Paula's Choice Resist Weightless Advanced Repairing Toner Versus First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner

Paula's Choice Resist Weightless Advanced Repairing Toner Versus First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner

This anti-aging toner is formulated around Niacinamide and Acetyl Glucosamine to soften the look of wrinkles and strengthen the skin barrier.

This hydrating toner is formulated around Squalane and Colloidal Oatmeal to hydrate skin and calm redness.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Ethoxydiglycol

Niacinamide

Acetyl Glucosamine

Salix Nigra Bark Extract

Resveratrol

Sodium Hyaluronate

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Phospholipids

Epigallocatechin Gallate

Carnosine

Genistein

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Adenosine

Xanthan Gum

Citric Acid

Polysorbate 20

Butylene Glycol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Carbomer

Tetrasodium EDTA

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Glycerin, Ethoxydiglycol, Niacinamide, Acetyl Glucosamine, Salix Nigra Bark Extract, Resveratrol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Phospholipids, Epigallocatechin Gallate, Carnosine, Genistein, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Adenosine, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Polysorbate 20, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer, Tetrasodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol

Glycereth-26

Squalane

Sorbitan Oleate

Ethylhexyl Salicylate

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Colloidal Oatmeal

Mel

Saccharomyces/Honey Ferment Filtrate

Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract

Sodium Hydroxide

Potassium Sorbate

Avena Sativa Kernel Extract

Sodium Benzoate

Beta-Glucan

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Propolis Extract

Chlorphenesin

Benzoic Acid

Sorbic Acid

Water, Glycerin, Glycereth-26, Squalane, Sorbitan Oleate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Colloidal Oatmeal, Mel, Saccharomyces/Honey Ferment Filtrate, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Sorbate, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Beta-Glucan, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Propolis Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tetrasodium EDTA, Chlorphenesin, Benzoic Acid, Sorbic Acid

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.

Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.

Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.

However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.

Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.

In skincare formulas, citric acid can:

While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.

Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.

Rosacea skin has a lower threshold for acids generally, with 62.5% of rosacea subjects in one study reacting to lactic acid in a sting test. This is why we mark citric acid as a potential rosacea trigger.

However, this ingredient shows up as a pH adjuster or chelator at roughly 0.1-1% in many products. These low levels are unlikely to be an issue for rosacea skin and becomes a potential trigger at exfoliating concentrations (20%). Because everybody's skin is unique, we recommend a patch test if you are unsure.

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.

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract is an extract of the roots of Licorice. It has been found to have several benefits such as skin hydrating, conditioning, and soothing.

One component, glabridin, has extra potent antioxidant and soothing properties. It has also been found to block pigmentation from UVB rays in guinea pigs.

Licorice Root also contains a flavonoid. Flavonoids are a natural substance from in plants. Flavonoids also have antioxidant properties.

Another component, glycyrrhizin, has been found to have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial benefits. This may make licorice root extract effective at treating acne. However, more research is needed to support this.

Liquiritin is one of the flavone compounds found in licorice. It has been found to help lighten skin by preventing tyrosinase from reacting with tyrosine. When the two react, protein is converted to melanin. Melanin is the substance in your body that gives your features pigmentation.

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 Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.

In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.

Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:

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

Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.

You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.

Tetrasodium EDTA is the salt formed from neutralizing ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid with sodium hydroxide. It is a chelating agent and used to prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This helps keep the product and ingredients stable.

Tetrasodium EDTA comes as a white solid and is soluble in water.

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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