Paula's Choice Calm Redness Relief Moisturizer for Normal to Dry Skin Versus Paula's Choice Resist Weightless Advanced Repairing Toner

Paula's Choice Calm Redness Relief Moisturizer for Normal to Dry Skin Versus Paula's Choice Resist Weightless Advanced Repairing Toner

This calming moisturizer is formulated around Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil and Ceramide NP to calm redness and hydrate skin.

This anti-aging toner is formulated around Niacinamide and Acetyl Glucosamine to soften the look of wrinkles and strengthen the skin barrier.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Ethylhexyl Stearate

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Butylene Glycol

Glycerin

Petrolatum

Cetearyl Alcohol

Dipentaerythrityl Hexacaprylate/Hexacaprate

Tridecyl Trimellitate

Phenyl Trimethicone

Sodium Hyaluronate

Ceramide NP

Cholesterol

Tocopherol

Squalane

Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Dimethicone

Polysorbate 60

Hydrolyzed Jojoba Protein

Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein

Avena Sativa Kernel Extract

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Whey Protein

Tridecyl Stearate

Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate

Myristyl Myristate

Linoleic Acid

Linolenic Acid

Decarboxy Carnosine Hcl

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Cetearyl Glucoside

Cetyl Alcohol

Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax

Aminomethyl Propanol

Disodium EDTA

Phenoxyethanol

Benzoic Acid

Chlorphenesin

Sorbic Acid

Water, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Petrolatum, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dipentaerythrityl Hexacaprylate/Hexacaprate, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Phenyl Trimethicone, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide NP, Cholesterol, Tocopherol, Squalane, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Dimethicone, Polysorbate 60, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Protein, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Whey Protein, Tridecyl Stearate, Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Myristyl Myristate, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Decarboxy Carnosine Hcl, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Cetearyl Glucoside, Cetyl Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax, Aminomethyl Propanol, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid, Chlorphenesin, Sorbic Acid

Ethoxydiglycol

Niacinamide

Acetyl Glucosamine

Salix Nigra Bark Extract

Resveratrol

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Phospholipids

Epigallocatechin Gallate

Carnosine

Genistein

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Adenosine

Xanthan Gum

Citric Acid

Polysorbate 20

Ethylhexylglycerin

Carbomer

Tetrasodium EDTA

Water, Glycerin, Ethoxydiglycol, Niacinamide, Acetyl Glucosamine, Salix Nigra Bark Extract, Resveratrol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Phospholipids, Epigallocatechin Gallate, Carnosine, Genistein, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Adenosine, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Polysorbate 20, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer, Tetrasodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol

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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.

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.

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.

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.

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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