Paula's Choice Ceramide-Enriched Firming Eye Cream Versus SkinCeuticals Eye Balm

Paula's Choice Ceramide-Enriched Firming Eye Cream Versus SkinCeuticals Eye Balm

This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Ceramide Ns and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 to soften the look of wrinkles and strengthen the skin barrier.

This barrier-repair eye moisturizer is formulated around Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract and Tocopherol to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate

Cetyl Alcohol

Butylene Glycol

Glycerin

Glyceryl Stearate

PEG-100 Stearate

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Ascorbyl Glucoside

Potassium Cetyl Phosphate

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2

Polyglyceryl-10 Dioleate

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Ceramide Ns

Ceramide EOP

Ceramide AP

Ceramide Eos

Ceramide NP

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5

Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5

Caprooyl Phytosphingosine

Caprooyl Sphingosine

Cholesterol

Squalane

Retinol

Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Punica Granatum Fruit Extract

Dunaliella Salina Extract

Pongamia Glabra Seed Oil

Tocopheryl Acetate

Allantoin

Bisabolol

Carnosine

Panthenol

Sodium PCA

Pullulan

Glyceryl Ascorbate

Behenic Acid

Dimethicone

Sodium Citrate

Sodium Polyacrylate

Caprylyl Glycol

Ethylhexyl Stearate

Ceteareth-25

Sodium Hydroxide

Trideceth-6

Propyl Gallate

Polysorbate 20

Disodium EDTA

Mica

Phenoxyethanol

Chlorphenesin

Sodium Benzoate

Water, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Cetyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Polyglyceryl-10 Dioleate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide Eos, Ceramide NP, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Caprooyl Phytosphingosine, Caprooyl Sphingosine, Cholesterol, Squalane, Retinol, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Dunaliella Salina Extract, Pongamia Glabra Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Allantoin, Bisabolol, Carnosine, Panthenol, Sodium PCA, Pullulan, Glyceryl Ascorbate, Behenic Acid, Dimethicone, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Ceteareth-25, Sodium Hydroxide, Trideceth-6, Propyl Gallate, Polysorbate 20, Disodium EDTA, Mica, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Benzoate

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Myristyl Myristate

Cetyl Palmitate

Tocopherol

Stearic Acid

Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil

Paraffin

Palmitic Acid

Petrolatum

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Caprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride

Triethanolamine

Lauroyl Lysine

Carbomer

Glycine Soja Protein

Pentylene Glycol

Myristic Acid

Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate

Silybum Marianum Extract

Retinyl Palmitate

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Potassium Sorbate

Farnesol

Crithmum Maritimum Extract

Water, Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Myristyl Myristate, Cetyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Stearic Acid, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Paraffin, Palmitic Acid, Petrolatum, Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cetyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride, Phenoxyethanol, Triethanolamine, Lauroyl Lysine, Carbomer, Glycine Soja Protein, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Bisabolol, Myristic Acid, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Silybum Marianum Extract, Disodium EDTA, Retinyl Palmitate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Farnesol, Crithmum Maritimum Extract

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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.

Bisabolol is a gentle skin conditioner, antioxidant, and soothing ingredient.

It's primary claim to fame is soothing and research shows topically applied bisabolol can quiet the chemical messengers that cause your skin to become inflamed, helping to sooth any irritation.

A clinical study found that applying 0.5% bisabolol daily for 8 weeks produced an average 9% decrease in skin pigmentation. Researchers found it can also suppress the process that leads to excess melanin production in skin.

In vitro studies found that bisabolol combined with propylene glycol significantly increased skin permeability by increasing lipid fluidity in the stratum corneum.

You'll likely see use concentrations quite low, usually 0.1-0.2%.

Overall, this is a well-tolerated ingredient that works well in formulas designed for sensitive, reactive, or post-procedure skin.

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.

Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.

Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).

Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.

Its main roles are:

Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.

The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.

This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.

Chlorphenesin is a synthetic preservative. It helps protect a product against bacteria in order to extend shelf life. In most cases, Chlorphenesin is paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol and caprylyl glycol.

Chlorphenesin is a biocide. This means it is able to help fight the microorganisms on our skin. It is also able to fight odor-releasing bacteria.

Chlorphenesin is soluble in both water and glycerin.

Studies show Chlorphenesin is easily absorbed by our skin. You should speak with a skincare professional if you have concerns about using Chlorphenesin.

Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.

What it does:

Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:

Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.

Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.

This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.

Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.

Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.

This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:

On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.

One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).

Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.

You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.

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 Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.

Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.

Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.

It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.

Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.

We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.

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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