Paula's Choice Water-Infusing Electrolyte Moisturizer Versus Tatcha The Water Cream

Paula's Choice Water-Infusing Electrolyte Moisturizer Versus Tatcha The Water Cream

This moisturizer is formulated around Potassium PCA and Magnesium PCA to hydrate skin.

This pore-care moisturizer is formulated around Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate and Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract to refine the look of pores and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Dimethicone

Butylene Glycol

Propanediol

Stearic Acid

Glyceryl Stearate

Isohexadecane

Potassium PCA

Magnesium PCA

Calcium PCA

Ethylhexyl Olivate

Polyglyceryl-4 Olivate

Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract

Laminaria Saccharina Extract

Actinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract

Coffea Arabica Seed Extract

Biotin/Folic Acid/Cyanocobalamin/Niacinamide/Pantothenic Acid/Pyridoxine/Riboflavin/Thiamine/Yeast Polypeptides

Garcinia Mangostana Peel Extract

Prunus Serotina Fruit Extract

Squalane

Ceramide EOP

Ceramide AP

Ceramide NP

Pisum Sativum Extract

Phytosphingosine

Cholesterol

Acetyl Hexapeptide-37

Oryza Sativa Bran Extract

Tocopherol

Creatine

Bisabolol

Sorbitol

Inositol

Xylitol

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Sodium Levulinate

Behenyl Behenate

Tribehenin

Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate

Xanthan Gum

Sodium Acrylates Copolymer

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Carbomer

Sodium Hydroxide

Tetrasodium EDTA

Phenoxyethanol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Isohexadecane, Potassium PCA, Magnesium PCA, Calcium PCA, Ethylhexyl Olivate, Polyglyceryl-4 Olivate, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Laminaria Saccharina Extract, Actinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract, Coffea Arabica Seed Extract, Biotin/Folic Acid/Cyanocobalamin/Niacinamide/Pantothenic Acid/Pyridoxine/Riboflavin/Thiamine/Yeast Polypeptides, Garcinia Mangostana Peel Extract, Prunus Serotina Fruit Extract, Squalane, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide NP, Pisum Sativum Extract, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Acetyl Hexapeptide-37, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Tocopherol, Creatine, Bisabolol, Sorbitol, Inositol, Xylitol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Levulinate, Behenyl Behenate, Tribehenin, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin

Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate

Diglycerin

Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Cladosiphon Okamuranus Extract

PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone

Gold

Belamcanda Chinensis Root Extract

Rosa Multiflora Fruit Extract

Houttuynia Cordata Extract

Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Lecithin

Pistacia Lentiscus Gum

Sodium Chloride

Sodium Citrate

Mica

Tin Oxide

Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer

Dimethicone/Phenyl Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Dipropylene Glycol

Parfum

Alcohol

Limonene

Linalool

Citral

CI 77891

Water, Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate, Dimethicone, Propanediol, Glycerin, Diglycerin, Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Cladosiphon Okamuranus Extract, PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Gold, Belamcanda Chinensis Root Extract, Rosa Multiflora Fruit Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lecithin, Pistacia Lentiscus Gum, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Citrate, Mica, Tin Oxide, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Dimethicone/Phenyl Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Tocopherol, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Parfum, Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Limonene, Linalool, Citral, CI 77891

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.

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.

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.

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.

Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.

It’s often used to:

Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.

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!

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