The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA Versus Paula's Choice Barrier Repair Advanced Moisturizer

The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA Versus Paula's Choice Barrier Repair Advanced Moisturizer Detailed comparison of The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA versus Paula's Choice Barrier Repair Advanced Moisturizer EU. This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Sodium Hyaluronate and Arginine to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin. This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Ceramide Ag and Ceramide NP to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin. Water Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Cetyl Alcohol Propanediol Stearyl Alcohol Glycerin Sodium Hyaluronate Arginine Aspartic Acid Glycine Alanine Serine Valine Isoleucine Proline Threonine Histidine Phenylalanine Glucose Maltose Fructose Trehalose Sodium PCA PCA Sodium Lactate Urea Allantoin Linoleic Acid Oleic Acid Phytosteryl Canola Glycerides Palmitic Acid Stearic Acid Lecithin Triolein Tocopherol Carbomer Isoceteth-20 Polysorbate 60 Sodium Chloride Citric Acid Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate Pentylene Glycol Triethanolamine Sodium Hydroxide Phenoxyethanol Chlorphenesin Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol, Propanediol, Stearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Isoleucine, Proline, Threonine, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Glucose, Maltose, Fructose, Trehalose, Sodium PCA, PCA, Sodium Lactate, Urea, Allantoin, Linoleic Acid, Oleic Acid, Phytosteryl Canola Glycerides, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Lecithin, Triolein, Tocopherol, Carbomer, Isoceteth-20, Polysorbate 60, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Pentylene Glycol, Triethanolamine, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin 2,3-Butanediol Dicaprylyl Carbonate Glyceryl Stearate Cocoglycerides Ceramide Ag Ceramide NP Hydroxyacetophenone Ceramide EOP Ceramide Ng Ceramide AP Adenosine Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 Hexylene Glycol Cholesterol Squalane Sodium Phytate Hydrogenated Lecithin Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil Caprylyl Glycol Polyquaternium-51 Triacetin Sodium Polyacrylate Xanthan Gum Ethylhexyl Stearate Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate Ethylhexylglycerin Water, 2,3-Butanediol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Cocoglycerides, Ceramide Ag, Ceramide NP, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide Ng, Ceramide AP, Adenosine, Tocopherol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Hexylene Glycol, Trehalose, Cholesterol, Squalane, Sodium Phytate, Urea, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium PCA, Polyquaternium-51, Triacetin, Sodium Polyacrylate, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Ethylhexylglycerin 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. Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity. In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface. Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior: Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair. Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can