Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Ingredient or product comparison

Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster Versus Olehenriksen Barrier Booster Orange Ferment Essence

Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster Versus Olehenriksen Barrier Booster Orange Ferment Essence Detailed comparison of Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster versus Olehenriksen Barrier Booster Orange Ferment Essence. This brightening serum is formulated around Ascorbic

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Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster Versus Olehenriksen Barrier Booster Orange Ferment Essence Detailed comparison of Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster versus Olehenriksen Barrier Booster Orange Ferment Essence. This brightening serum is formulated around Ascorbic Acid and Ferulic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and soften the look of wrinkles. This barrier-repair essence is formulated around Lactobacillus Ferment and 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid to strengthen the skin barrier and brighten dull-looking skin. Water Ascorbic Acid Dipropylene Glycol Propanediol Glycerin Ethoxydiglycol Sodium Hydroxide PPG-26-Buteth-26 PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil Bisabolol Ferulic Acid Sodium Phytate Decylene Glycol Tocopherol 1,2-Hexanediol Sphingomonas Ferment Extract Phenoxyethanol Water, Ascorbic Acid, Dipropylene Glycol, Propanediol, Glycerin, Ethoxydiglycol, Sodium Hydroxide, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Bisabolol, Ferulic Acid, Sodium Phytate, Decylene Glycol, Tocopherol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sphingomonas Ferment Extract, Phenoxyethanol Lactobacillus Ferment 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid Niacinamide Hyaluronic Acid Sodium Hyaluronate Panthenol Sodium Polyglutamate Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Callus Culture Extract Citrus Sinensis Fruit Extract Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil Hippophae Rhamnoides Extract Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract Rosa Canina Fruit Extract Citrus Limon Fruit Extract Gluconolactone Lithothamnion Calcareum Extract Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Chondrus Crispus Extract Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate Citric Acid Sodium Riboflavin Phosphate Sodium Tocopheryl Phosphate Sodium Citrate Potassium Hydroxide Xanthan Gum Sodium Benzoate Calcium Gluconate Triethylhexanoin Polyglyceryl-3 Laurate Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate Chlorphenesin Triethyl Citrate Limonene Linalool Citral Water, Lactobacillus Ferment, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Niacinamide, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Sodium Polyglutamate, Tocopherol, Glycerin, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Callus Culture Extract, Citrus Sinensis Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil, Hippophae Rhamnoides Extract, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Gluconolactone, Lithothamnion Calcareum Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Citric Acid, Sodium Riboflavin Phosphate, Sodium Tocopheryl Phosphate, Sodium Citrate, Potassium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Benzoate, Calcium Gluconate, Triethylhexanoin, Polyglyceryl-3 Laurate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Triethyl Citrate, Limonene, Linalool, Citral These ingredients are found in both products. Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount. 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. 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-bin