ZO Skin Health Daily Power Defense Versus Paula's Choice Omega+ Complex Serum

ZO Skin Health Daily Power Defense Versus Paula's Choice Omega+ Complex Serum

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Laminaria Digitata Extract and Beta-Glucan to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

This barrier-repair serum is formulated around Linoleic Acid and Linolenic Acid to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Cetearyl Isononanoate

Glycerin

Pentylene Glycol

Cetearyl Alcohol

Steareth-20

Safflower Oil/Palm Oil Aminopropanediol Esters

Laminaria Digitata Extract

Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract

Arabidopsis Thaliana Extract

Marrubium Vulgare Meristem Cell Culture

Leontopodium Alpinum Meristem Cell Culture

Retinyl Palmitate

Tocopheryl Acetate

Tocopherol

Micrococcus Lysate

Caprylyl Glycol

Hexylene Glycol

Lactose

Galactoarabinan

Lecithin

Schizophyllan

Beta-Glucan

1,2-Hexanediol

Carbomer

Cellulose

Maltodextrin

C14-22 Alcohols

Cetearyl Glucoside

C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside

Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose

Disodium EDTA

Sodium Hydroxide

Phenoxyethanol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Sodium Benzoate

Parfum

CI 77007

Limonene

Water, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Steareth-20, Safflower Oil/Palm Oil Aminopropanediol Esters, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Arabidopsis Thaliana Extract, Marrubium Vulgare Meristem Cell Culture, Leontopodium Alpinum Meristem Cell Culture, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Micrococcus Lysate, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Lactose, Galactoarabinan, Lecithin, Schizophyllan, Beta-Glucan, 1,2-Hexanediol, Carbomer, Cellulose, Maltodextrin, C14-22 Alcohols, Cetearyl Glucoside, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum, CI 77007, Limonene

Diheptyl Succinate

Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters

Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil

Linoleic Acid

Linolenic Acid

Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil

Ceramide EOP

Ceramide Eos

Ceramide NP

Ceramide Ns

Caprooyl Sphingosine

Olea Europaea Oil Unsaponifiables

Caprooyl Phytosphingosine

Sodium Hyaluronate

Cholesterol

Ceramide AP

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Unsaponifiables

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Prunus Domestica Seed Oil

Lauryl Laurate

Glyceryl Behenate

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Sodium Phytate

Trehalose

Isohexadecane

Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate

Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer

Xanthan Gum

Cetyl Alcohol

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Agar

Glyceryl Stearate

Ceteareth-25

Behenic Acid

Glyceryl Rosinate

Citric Acid

Benzyl Alcohol

Water, Glycerin, Diheptyl Succinate, Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide Eos, Ceramide NP, Ceramide Ns, Caprooyl Sphingosine, Olea Europaea Oil Unsaponifiables, Caprooyl Phytosphingosine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cholesterol, Ceramide AP, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Unsaponifiables, Tocopherol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Prunus Domestica Seed Oil, Lauryl Laurate, Glyceryl Behenate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Phytate, Trehalose, Isohexadecane, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Cetyl Alcohol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Agar, Glyceryl Stearate, Ceteareth-25, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behenic Acid, Glyceryl Rosinate, Citric Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, 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.

Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.

Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.

It plays several roles in a formula:

Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.

Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.

However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.

Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.

Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.

Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.

This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.

A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.

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.

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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