Paula's Choice Calm Redness Relief Repairing Serum Versus Paula's Choice CBD Skin Transformative Treatment Milk

Paula's Choice Calm Redness Relief Repairing Serum Versus Paula's Choice CBD Skin Transformative Treatment Milk

This calming serum is formulated around Beta-Glucan and Ceramide NP to calm redness and strengthen the skin barrier.

This calming serum is formulated around Cannabidiol - Synthetically Produced and Centella Asiatica Extract to calm redness and strengthen the skin barrier.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Hyaluronic Acid

Beta-Glucan

Sea Whip Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Ceramide NP

Ceramide AP

Ceramide EOP

Cholesterol

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract

Phytosphingosine

Sodium Cocoyl Amino Acids

Chrysanthemum Parthenium Flower Extract

Glycine Soja Seed Extract

Ubiquinone

Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Magnesium Aspartate

Potassium Aspartate

Sarcosine

Xanthan Gum

Carbomer

Polysorbate 20

PEG/PPG-14/4 Dimethicone

Disodium EDTA

Ethylhexylglycerin

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Glycerin, Hyaluronic Acid, Beta-Glucan, Sea Whip Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Cholesterol, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Phytosphingosine, Sodium Cocoyl Amino Acids, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Flower Extract, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Ubiquinone, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Magnesium Aspartate, Potassium Aspartate, Sarcosine, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, PEG/PPG-14/4 Dimethicone, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol

Squalane

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Cannabidiol - Synthetically Produced

Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil

Borago Officinalis Seed Oil

Centella Asiatica Extract

Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil

Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil

Lupinus Albus Seed Oil

Phospholipids

Lecithin

Tocopherol

Sodium PCA

Panthenol

Sodium Phytate

Tocopheryl Acetate

Glyceryl Stearate Citrate

Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate

Pullulan

Sclerotium Gum

Hexylene Glycol

Caprylyl Glycol

Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Squalane, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Cannabidiol - Synthetically Produced, Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Centella Asiatica Extract, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Lupinus Albus Seed Oil, Phospholipids, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lecithin, Tocopherol, Sodium PCA, Panthenol, Sodium Phytate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate, Pullulan, Sclerotium Gum, Hexylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin

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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.

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.

Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.

In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.

While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.

Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.

This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.

This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.

Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:

The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.

Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.

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!

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

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