Paula's Choice Advanced Sun Protection Daily Moisturiser SPF 50 PA++++ Versus Paula's Choice Calm Barrier Protect Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30

Paula's Choice Advanced Sun Protection Daily Moisturiser SPF 50 PA++++ Versus Paula's Choice Calm Barrier Protect Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30

This chemical sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~98% of UVB at SPF 50.

This hybrid sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~97% of UVB at SPF 30.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Dibutyl Adipate

Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate

Propylheptyl Caprylate

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Ethylhexyl Salicylate

Ethylhexyl Triazone

Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol

Undecane

Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine

Glycerin

Isononyl Isononanoate

Propanediol

Tridecane

Potassium Cetyl Phosphate

Saccharomyces Ferment

Sodium Polyacrylate

Decyl Glucoside

Caprylyl Glyceryl Ether

Sodium Phytate

Caprylhydroxamic Acid

Lauroyl Lysine

Propylene Glycol

Xanthan Gum

Tocopherol

Naringenin

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Water, Dibutyl Adipate, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Propylheptyl Caprylate, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol, Undecane, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Glycerin, Isononyl Isononanoate, Propanediol, Tridecane, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Saccharomyces Ferment, Sodium Polyacrylate, Decyl Glucoside, Caprylyl Glyceryl Ether, Sodium Phytate, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Lauroyl Lysine, Propylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Naringenin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Titanium Dioxide

Zinc Oxide

Ethylhexyl Methoxycrylene

Polyester-8

Aluminum Stearate

C15-19 Alkane

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Silica

Trehalose

Inulin

Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide

Ascorbyl Palmitate

Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Centella Asiatica Extract

Polyhydroxystearic Acid

Alumina

Glyceryl Caprylate

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Triethoxycaprylylsilane

Diheptyl Succinate

Allantoin

Sodium Hydroxide

Acacia Senegal Gum

Sodium Citrate

Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer

Polysorbate 60

Sorbitan Isostearate

Glyceryl Stearate

Lecithin

Glyceryl Oleate

Citric Acid

Sodium Benzoate

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Ethylhexyl Methoxycrylene, Glycerin, Polyester-8, Aluminum Stearate, C15-19 Alkane, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Silica, Trehalose, Inulin, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Centella Asiatica Extract, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Alumina, Glyceryl Caprylate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Diheptyl Succinate, Xanthan Gum, Allantoin, Sodium Polyacrylate, Sodium Hydroxide, Acacia Senegal Gum, Sodium Citrate, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Lecithin, Glyceryl Oleate, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate

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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.

Caprylhydroxamic Acid is a chelating agent that helps cosmetics stay fresh, stable, and consistent over time.

Chelating agents help prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This helps prevent unwanted reactions and effects from using the product. It also helps prevent the growth of unwanted microbes in products that contain water.

Caprylhydroxamic Acid is often used with natural antimicrobial products as an alternative to preservatives.

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.

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.

Sodium Polyacrylate is the sodium salt of polyacrylic acid. It is used as an absorber, emollient, and stabilizer.

This ingredient is a super-absorbent polymer - meaning it can absorb 100 to 1000 times its mass in water. As an emollient, Sodium Polyacrylate helps soften and soothe skin. Emollients work by creating a barrier to trap moisture in. This helps keep your skin hydrated.

Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.

You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.

Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.

It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.

This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.

This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.

In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.

Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.

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.

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