Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster Versus Olehenriksen Barrier Booster Orange Ferment Essence

Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster Versus Olehenriksen Barrier Booster Orange Ferment Essence

This brightening serum is formulated around Ascorbic Acid and Ferulic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and soften the look of wrinkles.

This barrier-repair essence is formulated around Lactobacillus Ferment and 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid to strengthen the skin barrier and brighten dull-looking skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Ascorbic Acid

Dipropylene Glycol

Propanediol

Glycerin

Ethoxydiglycol

Sodium Hydroxide

PPG-26-Buteth-26

PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Bisabolol

Ferulic Acid

Sodium Phytate

Decylene Glycol

Tocopherol

1,2-Hexanediol

Sphingomonas Ferment Extract

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Ascorbic Acid, Dipropylene Glycol, Propanediol, Glycerin, Ethoxydiglycol, Sodium Hydroxide, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Bisabolol, Ferulic Acid, Sodium Phytate, Decylene Glycol, Tocopherol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sphingomonas Ferment Extract, Phenoxyethanol

Lactobacillus Ferment

3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

Niacinamide

Hyaluronic Acid

Sodium Hyaluronate

Panthenol

Sodium Polyglutamate

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Callus Culture Extract

Citrus Sinensis Fruit Extract

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil

Hippophae Rhamnoides Extract

Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract

Rosa Canina Fruit Extract

Citrus Limon Fruit Extract

Gluconolactone

Lithothamnion Calcareum Extract

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Chondrus Crispus Extract

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Citric Acid

Sodium Riboflavin Phosphate

Sodium Tocopheryl Phosphate

Sodium Citrate

Potassium Hydroxide

Xanthan Gum

Sodium Benzoate

Calcium Gluconate

Triethylhexanoin

Polyglyceryl-3 Laurate

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate

Chlorphenesin

Triethyl Citrate

Limonene

Linalool

Citral

Water, Lactobacillus Ferment, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Niacinamide, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Sodium Polyglutamate, Tocopherol, Glycerin, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Callus Culture Extract, Citrus Sinensis Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil, Hippophae Rhamnoides Extract, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Gluconolactone, Lithothamnion Calcareum Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Citric Acid, Sodium Riboflavin Phosphate, Sodium Tocopheryl Phosphate, Sodium Citrate, Potassium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Benzoate, Calcium Gluconate, Triethylhexanoin, Polyglyceryl-3 Laurate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Triethyl Citrate, Limonene, Linalool, Citral

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.

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.

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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