Skin science article
Paula's Choice Resist Super Antioxidant Serum Versus Elemis Pro-Collagen Renewal Serum
Paula's Choice Resist Super Antioxidant Serum Versus Elemis Pro-Collagen Renewal Serum This anti-aging serum is formulated around Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 to soften the look of wrinkles and brighten dull-looking skin. What's inside
Paula's Choice Resist Super Antioxidant Serum Versus Elemis Pro-Collagen Renewal Serum
This anti-aging serum is formulated around Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 to soften the look of wrinkles and brighten dull-looking skin.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Cyclopentasiloxane
Dimethicone
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Ceramide NP
Tocotrienols
Tocopherol
Ubiquinone
Thioctic Acid
Tocopheryl Acetate
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Ferulic Acid
Beta-Glucan
Superoxide Dismutase
Epigallocatechin Gallate
Ergothioneine
Glutathione
Xanthophylls
Glycine Soja Seed Extract
Glycerin
Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract
Lupinus Albus Seed Extract
Curcuma Longa Root
Elaeis Guineensis Oil
Phenoxyethanol
Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Ceramide NP, Tocotrienols, Tocopherol, Ubiquinone, Thioctic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Ferulic Acid, Beta-Glucan, Superoxide Dismutase, Epigallocatechin Gallate, Ergothioneine, Glutathione, Xanthophylls, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Glycerin, Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract, Lupinus Albus Seed Extract, Curcuma Longa Root, Elaeis Guineensis Oil, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Pentylene Glycol
Lysine Aspartate
Polysorbate 20
Hydroxyacetophenone
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Disodium EDTA
Parfum
Cichorium Intybus Leaf Extract
Hexylene Glycol
Maris Aqua
Stevia Rebaudiana Leaf/Stem Extract
Polysorbate 60
Sodium Hydroxide
Sorbitan Isostearate
Caprylyl Glycol
Padina Pavonica Thallus Extract
Xanthan Gum
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
Porphyridium Cruentum Extract
Medicago Sativa Extract
T-Butyl Alcohol
Acacia Decurrens Flower Extract
Chlorella Vulgaris Extract
Collagen Amino Acids
Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract
Linalool
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Citronellol
Geraniol
Sodium Benzoate
Water, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Lysine Aspartate, Polysorbate 20, Hydroxyacetophenone, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Disodium EDTA, Parfum, Cichorium Intybus Leaf Extract, Hexylene Glycol, Maris Aqua, Stevia Rebaudiana Leaf/Stem Extract, Polysorbate 60, Sodium Hydroxide, Sorbitan Isostearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Padina Pavonica Thallus Extract, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Porphyridium Cruentum Extract, Medicago Sativa Extract, Phenoxyethanol, T-Butyl Alcohol, Acacia Decurrens Flower Extract, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Collagen Amino Acids, Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract, Linalool, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Citronellol, Geraniol, Sodium Benzoate
Reviews
Be the first to review
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.