Paula's Choice Resist Anti-Aging Eye Gel Versus Paula's Choice C5 Super Boost Eye Cream

Paula's Choice Resist Anti-Aging Eye Gel Versus Paula's Choice C5 Super Boost Eye Cream

This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38 and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

This brightening eye moisturizer is formulated around Ascorbyl Glucoside and 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and soften the look of wrinkles.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Cyclopentasiloxane

Butylene Glycol

Pentylene Glycol

Tapioca Starch

Methyl Gluceth-20 Benzoate

Glycerin

Dimethicone

Cyclohexasiloxane

Polysilicone-11

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38

Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5

Niacinamide

Phospholipids

Hyaluronic Acid

Sodium Hyaluronate

Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract

Panthenol

Salix Alba Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Adenosine

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Pisum Sativum Extract

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6

Dunaliella Salina Extract

Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin

Dextran

Polysorbate 20

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Disodium EDTA

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Tapioca Starch, Methyl Gluceth-20 Benzoate, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Cyclohexasiloxane, Polysilicone-11, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Niacinamide, Phospholipids, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Panthenol, Salix Alba Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Adenosine, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Pisum Sativum Extract, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Dunaliella Salina Extract, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Dextran, Polysorbate 20, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Triheptanoin

Ascorbyl Glucoside

3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Arachidyl Alcohol

Cetearyl Alcohol

C13-15 Alkane

Ascorbyl Palmitate

Sh-Polypeptide-121

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Zerumbone

Bacillus Ferment

Tocopherol

Tocopheryl Acetate

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Unsaponifiables

Oryza Sativa Bran Extract

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Cetearyl Olivate

Sorbitan Olivate

Behenyl Alcohol

Arachidyl Glucoside

Propanediol

Cetyl Alcohol

Sodium Phytate

Sodium Citrate

Citric Acid

Sodium Metabisulfite

Caprylyl Glycol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Hexylene Glycol

Sodium Hydroxide

Water, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glycerin, Triheptanoin, Ascorbyl Glucoside, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Arachidyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, C13-15 Alkane, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Sh-Polypeptide-121, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Hyaluronic Acid, Zerumbone, Bacillus Ferment, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Unsaponifiables, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Behenyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Glucoside, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Sodium Phytate, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Sodium Metabisulfite, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide

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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.

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.

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a glycosaminoglycan (basically a long sugar chain) that your skin already makes on its own. In your skin, HA lives in the extracellular matrix and acts as the body's moisture reservoir.

Topically, HA is a humectant that binds water and helps skin look more plump, smooth, and hydrated.

The only catch is that HA isn't a single thing; it actually comes in a wide range of molecular weights (~50 - 2,000+ kDA) and size matters.

Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.

This is why the best HA serums blend the two sizes together so you get the best of both worlds.

The majority of cosmetic HA is produced by bacterial fermentation, typically using Streptococcus or Bacillus strains. Typical use levels in skincare sit around 0.1-2%.

A clinical study using a 0.2% low-molecular weight HA gel showed improvement in facial seborrheic dermatitis with excellent tolerance.

These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:

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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