Paula's Choice Barrier Repair Advanced Moisturizer Versus Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin™ Skin Barrier Moisturizing Cream

Paula's Choice Barrier Repair Advanced Moisturizer Versus Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin™ Skin Barrier Moisturizing Cream

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

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

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

2,3-Butanediol

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Glycerin

Glyceryl Stearate

Cocoglycerides

Ceramide Ag

Ceramide NP

Hydroxyacetophenone

Sodium Hyaluronate

Ceramide EOP

Ceramide Ng

Ceramide AP

Adenosine

Tocopherol

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5

Hexylene Glycol

Trehalose

Cholesterol

Squalane

Sodium Phytate

Urea

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil

Caprylyl Glycol

Sodium PCA

Polyquaternium-51

Triacetin

Sodium Polyacrylate

Xanthan Gum

Ethylhexyl Stearate

Phenoxyethanol

Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Ethylhexylglycerin

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

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Dipropylene Glycol

Cetearyl Alcohol

Hydrogenated Polydecene

Methyl Trimethicone

Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)

1,2-Hexanediol

Phenyl Trimethicone

Dicaprylyl Ether

Cetearyl Olivate

Panthenol

Behenyl Alcohol

Sorbitan Olivate

Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract

Cetearyl Glucoside

Ceramide Ns

Ceramide As

Pentaerythrityl Distearate

Palmitic Acid

Stearic Acid

Microcrystalline Cellulose

Glyceryl Stearate Se

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Cellulose Gum

Dextrin

Glyceryl Polymethacrylate

Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil

Olea Europaea Fruit Oil

Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil

Salvia Officinalis Oil

Citronellol

CI 19140

Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dipropylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Methyl Trimethicone, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenyl Trimethicone, Dicaprylyl Ether, Cetearyl Olivate, Panthenol, Glyceryl Stearate, Behenyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Olivate, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract, 2,3-Butanediol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Ceramide NP, Ceramide Ng, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, Cholesterol, Pentaerythrityl Distearate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Cellulose Gum, Dextrin, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Salvia Officinalis Oil, Citronellol, Tocopherol, CI 19140

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.

2,3-Butanediol is a naturally occurring humectant and solvent. It's created from fermentation and can be found in foods like cocoa butter and sweet corn.

This ingredient attracts and holds onto moisture to boost hydration in skin. According to a manufacturer, this ingredient improves the spreadability of ingredients like vitamin C.

This ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.

Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).

In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).

Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.

Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.

While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.

This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.

Ceramide AP is is a skin-identical lipid that mimics what your skin already makes naturally. Ceramides help maintain epidermal integrity and barrier function.

You'll often see this ingredient paired with other ceramides (like ceramide NP), cholesterol, or fatty acids because this combination best mimics the natural lipid mix your skin already has.

The skin's ability to produce ceramides gets disrupted in skin conditions like eczema. This in turn weakens the skin barrier and applying ceramides topically has been shown to replenish what's been lost to restore barrier function.

Most of the studies with Ceramide AP test it as part of a multi-ceramide complex; studies reinforce ceramide AP's role in rebalancing ceramides in skin and improving skin hydration.

Ceramide NG is a type of Ceramide. The NG stands for a sphinganine base.

Ceramides are intercellular lipids naturally found in our skin that bonds dead skin cells together to create a barrier. They are known for their ability to hold water and thus are a great ingredient for dry skin.

Ceramides are an important building block for our skin barrier. A stronger barrier helps the skin look more firm and hydrated. By bolstering the skin ceramides act as a barrier against irritating ingredients. This can help with inflammation as well.

If you would like to eat ceramides, sweet potatoes contain a small amount.

Read more about other common types of ceramides here: Ceramide AP Ceramide EOP Ceramide NP

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.

Cholesterol is a lipid that is naturally found in human skin and is one of the three key components of your skin barrier. In skincare, it is an emollient and barrier-repairing ingredient.

It works by fitting directly into the lipid layers of skin to help restore structure and reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL).

This is a great ingredient for dry, compromised, or aging skin; our skin starts to produce less cholesterol with age.

Research shows cholesterol works best in combination with ceramides and fatty acids, the other two major components in your skin barrier.

Cholesterol is also a well-establish penetration enhancer and can help other actives absorb more effectively.

Cosmetic-grade cholesterol is usually derived from lanolin but plant and synthetic options also exist. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about their source of cholesterol.

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.

Glyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.

Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.

This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.

A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.

Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.

Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.

Hydrogenated Lecithin is a more stable version of lecithin.

It's made by taking lecithin (a phospholipid commonly found in soybeans and egg yolks) and hydrogenating it. This just means the unsaturated fatty acids are turned into saturated ones so they don't go bad as easily.

This ingredient is an emollient, emulsifier, and penetration enhancer. As an emollient, it helps soften and hydrate skin by trapping moisture within. As an emulsifier, it prevents oil and water ingredients from separating.

Hydrogenated Lecithin can form tiny spherical structures made of phospholipid bilayers called liposomes. These liposomes are able to capture compounds inside their structure and deliver them through the skin barrier.

Because phospholipids are a natural component of our cell membranes, this ingredient is inherently compatible with skin.

A 2021 study found lecithin-based surfactants were less harsh and more tolerable comared to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).

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!

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