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Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum Versus Garden of Wisdom Alpha Arbutin 2% and Kojic Acid 1% Serum

Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum Versus Garden of Wisdom Alpha Arbutin 2% and Kojic Acid 1% Serum This anti-aging serum is formulated around Retinol and Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin t

By Peptide Skincare & Beauty Editorial TeamPublished

Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum Versus Garden of Wisdom Alpha Arbutin 2% and Kojic Acid 1% Serum

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

This brightening serum is formulated around Alpha-Arbutin and Ascorbyl Palmitate to fade the look of dark spots and brighten dull-looking skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Cyclopentasiloxane

Isododecane

Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate

Cyclohexasiloxane

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Tocopheryl Acetate

Retinyl Palmitate

Retinol

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Astaxanthin

Bisabolol

Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Salix Alba Bark Extract

Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract

Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract

Calluna Vulgaris Flower Extract

Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract

Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract

Betula Alba Bark Extract

Glycine Soja Oil

Silica

Phenoxyethanol

Cyclopentasiloxane, Isododecane, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Cyclohexasiloxane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Retinol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Astaxanthin, Bisabolol, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Calluna Vulgaris Flower Extract, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, Betula Alba Bark Extract, Glycine Soja Oil, Silica, Phenoxyethanol

Water

Alpha-Arbutin 2%

Ascorbyl Palmitate 2%

Niacinamide 1.5%

Kojic Acid 1%

Leucine

Water, Alpha-Arbutin 2%, Ascorbyl Palmitate 2%, Niacinamide 1.5%, Kojic Acid 1%, Leucine

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The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
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01

Formula cabinet

Ingredients & structured notes

Ingredient index

Ingredients Explained

  1. 01These ingredients are found in both products.
  2. 02Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
  3. 03Ceramide AP is is a skin-identical lipid that mimics what your skin already makes naturally. Ceramides help maintain epidermal integrity and barrier function.
  4. 04You'll often see this ingredient paired with other ceramides (like ceramide NP), cholesterol, or fatty acids because this combination best mimics the natural lipid mix your skin already has.
  5. 05The skin's ability to produce ceramides gets disrupted in skin conditions like eczema. This in turn weakens the skin barrier and applying ceramides topically has been shown to replenish what's been lost to restore barrier function.
  6. 06Most of the studies with Ceramide AP test it as part of a multi-ceramide complex; studies reinforce ceramide AP's role in rebalancing ceramides in skin and improving skin hydration.
  7. 07Ceramide EOP is formally known as Ceramide 1.
  8. 08It is naturally found in skin and part of the intercellular "mortar" holding everything together in your outermost layer.
  9. 09EOP stands for a linked Ester fatty acid, a linked Omega hydroxy fatty acid, and the Phytosphingosine base.
  10. 10What makes Ceramide EOP special is its ultra-long fatty acid chain; this unique structure allows it to bridge the lipid layers in your skin barrier to prevent water loss (something no other ceramide can do).
  11. 11Low levels of Ceramide EOP have been found in people with eczema and psoriasis.
  12. 12Using it together with other ceramides, cholesterol, and linoleic acid have been shown to meaningfully improve hydration and reduce water loss.
  13. 13In one clinical study, a regimen using Ceramide EOP, NP, and AP led to significant symptom improvements in patients with eczema, psoriasis, and dry skin in just 4 weeks.
  14. 14You'll usually see concentrations between 0.1-0.5% in formulations. Overall, this is a well-tolerated and safe ingredient for cosmetic use.
  15. 15Ceramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
  16. 16Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
  17. 17This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
  18. 18A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
  19. 19Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
  20. 20Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Source · skinsort.com ⟶
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