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Paula's Choice Resist Anti-Aging Eye Cream Versus Honest Beauty Deep Hydration Eye Cream

Paula's Choice Resist Anti-Aging Eye Cream Versus Honest Beauty Deep Hydration Eye Cream This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Ascorbyl Glucoside and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38 to soften the look of wrinkles and fade the look of dark spots. This ba

Paula's Choice Resist Anti-Aging Eye Cream Versus Honest Beauty Deep Hydration Eye Cream

This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Ascorbyl Glucoside and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38 to soften the look of wrinkles and fade the look of dark spots.

This barrier-repair eye moisturizer is formulated around Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil and Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Dimethicone

Sodium PCA

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene

Ascorbyl Glucoside

Sodium Polyacrylate

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Glucosyl Hesperidin

Copper Gluconate

Troxerutin

Disodium Rutinyl Disulfate

Resveratrol

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38

Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Phytic Acid

Beta-Glucan

Acetyl Glucosamine

Tocopherol

Allantoin

Adenosine

Dextran

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Sea Whip Extract

Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract

Salix Alba Bark Extract

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6

Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin

Xanthan Gum

Cetearyl Alcohol

Maltodextrin

Benzyl Alcohol

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Dimethicone, Sodium PCA, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Sodium Polyacrylate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Glucosyl Hesperidin, Copper Gluconate, Troxerutin, Disodium Rutinyl Disulfate, Resveratrol, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Phytic Acid, Beta-Glucan, Acetyl Glucosamine, Tocopherol, Allantoin, Adenosine, Dextran, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sea Whip Extract, Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Xanthan Gum, Cetearyl Alcohol, Maltodextrin, Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol

Glycerin

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Jojoba Esters

Cetyl Alcohol

Copernicia Cerifera Wax

Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters

Glyceryl Stearate

Undecane

Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil

Strelitzia Nicolai Seed Aril Extract

Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract

Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract

Cellulose Gum

Tridecane

Sodium Phytate

Alcohol

Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate

Rosa Canina Fruit Extract

Gluconolactone

Sodium Benzoate

Calcium Gluconate

Dictyopteris Polypodioides Extract

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Gellan Gum

Cetearyl Glucoside

Arachidyl Alcohol

Behenyl Alcohol

Arachidyl Glucoside

Opuntia Ficus-Indica Extract

Potassium Sorbate

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Ribose

Sodium Hydroxide

Water, Glycerin, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Jojoba Esters, Cetyl Alcohol, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters, Glyceryl Stearate, Undecane, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Strelitzia Nicolai Seed Aril Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Cellulose Gum, Tridecane, Tocopherol, Sodium Phytate, Alcohol, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Gluconolactone, Sodium Benzoate, Calcium Gluconate, Dictyopteris Polypodioides Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Gellan Gum, Cetearyl Glucoside, Arachidyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Glucoside, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Ribose, Allantoin, Sodium Hydroxide, Benzyl Alcohol

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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.

Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.

Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.

Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.

It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.

Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.

This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.

Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.

Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.

Benzyl Alcohol is an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent.

This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products.

As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products.

The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive.

This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen.

It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products.

Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.

At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction.

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%.

Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.

Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.

It plays several roles in a formula:

Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.

Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.

However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.

Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.

Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.

Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.

This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.

A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.

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.

Similar Comparisons

The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

Connected source records selected through this article’s public topic index.

01

Formula cabinet

Ingredients & structured notes

Ingredient index

Paula's Choice 6 % Mandelic Acid + 2 % Lactic Acid Liquid ExfoliantIngredients explained

  1. 01Good old water, aka H2O. The most common skincare ingredient of all. You can usually find it right in the very first spot of the ingredient list, meaning it’s the biggest thing out of all the stuff that makes up the product.
  2. 02It’s mainly a solvent for ingredients that do not like to dissolve in oils but rather in water.
  3. 03Expand to read more
  4. 04Once inside the skin, it hydrates, but not from the outside - putting pure water on the skin (hello long baths!) is drying.
  5. 05One more thing: the water used in cosmetics is purified and deionized (it means that almost all of the mineral ions inside it is removed). Like this, the products can stay more stable over time.
  6. 06We don't have description for this ingredient yet.
  7. 07Mandelic acid is an AHA that comes from bitter almond
  8. 08It can gently lift off dead surface skin cells and make the skin more smooth and even
  9. 09It has antibacterial properties
  10. 10It’s promising against acne and post inflammatory hyperpigmentation
  11. 11It’s light sensitive, so choose a product with opaque packaging
  12. 12It’s the second most researched AHA after glycolic acid
  13. 13It gently lifts off dead skin cells to reveal newer, fresher, smoother skin
  14. 14It also has amazing skin hydrating properties
  15. 15In higher concentration (10% and up) it improves skin firmness, thickness and wrinkles
  16. 16Choose a product where you know the concentration and pH value because these two greatly influence effectiveness
  17. 17Don’t forget to use your sunscreen (in any case but especially so next to an AHA product)
  18. 18The unfancy name for it is lye. It’s a solid white stuff that’s very alkaline and used in small amounts to adjust the pH of the product and make it just right.
  19. 19For example, in case of AHA or BHA exfoliants, the right pH is super-duper important, and pH adjusters like sodium hydroxide are needed.
  20. 20BTW, lye is not something new. It was already used by ancient Egyptians to help oil and fat magically turn into something else. Can you guess what? Yes, it’s soap. It still often shows up in the ingredient list of soaps and other cleansers.
Source · incidecoder.com
02

Product index

Related product references

Product

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Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster ingredients explained: Aqua/Water/Eau⁠, Ascorbic Acid⁠, Glycerin⁠, Ethoxydiglycol⁠, PPG-26-Buteth-26⁠, Mannitol⁠, Tridecape…

Source: incidecoder.comView reference →
03

Comparison edit

Read side by side