Paula's Choice Clear Purifying Clay Mask Versus Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Sleeping Mask

Paula's Choice Clear Purifying Clay Mask Versus Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Sleeping Mask

This wash off mask is formulated around Salicylic Acid to clear breakouts and unclog pores.

This hydrating overnight mask is formulated around Rosa Damascena Flower Water and Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract to hydrate skin and calm redness.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Salicylic Acid 0.5%

Water

Kaolin

Bentonite

Titanium Dioxide

Butylene Glycol

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Cetyl Esters

Magnesium Aluminum Silicate

Glycerin

Illite

Tapioca Starch

Zea Mays Starch

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract

Chrysanthellum Indicum Extract

Hydrolyzed Rhodophyceae Extract

Chlorella Vulgaris Extract

Epilobium Fleischeri Extract

Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract

Brassica Campestris Seed Oil

Allantoin

Bisabolol

Zinc PCA

Copper PCA

Lauroyl Lysine

Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate

Xanthan Gum

Citric Acid

Sodium Citrate

Sodium Chloride

Phenoxyethanol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Salicylic Acid 0.5%, Water, Kaolin, Bentonite, Titanium Dioxide, Butylene Glycol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cetyl Esters, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Glycerin, Illite, Tapioca Starch, Zea Mays Starch, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Chrysanthellum Indicum Extract, Hydrolyzed Rhodophyceae Extract, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Epilobium Fleischeri Extract, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Brassica Campestris Seed Oil, Allantoin, Bisabolol, Zinc PCA, Copper PCA, Lauroyl Lysine, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin

Rosa Damascena Flower Water

Pentylene Glycol

PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Rosa Damascena Flower Extract

Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract

Rosa Damascena Flower Oil

Tocopherol

Carbomer

Sodium Hydroxide

Tetrasodium EDTA

Sodium Hyaluronate

Menthoxypropanediol

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Caramel

1,2-Hexanediol

Caprylyl Glycol

Citronellol

Geraniol

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Propanediol

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Dimethicone

Oenothera Biennis Root Extract

Tocopheryl Acetate

Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Polyacrylamide

C13-14 Isoparaffin

Hydroxylated Lecithin

Trehalose

Urea

Laureth-7

Serine

Betaine

Inositol

Taurine

Algin

BHT

Acacia Senegal Gum

Glyceryl Polyacrylate

Pullulan

Disodium Phosphate

Potassium Phosphate

Potassium Sorbate

Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Water, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Rosa Damascena Flower Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Tocopherol, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sodium Hyaluronate, Menthoxypropanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Caramel, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Citronellol, Geraniol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Propanediol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Dimethicone, Oenothera Biennis Root Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Polyacrylamide, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Hydroxylated Lecithin, Trehalose, Urea, Laureth-7, Serine, Betaine, Inositol, Taurine, Algin, BHT, Acacia Senegal Gum, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Pullulan, Citric Acid, Disodium Phosphate, Potassium Phosphate, Potassium Sorbate

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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.

Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.

Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.

However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.

Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.

In skincare formulas, citric acid can:

While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.

Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.

Rosacea skin has a lower threshold for acids generally, with 62.5% of rosacea subjects in one study reacting to lactic acid in a sting test. This is why we mark citric acid as a potential rosacea trigger.

However, this ingredient shows up as a pH adjuster or chelator at roughly 0.1-1% in many products. These low levels are unlikely to be an issue for rosacea skin and becomes a potential trigger at exfoliating concentrations (20%). Because everybody's skin is unique, we recommend a patch test if you are unsure.

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.

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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