Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster Versus Paula's Choice Omega+ Complex Serum

Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster Versus Paula's Choice Omega+ Complex Serum

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 serum is formulated around Linoleic Acid and Linolenic Acid to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate 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

Diheptyl Succinate

Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters

Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil

Linoleic Acid

Linolenic Acid

Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil

Ceramide EOP

Ceramide Eos

Ceramide NP

Ceramide Ns

Caprooyl Sphingosine

Olea Europaea Oil Unsaponifiables

Caprooyl Phytosphingosine

Sodium Hyaluronate

Cholesterol

Ceramide AP

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Unsaponifiables

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Prunus Domestica Seed Oil

Lauryl Laurate

Glyceryl Behenate

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Trehalose

Isohexadecane

Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate

Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer

Xanthan Gum

Cetyl Alcohol

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Agar

Glyceryl Stearate

Ceteareth-25

Cetearyl Alcohol

Behenic Acid

Glyceryl Rosinate

Citric Acid

Benzyl Alcohol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Water, Glycerin, Diheptyl Succinate, Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide Eos, Ceramide NP, Ceramide Ns, Caprooyl Sphingosine, Olea Europaea Oil Unsaponifiables, Caprooyl Phytosphingosine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cholesterol, Ceramide AP, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Unsaponifiables, Tocopherol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Prunus Domestica Seed Oil, Lauryl Laurate, Glyceryl Behenate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Phytate, Trehalose, Isohexadecane, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Cetyl Alcohol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Agar, Glyceryl Stearate, Ceteareth-25, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behenic Acid, Glyceryl Rosinate, Citric Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, 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.

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 Phytate is the synthetic salt form of phytic acid. Phytic acid is an antioxidant and can be found in plant seeds.

Sodium Phytate is a chelating agent. Chelating agents help prevent metals from binding to water. This helps stabilize the ingredients and the product.

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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