Sol De Janeiro Bom Dia Bright Body Cream with Vitamin C Versus Paula's Choice Skin Revealing Body Lotion 10% AHA

Sol De Janeiro Bom Dia Bright Body Cream with Vitamin C Versus Paula's Choice Skin Revealing Body Lotion 10% AHA

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate

Dodecane

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Cetearyl Alcohol

Parfum

Phenyl Trimethicone

Cetyl Alcohol

Glycerin

Cocos Nucifera Oil

Spondias Mombin Pulp Extract

Musa Sapientum Pulp Extract

Mangifera Indica Pulp Extract

Carica Papaya Fruit Extract

Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter

Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Oil

Salix Alba Bark Extract

Gardenia Taitensis Flower Extract

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Tocopherol

Glyceryl Caprylate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Sorbitan Isostearate

Ethylene Brassylate

Xanthan Gum

Glyceryl Stearate Citrate

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Phenoxyethanol

Benzyl Alcohol

Potassium Sorbate

Citric Acid

Sorbic Acid

CI 17200

CI 19140

Water, Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Dodecane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Parfum, Phenyl Trimethicone, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Spondias Mombin Pulp Extract, Musa Sapientum Pulp Extract, Mangifera Indica Pulp Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Oil, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Gardenia Taitensis Flower Extract, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Tocopherol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Ethylene Brassylate, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Sorbic Acid, CI 17200, CI 19140

Glycolic Acid

Cyclopentasiloxane

Dimethicone

Glyceryl Stearate

Stearic Acid

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Sodium Hydroxide

PEG-100 Stearate

Tocopheryl Acetate

Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract

Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil

Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract

Epilobium Angustifolium Extract

Allantoin

Butylene Glycol

Disodium EDTA

Sodium Benzoate

Water, Glycolic Acid, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sodium Hydroxide, PEG-100 Stearate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium Extract, Allantoin, Butylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol

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.

Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.

Its main roles are:

Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.

The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.

This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.

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.

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (THD) is a stable and oil-soluble form of Vitamin C.

THD is special in that it has the ability to travel deeper into skin than traditional ascorbic acid while maintaining the same skin benefits (double win!).

Because it’s oil-soluble, THD dives deep into your skin’s fatty layers (think ceramides and cholesterol) to fight off the kind of free radicals that mess with your skin barrier. This makes it a great pair with water-based vitamin C (ascorbic acid) that mainly works on the surface.

Even at just 0.1%, THD is already showing great antioxidant activity. When used up to 2%, it helps keep your skin happy and calm, especially when it’s stressed from pollution or sun.

Want to fade dark spots or tackle hyperpigmentation? You’ll want 5% or more. Pairing it with brightening buddies like niacinamide or licorice root gives even better results. One study even used 30% THD with other brighteners and saw real results on stubborn discoloration, even in melasma-prone skin.

A note on THD: It’s has a slightly silky, oily texture and usually shows up colorless or pale yellow (though the exact shade can vary by supplier).

While you can sneak it into water-based formulas, it really shines when paired with silicones or oils, which help your skin soak it up better.

THD is pretty stable, but it’s still vulnerable to degradation like ascorbic acid. Too much light or heat (above 113°F / 45°C) can break it down over time. Go for dark and opaque packaging that keeps it safe and shady!

Read more about other types of Vitamin C:

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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