Paula's Choice Resist Super Antioxidant Serum Versus IMAGE skincare The Max Serum

Paula's Choice Resist Super Antioxidant Serum Versus IMAGE skincare The Max 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.

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38 to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

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

Carbomer

Polysorbate 20

Sucrose Palmitate

Glyceryl Linoleate

Citrus Grandis Peel Oil

Limonene

Glyceryl Polymethacrylate

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Potassium Sorbate

Butylene Glycol

Pullulan

Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract

Isomalt

Propylene Glycol

Centella Asiatica Extract

Macrocystis Pyrifera Extract

Disodium EDTA

Hydrolyzed Rice Protein

Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract

Pvp

Echinacea Purpurea Extract

Citric Acid

Xanthan Gum

Leontopodium Alpinum Meristem Cell Culture

Nannochloropsis Oculata Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein

Sodium Benzoate

Sodium Lactate

Lecithin

Glycine Soja Protein

Sodium Hydroxide

PEG-8

Ethylhexylglycerin

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38

Spiraea Ulmaria Flower Extract

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Phaseolus Radiatus Meristem Cell Culture Extract

Caprylyl Glycol

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Arabidopsis Thaliana Extract

Argania Spinosa Callus Culture Extract

Plankton Extract

Citral

Sodium Dextran Sulfate

Acetyl Octapeptide-3

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Biotin

Water, Carbomer, Glycerin, Polysorbate 20, Sucrose Palmitate, Glyceryl Linoleate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Limonene, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Potassium Sorbate, Butylene Glycol, Pullulan, Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Isomalt, Propylene Glycol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Macrocystis Pyrifera Extract, Disodium EDTA, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract, Pvp, Echinacea Purpurea Extract, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Leontopodium Alpinum Meristem Cell Culture, Nannochloropsis Oculata Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Lactate, Lecithin, Glycine Soja Protein, Sodium Hydroxide, Superoxide Dismutase, PEG-8, Ethylhexylglycerin, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Spiraea Ulmaria Flower Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Phaseolus Radiatus Meristem Cell Culture Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Arabidopsis Thaliana Extract, Argania Spinosa Callus Culture Extract, Plankton Extract, Citral, Sodium Dextran Sulfate, Acetyl Octapeptide-3, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Biotin

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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.

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.

Superoxide Dismutase is found in all living cells. This ingredient is AKA as 'SOD'.

SOD is a strong antioxidant. It protects living cells against oxidative damage by breaking down radical molecules into regular oxygen and hydrogen peroxide.

Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules that may damage your skin's DNA. This may help with the signs of aging. Due to its antioxidant property, it is used to help treat chronic inflammation.

In cosmetics, SOD is usually obtained from marine phytoplankton, bovine liver, horseradish, cantaloupe, and certain bacteria.

The three major families of SOD include: Copper/Zinc, Iron/Manganese, and Nickel.

When eating SOD-rich foods, our bodies break it down into amino acids before absorption. Foods that contain SOD include: melons, citrus, spinach, broccoli, kale, almonds, sunflower seeds, and blue-green algae.

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (THD) is a stable and oil-soluble form of Vitamin C.

THD is special in that it has the ability to travel deeper into skin than traditional ascorbic acid while maintaining the same skin benefits (double win!).

Because it’s oil-soluble, THD dives deep into your skin’s fatty layers (think ceramides and cholesterol) to fight off the kind of free radicals that mess with your skin barrier. This makes it a great pair with water-based vitamin C (ascorbic acid) that mainly works on the surface.

Even at just 0.1%, THD is already showing great antioxidant activity. When used up to 2%, it helps keep your skin happy and calm, especially when it’s stressed from pollution or sun.

Want to fade dark spots or tackle hyperpigmentation? You’ll want 5% or more. Pairing it with brightening buddies like niacinamide or licorice root gives even better results. One study even used 30% THD with other brighteners and saw real results on stubborn discoloration, even in melasma-prone skin.

A note on THD: It’s has a slightly silky, oily texture and usually shows up colorless or pale yellow (though the exact shade can vary by supplier).

While you can sneak it into water-based formulas, it really shines when paired with silicones or oils, which help your skin soak it up better.

THD is pretty stable, but it’s still vulnerable to degradation like ascorbic acid. Too much light or heat (above 113°F / 45°C) can break it down over time. Go for dark and opaque packaging that keeps it safe and shady!

Read more about other types of Vitamin C:

Tocopheryl Acetate is a stable, shelf-friendly form of vitamin E.

Formulators love it because plain vitamin E oxidizes quickly once it hits air. This acetate version stays stable and resists going off, helping to extend a product's shelf life.

It's actually inactive on its own and works like a slow-release "storage" form; the enzymes in your skin called esterases gradually convert it into active vitamin E over time.

One in vivo study showed 5% of the acetate in the living layer of the epidermis converted to vitamin E after 5 days of application. This study also found the skin gained protection against UV damage even though the conversion was slow and small.

Once converted, vitamin E acts as a skin's main fat-soluble antioxidant that fights free radicals to protect skin from damage.

Topical vitamin E generally boosts the skin's photoprotection, and it reduced UV-damage in animal models.

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.

Overall, it has a pretty solid safety profile and has been found to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic. Allergic reactions may happen but stay rare due to how widely the ingredient gets used.

The concentration will vary depending on the formula; industry data shows 0.1% in baby lotions, 3% in lipsticks, and 5% in foot powders. You can also find this ingredient at 100% in a pure vitamin E oil.

Most leave-on skincare keeps it at the lower end, often between 0.5-1%.

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