Paula's Choice Resist Skin Restoring Moisturizer With SPF 50 Versus Nivea UV Face Q10 Anti-Age Sun Cream SPF 50

Paula's Choice Resist Skin Restoring Moisturizer With SPF 50 Versus Nivea UV Face Q10 Anti-Age Sun Cream SPF 50

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Allantoin and Niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier and soften the look of wrinkles.

This chemical sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~98% of UVB at SPF 50.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%

Homosalate 5%

Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 7.5%

Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%

Benzophenone-3

Water

Silica

Glycerin

Cetearyl Alcohol

Dimethicone

Butylene Glycol

Pentylene Glycol

Potassium Cetyl Phosphate

Cyclopentasiloxane

Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract

Vp/Eicosene Copolymer

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Allantoin

Niacinamide

Tocopherol

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Atractylodes Macrocephala Root Powder

Avena Sativa Kernel Extract

Coffea Arabica Seed Extract

Portulaca Oleracea Extract

Mahonia Aquifolium Root Extract

Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate

Sarcosine

Capryloyl Glycine

Maltooligosyl Glucoside

Cetearyl Glucoside

Dimethiconol

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate

Hexylene Glycol

4-T-Butylcyclohexanol

Glyceryl Stearate

PEG-100 Stearate

Sodium Hydroxide

Xanthan Gum

Disodium EDTA

Phenoxyethanol

Caprylyl Glycol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Homosalate 5%, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 7.5%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%, Benzophenone-3, Water, Silica, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Vp/Eicosene Copolymer, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Allantoin, Niacinamide, Tocopherol, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Atractylodes Macrocephala Root Powder, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Coffea Arabica Seed Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Mahonia Aquifolium Root Extract, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Sarcosine, Capryloyl Glycine, Maltooligosyl Glucoside, Cetearyl Glucoside, Dimethiconol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Hexylene Glycol, 4-T-Butylcyclohexanol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Sodium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin

Alcohol Denat.

Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane

Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine

Isopropyl Palmitate

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Dibutyl Adipate

Ethylhexyl Triazone

Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate

Distarch Phosphate

Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid

Tapioca Starch

Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate

Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract

Ubiquinone

Tocopheryl Acetate

Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate

Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Hydrogenated Rapeseed Oil

Cocoglycerides

Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides

Silica Dimethyl Silylate

Sodium Chloride

Hydroxyacetophenone

Trisodium EDTA

Linalool

Benzyl Alcohol

Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone

Limonene

Geraniol

Citronellol

Parfum

Water, Alcohol Denat., Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Isopropyl Palmitate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glycerin, Dibutyl Adipate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Distarch Phosphate, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Tapioca Starch, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract, Ubiquinone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Hydrogenated Rapeseed Oil, Cocoglycerides, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Chloride, Hydroxyacetophenone, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Trisodium EDTA, Linalool, Benzyl Alcohol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Limonene, Geraniol, Citronellol, Parfum

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.

Also known as Avobenzone, this ingredient is an oil-soluble used to absorb the full spectrum of UVA rays (peak 357 nm).

It's one of the most effective UVA filters available but has a major caveat of photostability: avobenzone is susceptible to photodegradation.

This means it can lose efficacy when exposed to sunlight without the help of a stabilizing agent.

Studies show antioxidants (like vitamin E or vitamin C) and some UV filters (like octocrylene and Tinosorb S) can meaningfully improve its stability in a formulation.

The maximum allowable concentration according to regulation is 3% in the US + Canada, and 5% in the EU, Australia, China, Korea, and ASEAN countries.

It has a well-support safety profile: a comprehensive 2025 review found minimal toxicity with no evidence of carcinogenicity.

Overall, avobenzone is a safe and regulated ingredient used in sunscreen for over 40 years.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.

In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.

Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.

"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.

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