Physician's Formula Skin Booster Vitamin Shot Brightening Versus Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster

Physician's Formula Skin Booster Vitamin Shot Brightening Versus Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster

This brightening serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Acetyl Glucosamine to brighten dull-looking skin and fade the look of dark spots.

This brightening serum is formulated around Ascorbic Acid and Ferulic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and soften the look of wrinkles.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Butylene Glycol

Niacinamide

Glycerin

Acetyl Glucosamine

Pentylene Glycol

1,2-Hexanediol

Caprylyl Glycol

Carbomer

Disodium EDTA

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Phenylethyl Resorcinol

Caesalpinia Spinosa Fruit Extract

Sodium Hydroxide

Chondrus Crispus Extract

Sodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate

3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

CI 77492

Tocopheryl Acetate

Phenoxyethanol

Collagen

Agar

Calcium Alginate

Xanthan Gum

Kappaphycus Alvarezii Extract

Hydroxyacetophenone

Glucosyl Hesperidin

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Tropolone

Gluconolactone

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Cynara Scolymus Leaf Extract

CI 73360

Sodium Benzoate

Water, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Acetyl Glucosamine, Pentylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Phenylethyl Resorcinol, Caesalpinia Spinosa Fruit Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Sodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, CI 77492, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, Collagen, Agar, Calcium Alginate, Xanthan Gum, Kappaphycus Alvarezii Extract, Hydroxyacetophenone, Glucosyl Hesperidin, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tropolone, Gluconolactone, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Cynara Scolymus Leaf Extract, CI 73360, Sodium Benzoate

Ascorbic Acid

Dipropylene Glycol

Propanediol

Ethoxydiglycol

PPG-26-Buteth-26

PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Bisabolol

Ferulic Acid

Sodium Phytate

Decylene Glycol

Tocopherol

Sphingomonas Ferment Extract

Water, Ascorbic Acid, Dipropylene Glycol, Propanediol, Glycerin, Ethoxydiglycol, Sodium Hydroxide, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Bisabolol, Ferulic Acid, Sodium Phytate, Decylene Glycol, Tocopherol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sphingomonas Ferment Extract, Phenoxyethanol

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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.

1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.

It is a:

Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin

Emollient, helping to soften skin

Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas

Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives

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.

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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