Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Ingredient or product comparison

The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% In Squalane Versus Paula's Choice Clinical 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment

The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% In Squalane Versus Paula's Choice Clinical 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment Detailed comparison of The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% In Squalane versus Paula's Choice Clinical 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment. Th

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The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% In Squalane Versus Paula's Choice Clinical 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment Detailed comparison of The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% In Squalane versus Paula's Choice Clinical 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment. This anti-aging treatment is formulated around Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate and Squalane to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture. This anti-aging treatment is formulated around Bakuchiol and Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture. Squalane C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate Bisabolol Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Dimethyl Isosorbide Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate Solanum Lycopersicum Fruit Extract Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone Squalane, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Bisabolol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Solanum Lycopersicum Fruit Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone Water Dimethicone Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate Isononyl Isononanoate Butylene Glycol Bakuchiol Arachidyl Alcohol Glyceryl Polymethacrylate Dimethicone Crosspolymer Behenyl Alcohol Glycerin PEG-75 Shea Butter Glycerides Glyceryl Stearate Polysorbate 20 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 Root Extract Salix Alba Bark Extract Glycine Soja Sterols Lecithin Allantoin Tocopheryl Acetate Hydrolyzed Soy Protein Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 Sodium Hydroxide Tribehenin Caprylyl Glycol Dipeptide-2 Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract PEG-10 Phytosterol PEG-8 Magnesium Aluminum Silicate Arachidyl Glucoside Chrysin Pentylene Glycol Sodium Acrylates Copolymer Steareth-20 Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer Cetearyl Alcohol Coco-Glucoside Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone N-Hydroxysuccinimide Disodium EDTA Phenoxyethanol Benzoic Acid Ethylhexylglycerin Water, Dimethicone, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Butylene Glycol, Bakuchiol, Arachidyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Behenyl Alcohol, Glycerin, PEG-75 Shea Butter Glycerides, Glyceryl Stearate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Polysorbate 20, 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 Root Extract, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Glycine Soja Sterols, Lecithin, Allantoin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Sodium Hydroxide, Tribehenin, Caprylyl Glycol, Dipeptide-2, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, PEG-10 Phytosterol, PEG-8, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Arachidyl Glucoside, Chrysin, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Steareth-20, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Coco-Glucoside, Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin These ingredients are found in both products. Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount. C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate is a lightweight emollient made by combinig benzoic acid with fatty alcohols that are 12-15 carbons long. In cosmetics, it plays several roles: The Cosmetic Review Expert Panel has concluded the alkyl benzoate group to be safe as used in cosmetics; it wasn't found to be a skin irritant and unlikely to be absorbed due to its low water solubility. This report recorded almost 1000 reported uses with concentrations up to 59% in leave-on products but your cosmetics will typically use 0.5-15% depending on the product. It's often called a "SPF booster": this is because it keeps UV filters properly dissolved and evenly distributed to support a sunscreen's performance. It doesn't actually raise SPF on its own. Overall, this ingredient is well tolerated. This ingredient is fungal acne safe because it is an ester of benzoic acid. Think of this ingredient as two parts stuck together: an oily part and an acid part. Malassezia only gets a meal when it can snip off a fatty acid to eat. With C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, the acid part is benzoic acid, which isn't a fatty acid and which the yeast can't use as food. Benzoic acid is actually used as a preservative to stop yeast from growing. The oily part is a blend of C12-15 fatty alcohols but fatty alcohols in this size range can support only a little Malassezia growth (mostly for one species of Malassezia as well). In the ingredient, those alcohols stay locked inside the molecule. The yeast can only reach them by snipping the benzoate bond, and that type of bond is harder for it to cut than a normal fatty bond. So not much gets released. And whatever does get snipped comes packaged with benzoic acid, which discourages yeast growth.