Paula's Choice Resist Ultra-Light Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum Versus Kate Somerville D-Scar™ Scar Diminishing Serum

Paula's Choice Resist Ultra-Light Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum Versus Kate Somerville D-Scar™ Scar Diminishing Serum

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Resveratrol and Niacinamide to soften the look of wrinkles and calm redness.

This brightening serum is formulated around Dimethicone and Sodium Ascorbyl Glucoside to fade the look of dark spots and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Cyclopentasiloxane

Butylene Glycol

Dimethicone

Glycerin

Polysorbate 20

Polysilicone-11

Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone

Hyaluronic Acid

Resveratrol

Niacinamide

Quercetin

Adenosine

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Tocopherol

Phospholipids

Ubiquinone

Epigallocatechin Gallate

Sea Whip Extract

Bisabolol

Beta-Glucan

Phytic Acid

Xanthan Gum

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Sodium Hydroxide

Disodium EDTA

Ethylhexylglycerin

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Polysorbate 20, Polysilicone-11, Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Hyaluronic Acid, Resveratrol, Niacinamide, Quercetin, Adenosine, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Tocopherol, Phospholipids, Ubiquinone, Epigallocatechin Gallate, Sea Whip Extract, Bisabolol, Beta-Glucan, Phytic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Divinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer

Cetearyl Alcohol

Propanediol

Sodium Ascorbyl Glucoside

Bis-PEG/PPG-20/5 PEG/PPG-20/5 Dimethicone

Methoxy PEG/PPG-25/4 Dimethicone

Glyceryl Stearate

Sh-Polypeptide-7

Sodium Chloride

Sodium Phosphate

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Dimethiconol

Cyclohexasiloxane

Glucosamine Hcl

Tocopheryl Acetate

Allantoin

Portulaca Oleracea Extract

Elaeis Guineensis Oil

Tocotrienols

Pisum Sativum Extract

Bambusa Vulgaris Extract

C12-13 Pareth-23

C12-13 Pareth-3

Protease

Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract

Maltodextrin

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Divinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Propanediol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Sodium Ascorbyl Glucoside, Bis-PEG/PPG-20/5 PEG/PPG-20/5 Dimethicone, Methoxy PEG/PPG-25/4 Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, Sh-Polypeptide-7, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Phosphate, Disodium EDTA, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Dimethiconol, Cyclohexasiloxane, Glucosamine Hcl, Tocopheryl Acetate, Allantoin, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Butylene Glycol, Elaeis Guineensis Oil, Tocotrienols, Pisum Sativum Extract, Bambusa Vulgaris Extract, C12-13 Pareth-23, C12-13 Pareth-3, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Protease, Sodium Hydroxide, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Maltodextrin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol

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.

Cyclopentasiloxane (D5) is a lightweight silicone that mostly acts as an emollient and solvent in cosmetics. Its the reason your products feel silky, fast-spreading, and non-greasy.

Since D5 is volatile, it does its thing and then evaporates off the skin quickly.

The safety profile of this ingredient is reassuring; the US CIR Expert Panel concluded D5 is safe as used in cosmetics and Health Canada concluded that D5 is not harmful to human health or the environment as currently used in cosmetics

There's a study that people mention about D5 in a rat study showing tumors. This study is related to long-term inhalation of high D5 levels.

Regulatory bodies have judged this study to be not applicable in topical skincare since skin absorption of D5 is very low and we're not really inhaling huge amounts of D5.

The only restriction for this ingredient is environmental. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) restricted D5 in wash-off cosmetics at or above 0.1% due to their persistence in water.

Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.

What it does:

Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:

Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.

Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.

This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.

Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.

Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.

This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:

On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.

One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).

Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.

You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.

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.

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.

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.

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