Paula's Choice Discoloration Repair Serum Versus Dermalogica Biolumin C Serum

Paula's Choice Discoloration Repair Serum Versus Dermalogica Biolumin C Serum

This brightening serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Tranexamic Acid to fade the look of dark spots and brighten dull-looking skin.

This brightening serum is formulated around Lactic Acid and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 to brighten dull-looking skin and soften the look of wrinkles.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Niacinamide

Glycerin

Tranexamic Acid

C13-15 Alkane

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Ethyl Macadamiate

Behenyl Alcohol

Glyceryl Stearate

Butylene Glycol

Silybum Marianum Seed Oil

Tocopherol

Lactobacillus/Coconut Fruit Juice Ferment Filtrate

Lecithin

Bakuchiol

Xanthan Gum

Caprylyl Glycol

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Allantoin

Glycine Soja Oil

Hexylene Glycol

Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract

Glycine Soja Sterols

Citric Acid

Sodium Phytate

Malic Acid

Phenoxyethanol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Water, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Tranexamic Acid, C13-15 Alkane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Ethyl Macadamiate, Behenyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Butylene Glycol, Silybum Marianum Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Lactobacillus/Coconut Fruit Juice Ferment Filtrate, Lecithin, Bakuchiol, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Allantoin, Glycine Soja Oil, Hexylene Glycol, Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract, Glycine Soja Sterols, Citric Acid, Sodium Phytate, Malic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin

Ethoxydiglycol

Lactic Acid

Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract

Sodium PCA

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5

Sophora Japonica Flower Extract

Ascorbyl Methylsilanol Pectinate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate

Trehalose

Polyacrylate-13

Propanediol

Citrus Grandis Peel Oil

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Polyisobutene

Methylpropanediol

Carrageenan

Pentylene Glycol

Glyceryl Polyacrylate

Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate

Polysorbate 20

Limonene

Sodium Hydroxide

Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Ethoxydiglycol, Lactic Acid, Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract, Sodium PCA, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Sophora Japonica Flower Extract, Ascorbyl Methylsilanol Pectinate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate, Trehalose, Polyacrylate-13, Propanediol, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Polyisobutene, Methylpropanediol, Carrageenan, Pentylene Glycol, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Xanthan Gum, Polysorbate 20, Limonene, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol

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.

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.

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).

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.

Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.

You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.

Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.

It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.

This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.

This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.

In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.

Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.

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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