FaceTheory Retinol Firming Moisturiser 0.3% Versus Paula's Choice Clinical Ceramide-Enriched Firming Moisturizer

FaceTheory Retinol Firming Moisturiser 0.3% Versus Paula's Choice Clinical Ceramide-Enriched Firming Moisturizer Detailed comparison of FaceTheory Retinol Firming Moisturiser 0.3% Mandarin versus Paula's Choice Clinical Ceramide-Enriched Firming Moisturizer. This anti-aging night moisturizer is formulated around Retinol and Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture. This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate and Retinol to soften the look of wrinkles and strengthen the skin barrier. Water Glycerin Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Glyceryl Stearate Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil Cetyl Alcohol Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil Olea Europaea Fruit Oil Stearic Acid Oryza Sativa Bran Oil Sodium Levulinate Sodium Anisate Retinol Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil Sodium Hyaluronate Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose Glyceryl Caprylate Xanthan Gum Phospholipids Tocopherol Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Sodium Phytate Limonene Linalool Water, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glyceryl Stearate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Stearic Acid, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Anisate, Retinol, Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Glyceryl Caprylate, Xanthan Gum, Phospholipids, Tocopherol, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium Phytate, Limonene, Linalool Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate Potassium Cetyl Phosphate PEG-100 Stearate PEG-12 Glyceryl Dimyristate Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2 Dimethicone Glyceryl Ascorbate Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate Ceramide NP Ceramide Ns Ceramide AP Ceramide EOP Ceramide Eos Cholesterol Caprooyl Phytosphingosine Caprooyl Sphingosine Squalane Punica Granatum Extract Pongamia Glabra Seed Oil Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Vitis Vinifera Tocopheryl Acetate Carnosine Panthenol Sodium PCA Butylene Glycol Sodium Citrate Ceteareth-25 Polysorbate 20 Ethylhexyl Stearate Sodium Hydroxide Trideceth-6 Propyl Gallate Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer Sodium Polyacrylate Behenic Acid Disodium EDTA Phenoxyethanol Caprylyl Glycol Chlorphenesin Water, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Cetyl Alcohol, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Glycerin, PEG-12 Glyceryl Dimyristate, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Ascorbate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Retinol, Ceramide NP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide Eos, Cholesterol, Caprooyl Phytosphingosine, Caprooyl Sphingosine, Squalane, Punica Granatum Extract, Pongamia Glabra Seed Oil, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root, Vitis Vinifera, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carnosine, Panthenol, Sodium PCA, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Citrate, Ceteareth-25, Polysorbate 20, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Sodium Hydroxide, Trideceth-6, Propyl Gallate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Sodium Polyacrylate, Behenic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin 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. Glyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive. Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture. This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic. A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier. Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range. Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally. Retinol is one of the most studied anti-aging ingredients in skincare (and for good reason!). It's a form of vitamin A that your skin converts into Retinoic Acid, the active molecule that actually does the work in your cells. That conversion happens in two steps: your skin first turns Retinol into Retinaldehyde (also called Retinal), then turns Retinaldehyde into Retinoic Acid. Retinol is converted to biologically active retinoic acid via retinaldehyde by dehydrogenases in a two-step oxidation process. Each step is a little "upgrade"