Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Ingredient or product comparison

Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment Versus Skinstitut Retinol Serum

Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment Versus Skinstitut Retinol Serum Detailed comparison of Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment US versus Skinstitut Retinol Serum. This anti-aging treatment is formulated around Retinol and Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate to soften th

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Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment Versus Skinstitut Retinol Serum Detailed comparison of Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment US versus Skinstitut Retinol Serum. This anti-aging treatment is formulated around Retinol and Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture. This anti-aging serum is formulated around Retinol and Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture. Water Dimethicone Glycerin Butylene Glycol Isononyl Isononanoate Castor Isostearate Succinate Glyceryl Stearate C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate Dimethicone Crosspolymer PEG-33 Polysorbate 20 Behenyl Alcohol PEG-100 Stearate Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate Polymethylsilsesquioxane 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 Seed Oil Salix Alba Extract Glycine Soja Sterols Lecithin Allantoin Tocopheryl Acetate Hydrolyzed Soy Protein Sorbitan Laurate Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester Disodium EDTA Hydroxyethylcellulose Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 Sodium Hydroxide Tribehenin Caprylyl Glycol Ethylhexylglycerin Pentylene Glycol PEG-75 Shea Butter Glycerides PPG-12/Smdi Copolymer PEG-10 Phytosterol PEG-8 Dimethicone PEG-14 Magnesium Aluminum Silicate Arachidyl Glucoside Arachidyl Alcohol Sclerotium Gum Carbomer Phenoxyethanol Benzoic Acid Water, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Isononyl Isononanoate, Castor Isostearate Succinate, Glyceryl Stearate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, PEG-33, Polysorbate 20, Behenyl Alcohol, PEG-100 Stearate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, 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 Seed Oil, Salix Alba Extract, Glycine Soja Sterols, Lecithin, Allantoin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Sorbitan Laurate, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Sodium Hydroxide, Tribehenin, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Pentylene Glycol, PEG-75 Shea Butter Glycerides, PPG-12/Smdi Copolymer, PEG-10 Phytosterol, PEG-8 Dimethicone, PEG-14, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Arachidyl Glucoside, Arachidyl Alcohol, Sclerotium Gum, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid Cyclopentasiloxane Polysorbate 60 Pistacia Vera Seed Oil Ethoxydiglycol Hydrogenated Ethylhexyl Olivate Tocopherol Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer Squalane Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables Arginine Trehalose Disodium Adenosine Triphosphate Mannitol Pyridoxine Hcl Rna Moringa Oleifera Leaf Extract Parfum Alcohol Histidine Hcl Epilobium Angustifolium Leaf Extract Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate Tetrahydropiperine Phenylalanine Panthenol Citric Acid Sorbic Acid Ruscus Aculeatus Root Extract Centella Asiatica Extract Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract Aesculus Hippocastanum Extract Leontopodium Alpinum Flower Extract Tyrosine Sodium Benzoate Heptane BHT Potassium Sorbate Ammonium Glycyrrhizate Allyl Methacrylates Crosspolymer Citronellol Geraniol Linalool Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Polysorbate 60, Pistacia Vera Seed Oil, Ethoxydiglycol, Hydrogenated Be the first to review These ingredients are found in both products. Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount. Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created. Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin. Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on). Dimethicone Crosspolymer is a silicone created by modifying dimethicone with hydrocarbon side chains. Due to its large size, it does not penetrate skin. It is considered non-occlusive. Dimethicone Crosspolymer is used to stabilize and thicken products. It also helps give products a silky feel. 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