Geek & Gorgeous 101 Hydration Station Versus Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Peptide Plumping Moisturizer

Geek & Gorgeous 101 Hydration Station Versus Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Peptide Plumping Moisturizer Detailed comparison of Geek & Gorgeous 101 Hydration Station versus Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Peptide Plumping Moisturizer. This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Ectoin and Bisabolol to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin. This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Squalane to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin. Water C15-19 Alkane Glycerin Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride PEG/PPG/Polybutylene Glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin Isosorbide Dicaprylate Ectoin Xylitylglucoside Bisabolol Allantoin Anhydroxylitol Xylitol Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer Glucose Citric Acid Tocopherol Ethylhexylglycerin Phenoxyethanol Water, C15-19 Alkane, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, PEG/PPG/Polybutylene Glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin, Isosorbide Dicaprylate, Ectoin, Xylitylglucoside, Bisabolol, Allantoin, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Glucose, Citric Acid, Tocopherol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol Dimethicone Squalane Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract Pentylene Glycol 1,2-Hexanediol Butylene Glycol Hydroxyacetophenone Sodium Acrylates Copolymer Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer Gigartina Stellata Extract Acetyl Sh-Hexapeptide-5 Amide Acetate Tridecapeptide-1 Oligopeptide-1 Sodium Phytate Propanediol Lecithin Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate Cyanocobalamin Water, Dimethicone, Squalane, Glycerin, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Pentylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Gigartina Stellata Extract, Acetyl Sh-Hexapeptide-5 Amide Acetate, Tridecapeptide-1, Oligopeptide-1, Sodium Phytate, Propanediol, Lecithin, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Cyanocobalamin, Phenoxyethanol These ingredients are found in both products. Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount. Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer is a synthetically created polymer. It's used as a film-forming agent and used to thicken the consistency of products. Think of it as a supportive ingredient that helps your gel-creams feel silky, "cloud cream-like", and spread evenly without being greasy. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel evaluated it (along with 22 other acryloyldimethyltaurate polymers) and concluded it's: Due to its large molecular size, it sits on the surface of skin rather than penetrating 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. Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingred