Skin science article
The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 5% in Squalane Versus Paula's Choice Clinical 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment
The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 5% in Squalane Versus Paula's Choice Clinical 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment This anti-aging serum is formulated around Squalane and Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture. Thi
The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 5% in Squalane Versus Paula's Choice Clinical 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment
This anti-aging serum is formulated around Squalane and Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.
This anti-aging treatment is formulated around Bakuchiol and Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Squalane
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
Bisabolol
Dimethyl Isosorbide
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate
Solanum Lycopersicum Fruit Extract
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone
Squalane, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Bisabolol, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Solanum Lycopersicum Fruit Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone
Water
Dimethicone
Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate
Isononyl Isononanoate
Butylene Glycol
Bakuchiol
Arachidyl Alcohol
Glyceryl Polymethacrylate
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Behenyl Alcohol
Glycerin
PEG-75 Shea Butter Glycerides
Glyceryl Stearate
Polysorbate 20
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Retinol
Ceramide Ng
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Sodium Hyaluronate
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Arctium Lappa Root Extract
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Glycine Soja Sterols
Lecithin
Allantoin
Tocopheryl Acetate
Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Sodium Hydroxide
Tribehenin
Caprylyl Glycol
Dipeptide-2
Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
PEG-10 Phytosterol
PEG-8
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Arachidyl Glucoside
Chrysin
Pentylene Glycol
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
Steareth-20
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Cetearyl Alcohol
Coco-Glucoside
Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone
N-Hydroxysuccinimide
Disodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Benzoic Acid
Ethylhexylglycerin
Water, Dimethicone, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Butylene Glycol, Bakuchiol, Arachidyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Behenyl Alcohol, Glycerin, PEG-75 Shea Butter Glycerides, Glyceryl Stearate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Polysorbate 20, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Retinol, Ceramide Ng, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Sodium Hyaluronate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Arctium Lappa Root Extract, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Glycine Soja Sterols, Lecithin, Allantoin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Sodium Hydroxide, Tribehenin, Caprylyl Glycol, Dipeptide-2, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, PEG-10 Phytosterol, PEG-8, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Arachidyl Glucoside, Chrysin, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Steareth-20, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Coco-Glucoside, Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin
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.
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate is a lightweight emollient made by combinig benzoic acid with fatty alcohols that are 12-15 carbons long.
In cosmetics, it plays several roles:
The Cosmetic Review Expert Panel has concluded the alkyl benzoate group to be safe as used in cosmetics; it wasn't found to be a skin irritant and unlikely to be absorbed due to its low water solubility.
This report recorded almost 1000 reported uses with concentrations up to 59% in leave-on products but your cosmetics will typically use 0.5-15% depending on the product.
It's often called a "SPF booster": this is because it keeps UV filters properly dissolved and evenly distributed to support a sunscreen's performance. It doesn't actually raise SPF on its own.
Overall, this ingredient is well tolerated.
This ingredient is fungal acne safe because it is an ester of benzoic acid.
Think of this ingredient as two parts stuck together: an oily part and an acid part. Malassezia only gets a meal when it can snip off a fatty acid to eat. With C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, the acid part is benzoic acid, which isn't a fatty acid and which the yeast can't use as food.
Benzoic acid is actually used as a preservative to stop yeast from growing.
The oily part is a blend of C12-15 fatty alcohols but fatty alcohols in this size range can support only a little Malassezia growth (mostly for one species of Malassezia as well).
In the ingredient, those alcohols stay locked inside the molecule. The yeast can only reach them by snipping the benzoate bond, and that type of bond is harder for it to cut than a normal fatty bond.
So not much gets released. And whatever does get snipped comes packaged with benzoic acid, which discourages yeast growth.