Paula's Choice Hydralight Moisture Infusing Lotion Versus Shea Moisture Matcha Green Tea & Probiotics Soothing Eye Cream

Paula's Choice Hydralight Moisture Infusing Lotion Versus Shea Moisture Matcha Green Tea & Probiotics Soothing Eye Cream

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Squalane and Avena Sativa Kernel Extract to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

This eye moisturizer is formulated around Butyrospermum Parkii Butter to hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate

Cyclopentasiloxane

Butylene Glycol

Dimethicone

Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2

Propylene Glycol Isoceteth-3 Acetate

Squalane

Glyceryl Stearate

PEG-100 Stearate

Potassium Cetyl Phosphate

Cetyl Alcohol

Magnesium Aluminum Silicate

Tocopheryl Acetate

Cholesterol

Avena Sativa Kernel Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Punica Granatum Extract

Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Glycerin

Superoxide Dismutase

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Sodium PCA

Phytosphingosine

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract

Xanthan Gum

Laureth-4

Laureth-23

Sodium Hydroxide

Phenoxyethanol

Chlorphenesin

Benzoic Acid

Sorbic Acid

Water, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Propylene Glycol Isoceteth-3 Acetate, Squalane, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Cetyl Alcohol, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cholesterol, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Punica Granatum Extract, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Superoxide Dismutase, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Sodium PCA, Phytosphingosine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Xanthan Gum, Laureth-4, Laureth-23, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Benzoic Acid, Sorbic Acid

Stearyl Alcohol

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Glyceryl Stearate Citrate

Cetearyl Alcohol

Ricinus Communis Seed Oil

Rosa Canina Fruit Oil

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Powder

Yogurt Extract

Silybum Marianum Seed Extract

Lactobacillus/Leuconostoc/Acetobacter/Kluyveromyces/Saccharomyces Milk Ferment Filtrate

Inulin

Acacia Senegal Gum

Niacinamide

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract

Corallina Officinalis Extract

Amber Powder

Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract

Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract

Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract

Curcuma Longa Leaf Extract

Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil

Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Copernicia Cerifera Wax

Panthenol

Allantoin

Triethyl Citrate

Glyceryl Caprylate

Caprylyl Glycol

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Stearyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Powder, Yogurt Extract, Silybum Marianum Seed Extract, Lactobacillus/Leuconostoc/Acetobacter/Kluyveromyces/Saccharomyces Milk Ferment Filtrate, Inulin, Acacia Senegal Gum, Niacinamide, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Amber Powder, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa Leaf Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Panthenol, Allantoin, Glycerin, Benzoic Acid, Triethyl Citrate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Caprylyl Glycol

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Benzoic Acid is an organic acid that shows up in cosmetics as a preservative. It helps keep a product from spoiling by holding back the growth of yeast, mold, and some bacteria.

This ingredient also functions as a fragrance ingredient that helps mask the unpleasant scent of other ingredients.

The way it works is worth understanding; benzoic acid works when the formula is acidic. It is able to sneak into a microbe's cell and mess up how it functions to stop it from growing in an acidic product.

However, the acid switches to an inactive form and stops working if a product isn't acidic enough (above ~5 pH). This is why you'll often see it in low pH products or teamed up with other preservatives to cover the gap.

Safety wise, it's one of the better studied preservatives out there.

The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%.

A large international review found this ingredient had no effects on the human body and had low irritation potential.

Just so you know, real world use is usually much lower than the 5% ceiling (usually 1% of less).

The EU caps it at 2.5% in rinse-off products, 1.7% in oral care, and 0.5% in leave-on products.

One thing worth mentioning (it's nothing to worry about): some people get a little stinging or flushing where they apply it. This isn't a true allergy; it's a temporary and harmless reaction. This is the same kind of mild tingle you might notice from sorbic acid.

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%.

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.

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.

Glyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.

Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.

This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.

A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.

Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.

Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.

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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