Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Dr. Barbara Sturm Glow Drops versus Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster US .
Last updated on November 03, 2023. Published on May 25, 2021
Overview
What they are
These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe . They have a total of 9 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain hyaluronic acid and Vitamin C
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin, scar healing, dark spots and better texture
Free From
They both do not contain any common allergens, parabens or sulfates
What's Inside
They both contain oils
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.
Serum
Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.
Facial Treatment
Facial treatments are specially designed to treat a skin concern. Acne treatments and anti-aging products are common examples of facial treatments.
Ingredient Info
Dr. Barbara Sturm Glow Drops 36 ingredients
Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster 21 ingredients
Contains Alcohol
Ingredients in this product that are types of alcohol:
Contains Silicon
Ingredients in this product that are types of silicon:
Fragrance Free
This product is free of fragrances 🎉
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Contains Oils
Ingredients in this product that are types of oil:
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Vegan
This product is vegan 🎉
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Contains Oils
Ingredients in this product that are types of oil:
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Dr. Barbara Sturm Glow Drops 36 ingredients
Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster 21 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Benefits
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Dr. Barbara Sturm Glow Drops 36 ingredients
Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster 21 ingredients
Water • Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil • C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate • Glycerin • Lactobacillus/Portulaca Oleracea Ferment Extract • Butylene Glycol • Cetearyl Alcohol • Glyceryl Stearate • Panthenol • Phenoxyethanol • Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate • Stearic Acid • Dimethicone • Carbomer • Ethylhexylglycerin • Sodium Hyaluronate • Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate • Mica • Hexylene Glycol • Polygonum Bistorta Root Extract • Sodium Hydroxide • Alcohol • Biosaccharide Gum-1 • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride • Rosa Canina Fruit Extract • Synthetic Fluorphlogopite • Pantolactone • Caprylyl Glycol • Xanthan Gum • Ascorbyl Palmitate • Citric Acid • Ascorbic Acid • Alumina • Tin Oxide • CI 77891 • CI 77491
Water • Ascorbic Acid • Butylene Glycol • Ethoxydiglycol • Glycerin • Ppg-26-Buteth-26 • Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil • Pentylene Glycol • Tocopherol • Sodium Hyaluronate • Hexanoyl Dipeptide-3 Norleucine Acetate • Lecithin • Ferulic Acid • Panthenol • Bisabolol • Oryza Sativa Bran Extract • Propyl Gallate • Sodium Gluconate • Sodium Hydroxide • Phenoxyethanol • Ethylhexylglycerin
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 need to stay alive. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterDr. Barbara Sturm Glow Drops contains this as ingredient number 1.
Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster US contains this as ingredient number 1.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.
As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.
Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.
Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.
In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.
This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinDr. Barbara Sturm Glow Drops contains this as ingredient number 4.
Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster US contains this as ingredient number 5.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
- It is a solvent, meaning that it helps to dissolve other ingredients. This also enhances the absorption of the product into one's skin.
- It is a humectant, which means that it helps attract moisture into the skin.
- It helps improve product application.
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient. It is unlikely to irritate skin, and works well with pretty much all other ingredients.
Dr. Barbara Sturm Glow Drops contains this as ingredient number 6.
Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster US contains this as ingredient number 3.
Panthenol (also referred to as pro-vitamin B5) is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin.
lt is a humectant, meaning that it helps the skin attract and retain moisture.
Another benefit is the anti-inflammatory abilities. This means that it's great for sensitive, irritation-prone skin.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
Learn more about PanthenolDr. Barbara Sturm Glow Drops contains this as ingredient number 9.
Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster US contains this as ingredient number 14.
Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent germ and microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Dr. Barbara Sturm Glow Drops contains this as ingredient number 10.
Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster US contains this as ingredient number 20.
Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.
You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.
Dr. Barbara Sturm Glow Drops contains this as ingredient number 15.
Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster US contains this as ingredient number 21.
Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.
Like hyaluronic acid, it is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. This makes it a great skin hydrating ingredient.
Sodium Hyaluronate is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateDr. Barbara Sturm Glow Drops contains this as ingredient number 16.
Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster US contains this as ingredient number 10.
Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideDr. Barbara Sturm Glow Drops contains this as ingredient number 21.
Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster US contains this as ingredient number 19.
Ascorbic Acid is is pure Vitamin C. This form makes up the largest amount of vitamin C found naturally in our skin.
Not only is vitamin C great for your overall health and immune system, it also has plenty of benefits on your skin.
Vitamin C is best used for brightening skin. It improves dark spots, acne scars, and hyperpigmentation. This is because it blocks the process of skin darkening when exposed to UV.
Remember: Vitamin C should not replace sunscreen!
Your skin uses vitamin C to build collagen. Collagen is one key component in having a strong skin barrier and plump skin. Vitamin C also plays a role in regulating collagen, thus making it effective in improving wrinkles and fine lines.
Ascorbic acid shows potent antioxidant activity. As an antioxidant, it helps fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells. These antioxidants also protect skin against UV damage.
The best formulations include Vitamin E and/or ferulic acid. These two ingredients help stabilize and provide a boost in the benefits of ascorbic acid. This is because ascorbic acid becomes unstable when exposed to UV and air. In fact, you can tell your ascorbic acid has oxidized when it turns an orange-yellow color.
Ascorbic acid is generally compatible with other ingredients. However, using ascorbic acid with other active ingredients might cause irritation. Two ingredients: copper ions and benzoyl peroxide, will inactivate ascorbic acid completely.
Read more about other types of Vitamin C:
Foods rich with vitamin C include oranges, strawberries, broccoli, bell peppers, and more. When consuming Vitamin C, your skin receives a portion of the nutrients.
Learn more about Ascorbic AcidDr. Barbara Sturm Glow Drops contains this as ingredient number 32.
Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster US contains this as ingredient number 2.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Dr. Barbara Sturm Glow Drops 36 ingredients
Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster 21 ingredients
Usage
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When to use
Dr. Barbara Sturm Glow Drops 36 ingredients
Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster 21 ingredients
Reviews
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Dr. Barbara Sturm Glow Drops 36 ingredients
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