It also works really well with other hydrators like glycerin or hyaluronic acid, and typical usage is somewhere between 0.2-4%.

Trehalose is a disaccharide made of two glucose molecules (glucose is sugar!). Trehalose is used to help moisturize skin. It also has antioxidant properties.

As a humectant, trehalose helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This helps keep your skin hydrated.

Due to its antioxidant properties, trehalose may help with signs of aging. Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules, unstable molecules that may damage your skin.

In medicine, trehalose and hyaluronic acid are used to help treat dry eyes.

Some animals, plants, and bacteria create trehalose as a source of energy to survive freeze or lack of water.

Urea is also called carbamide and is the diamide of carbonic acid. In cosmetics, urea is used to hydrate the skin. It also provides exfoliation in higher concentrations.

As a humectant, urea helps draw moisture from the air and from deep within the skin. This helps hydrate your skin. Studies show urea is an effective moisturizer for dry skin conditions. 40% urea is typical in medications for treating eczema and other skin conditions.

Urea has the strongest exfoliation effect in concentrations higher than 10%. It is a keratolytic agent, meaning it breaks down the keratin protein in the top layer of skin. This helps remove dead skin cells and flaking skin.

In medicine, urea has been shown to help increase the potency of other ingredients, such as fungal treatments.

Humans and animals use urea to metabolize nitrogen-containing compounds. Urea is highly soluble in water. Once dissolved, it is neither acidic nor alkaline.

Urea is actually one of the more well-studied and well-supported ingredients out there if you have eczema.

Clinical trials have shown that urea creams in the 5 - 10% range can:

Higher concentrations (20 -30%) can also help with thickened, scaly patches but is also more likely to sting on active flares.

Skip urea if you have rosacea. The AAD (American Academy of Dermatology) lists it alongside alcohol, menthol, and fragrance as a potential irritant for rosacea-prone skin. Urea's keratolytic and penetration-enhancing properties can trigger stinging, burning, and redness.

As always, your skin is unique, so definitely check in with your dermatologist.

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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