Paula's Choice Resist Anti-Aging Clear Skin Hydrator Versus Sunday Riley Tidal Brightening Enzyme Water Cream

Paula's Choice Resist Anti-Aging Clear Skin Hydrator Versus Sunday Riley Tidal Brightening Enzyme Water Cream

This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate and Niacinamide to soften the look of wrinkles and balance excess oil.

This brightening moisturizer is formulated around Alpha-Arbutin and Papain to brighten dull-looking skin and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Cyclopentasiloxane

Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate

Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer

Glycerin

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Cetyl Alcohol

Niacinamide

Dimethicone

Cetearyl Alcohol

Butylene Glycol

Glyceryl Stearate

PEG-100 Stearate

Adenosine

Epigallocatechin Gallate

Glucose Oxidase

Lactoperoxidase

Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract

Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract

Lactobacillus

Polysilicone-11

Sodium Chloride

Potassium Thiocyanate

Glucose

Xanthan Gum

Ceteareth-20

Decyl Glucoside

Citric Acid

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Glycerin, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Cetyl Alcohol, Niacinamide, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Adenosine, Epigallocatechin Gallate, Glucose Oxidase, Lactoperoxidase, Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract, Lactobacillus, Polysilicone-11, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Thiocyanate, Glucose, Xanthan Gum, Ceteareth-20, Decyl Glucoside, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol

Propanediol

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Ethyl Macadamiate

Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Isododecane

Sodium Acrylates Copolymer

Alpha-Arbutin

Cucumis Sativus Extract

Pentylene Glycol

Adipic Acid/Neopentyl Glycol Crosspolymer

Lauryl Dimethicone

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene

Allantoin

Tetrasodium EDTA

Strelitzia Nicolai Seed Aril Extract

Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum

Aesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer

Sodium Hyaluronate

Papain

Carbomer

1,2-Hexanediol

Algin

Caprylyl Glycol

Lecithin

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract

Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract

Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract

Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract

Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract

Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract

Curcuma Longa Root Extract

Corallina Officinalis Extract

Ethylhexylglycerin

Sodium Benzoate

Potassium Benzoate

Chlorphenesin

Tocopherol

Malic Acid

Synthetic Fluorphlogopite

Titanium Dioxide

Tin Oxide

Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ethyl Macadamiate, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Isododecane, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Alpha-Arbutin, Phenoxyethanol, Cucumis Sativus Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Adipic Acid/Neopentyl Glycol Crosspolymer, Lauryl Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Allantoin, Tetrasodium EDTA, Strelitzia Nicolai Seed Aril Extract, Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum, Aesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Papain, Carbomer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Algin, Caprylyl Glycol, Lecithin, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Benzoate, Chlorphenesin, Tocopherol, Malic Acid, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Titanium Dioxide, Tin Oxide

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

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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