Vichy Aqualia Thermal Rich Cream Versus Paula's Choice Clinical Ceramide-Enriched Firming Moisturizer

Vichy Aqualia Thermal Rich Cream Versus Paula's Choice Clinical Ceramide-Enriched Firming Moisturizer Detailed comparison of Vichy Aqualia Thermal Rich Cream versus Paula's Choice Clinical Ceramide-Enriched Firming Moisturizer. This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Butyrospermum Parkii Butter and Sodium Hyaluronate to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin. This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate and Retinol to soften the look of wrinkles and strengthen the skin barrier. Water Glycerin Isocetyl Stearate Propanediol Cetearyl Alcohol Alcohol Denat. Cetyl Esters Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Pentylene Glycol Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate Mannose Sodium Polyacrylate Sodium PCA Salicylic Acid Sodium Hyaluronate Caprylyl Glycol Citric Acid Parfum Water, Glycerin, Isocetyl Stearate, Propanediol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Alcohol Denat., Cetyl Esters, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Pentylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Mannose, Sodium Polyacrylate, Sodium PCA, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Parfum Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate Cetyl Alcohol Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate Potassium Cetyl Phosphate Glyceryl Stearate PEG-100 Stearate PEG-12 Glyceryl Dimyristate Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2 Dimethicone Glyceryl Ascorbate Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate Retinol Ceramide NP Ceramide Ns Ceramide AP Ceramide EOP Ceramide Eos Cholesterol Caprooyl Phytosphingosine Caprooyl Sphingosine Squalane Punica Granatum Extract Pongamia Glabra Seed Oil Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Vitis Vinifera Tocopheryl Acetate Carnosine Panthenol Butylene Glycol Sodium Citrate Ceteareth-25 Polysorbate 20 Ethylhexyl Stearate Sodium Hydroxide Trideceth-6 Propyl Gallate Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer Behenic Acid Disodium EDTA Phenoxyethanol Chlorphenesin Water, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Cetyl Alcohol, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Glycerin, PEG-12 Glyceryl Dimyristate, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Ascorbate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Retinol, Ceramide NP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide Eos, Cholesterol, Caprooyl Phytosphingosine, Caprooyl Sphingosine, Squalane, Punica Granatum Extract, Pongamia Glabra Seed Oil, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root, Vitis Vinifera, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carnosine, Panthenol, Sodium PCA, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Citrate, Ceteareth-25, Polysorbate 20, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Sodium Hydroxide, Trideceth-6, Propyl Gallate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Sodium Polyacrylate, Behenic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin These ingredients are found in both products. Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount. Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created. Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin. Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on). 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. Sodium PCA (the salt of PCA) is one of the most well-established humectants in skincare. Why is it so special? Your skin already makes it naturally; it's a natural component of your skin's Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF), or the mix of water-binding compounds inside your skin cells that keeps things soft and hydrated. As a cosmetic ingredient, it grabs water and holds it in the upper layers of skin to smooth roughness and ease dehydration. There's some clinical support for the NMF approach with a study showing that a cream built to mimic the skin's NMF significantly boosted hydration. Safety-wise, this ingredient non-irritating, non-comedogenic, and non-phototoxic in testing, with minimal skin absorption. It also works really well with other hydrators like glycerin or hyaluronic acid, and typical usage is somewhere between 0.2-4%. Sodium Polyacrylate is the sodium salt of polyacrylic acid. It is used as an absorber, emollient, and stabilizer. This ingredient is a super-absorbent polymer - meaning it can absorb 100 to 1000 times its mass in water. As an emollient, Sodium Polyacrylate helps soften and soothe skin. Emollients work by creating a barrier to trap moisture in. This helps keep your skin hydrated. Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product. So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation. You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all