Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Ingredient or product comparison

Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum Versus Paula's Choice Resist Intensive Wrinkle-Repair Retinol Serum

Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum Versus Paula's Choice Resist Intensive Wrinkle-Repair Retinol Serum Detailed comparison of Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum versus Paula's Choice Resist Intensiv

This source-based comparison does not add ratings or recommend a winner.

Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum Versus Paula's Choice Resist Intensive Wrinkle-Repair Retinol Serum Detailed comparison of Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum versus Paula's Choice Resist Intensive Wrinkle-Repair Retinol Serum. This anti-aging serum is formulated around Retinol and Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture. Cyclopentasiloxane Isododecane Dimethicone Crosspolymer Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate Cyclohexasiloxane Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Tocopheryl Acetate Retinyl Palmitate Retinol Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate Astaxanthin Bisabolol Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract Salix Alba Bark Extract Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract Calluna Vulgaris Flower Extract Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract Betula Alba Bark Extract Glycine Soja Oil Silica Phenoxyethanol Cyclopentasiloxane, Isododecane, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Cyclohexasiloxane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Retinol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Astaxanthin, Bisabolol, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Calluna Vulgaris Flower Extract, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, Betula Alba Bark Extract, Glycine Soja Oil, Silica, Phenoxyethanol Dimethiconol Dicaprylyl Carbonate Phenyl Trimethicone Squalane Tocotrienols Tocopherol Lecithin Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract Avena Sativa Kernel Extract Elaeis Guineensis Oil Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate Hexylene Glycol Caprylyl Glycol Ethylhexylglycerin Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethiconol, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Phenyl Trimethicone, Squalane, Bisabolol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Retinol, Tocotrienols, Tocopherol, Lecithin, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Elaeis Guineensis Oil, Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate, Hexylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol These ingredients are found in both products. Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount. Bisabolol is a gentle skin conditioner, antioxidant, and soothing ingredient. It's primary claim to fame is soothing and research shows topically applied bisabolol can quiet the chemical messengers that cause your skin to become inflamed, helping to sooth any irritation. A clinical study found that applying 0.5% bisabolol daily for 8 weeks produced an average 9% decrease in skin pigmentation. Researchers found it can also suppress the process that leads to excess melanin production in skin. In vitro studies found that bisabolol combined with propylene glycol significantly increased skin permeability by increasing lipid fluidity in the stratum corneum. You'll likely see use concentrations quite low, usually 0.1-0.2%. Overall, this is a well-tolerated ingredient that works well in formulas designed for sensitive, reactive, or post-procedure skin. Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss. Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid. In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel. While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns. Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source. This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out. This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%. Cyclopentasiloxane (D5) is a lightweight silicone that mostly acts as an emollient and solvent in cosmetics. Its the reason your products feel silky, fast-spreading, and non-greasy. Since D5 is volatile, it does its thing and then evaporates off the skin quickly. The safety profile of this ingredient is reassuring; the US CIR Expert Panel concluded D5 is safe as used in cosmetics and Health Canada concluded that D5 is not harmful to human health or the environment as currently used in cosmetics There's a study that people mention about D5 in a rat study showing tumors. This study is related to long-term inhalation of high D5 levels. Regulatory bodies have judged this study to be not applicable in topic