Paula's Choice Calm Nourishing Milky Toner Versus Tirtir Milk Skin Toner Light

Paula's Choice Calm Nourishing Milky Toner Versus Tirtir Milk Skin Toner Light

This calming toner is formulated around Panthenol and Sodium PCA to calm redness and strengthen the skin barrier.

This hydrating toner is formulated around Niacinamide and Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract to hydrate skin and calm redness.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

No concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Pentylene Glycol

Glycerin

Propanediol

C13-15 Alkane

Panthenol

Polyglyceryl-6 Oleate

Ceteth-20 Phosphate

Sodium PCA

Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract

Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate

Cetearyl Alcohol

Allantoin

Sodium Hyaluronate

Dicetyl Phosphate

Maltodextrin

Althaea Officinalis Root Extract

Ethylhexylglycerin

Sodium Phytate

Pantolactone

Tocopherol

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Propanediol, C13-15 Alkane, Panthenol, Polyglyceryl-6 Oleate, Ceteth-20 Phosphate, Sodium PCA, Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Allantoin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Dicetyl Phosphate, Maltodextrin, Althaea Officinalis Root Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Phytate, Pantolactone, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol

Butylene Glycol

Niacinamide

Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract

1,2-Hexanediol

Caprylyl Glycol

Oryza Sativa Bran Extract

Styrene/Vp Copolymer

Betaine

Adenosine

Disodium EDTA

Illicium Verum Fruit Extract

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Arginine

Carbomer

Centella Asiatica Extract

Alchemilla Vulgaris Extract

Amaranthus Caudatus Extract

Olea Europaea Leaf Extract

Veronica Officinalis Extract

Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract

Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract

Cynara Scolymus Leaf Extract

Avena Sativa Kernel Extract

Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract

Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract

Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract

Beta-Glucan

Laminaria Japonica Extract

Chamaecyparis Obtusa Leaf Extract

Ceramide NP

Copper Tripeptide-1

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Styrene/Vp Copolymer, Panthenol, Allantoin, Betaine, Sodium PCA, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Illicium Verum Fruit Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Arginine, Carbomer, Centella Asiatica Extract, Alchemilla Vulgaris Extract, Amaranthus Caudatus Extract, Olea Europaea Leaf Extract, Veronica Officinalis Extract, Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Cynara Scolymus Leaf Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Beta-Glucan, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Chamaecyparis Obtusa Leaf Extract, Ceramide NP, Copper Tripeptide-1, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

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.

Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.

Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.

Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.

It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.

Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.

This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.

Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.

Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.

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.

Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.

There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.

D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.

Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):

Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.

This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.

Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.

This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.

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%.

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!

Similar Comparisons