Paula's Choice Retinol Skin-Smoothing Body Treatment Versus Naturium Retinol Complex Serum

Paula's Choice Retinol Skin-Smoothing Body Treatment Versus Naturium Retinol Complex Serum Detailed comparison of Paula's Choice Retinol Skin-Smoothing Body Treatment versus Naturium Retinol Complex Serum. This smoothing moisturizer is formulated around Retinol and Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate to refine skin texture and soften the look of wrinkles. This anti-aging serum is formulated around Retinol and Bakuchiol to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture. Water Cetearyl Alcohol Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate Cyclopentasiloxane Dimethicone Glycerin Butylene Glycol Cetyl Palmitate Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Glyceryl Stearate PEG-100 Stearate Oenothera Biennis Oil Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil Cetyl Alcohol Retinol Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate Tocopheryl Acetate Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Panthenol Carnosine Dimethiconol Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer Beeswax Magnesium Aluminum Silicate Sodium Hydroxide Xanthan Gum Dicaprylyl Carbonate Decylene Glycol Disodium EDTA Chlorphenesin Phenoxyethanol Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl Palmitate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Retinol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Panthenol, Carnosine, Dimethiconol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Beeswax, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Sodium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Decylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol Propanediol Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter Gossypium Herbaceum Fruit Water Bakuchiol Bidens Pilosa Extract Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil Humulus Lupulus Extract Sodium Hyaluronate Tocopherol Caprylyl Glycol Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Copernicia Cerifera Wax Carbomer Potassium Sorbate Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate Hexylene Glycol Citric Acid Polysorbate 20 Glyceryl Polyacrylate 1,2-Hexanediol Ethyl Ferulate Water, Propanediol, Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter, Gossypium Herbaceum Fruit Water, Retinol, Glycerin, Bakuchiol, Bidens Pilosa Extract, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Humulus Lupulus Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Caprylyl Glycol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Potassium Sorbate, Xanthan Gum, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Hexylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Polysorbate 20, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ethyl Ferulate 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. 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" toward the active form which is part