Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Medik8 Crystal Retinal 3 versus Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment US .
Last updated on March 20, 2024. Published on May 04, 2022
Overview
What they are
These products are both vegan and cruelty-free . They have a total of 9 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain exfoliants, hyaluronic acid, retinoid, Vitamin C and Vitamin E
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing, dark spots and better texture
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, 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
Medik8 Crystal Retinal 3 39 ingredients
Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment 53 ingredients
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:
Not Reef Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not reef safe:
Contains EU Allergens
Ingredients in this product that are EU allergens:
Vegan
This product is vegan 🎉
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
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 🎉
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Medik8 Crystal Retinal 3 39 ingredients
Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment 53 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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Concerns
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Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Benefits
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This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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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.
Medik8 Crystal Retinal 3 39 ingredients
Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment 53 ingredients
Water • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride • Glycerin • Isododecane • Cyclodextrin • Cetearyl Alcohol • Cetearyl Olivate • Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer • Sorbitan Olivate • Tocopheryl Acetate • Squalane • Sodium Hyaluronate • Retinal • 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid • Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil • Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer • Ethylhexylglycerin • Pentylene Glycol • Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract • Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose • Rubus Chamaemorus Seed Oil • Sodium Polyaspartate • Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate • Dipteryx Odorata Bean Extract • BHA • Polyhydroxystearic Acid • Disodium EDTA • Hydroxyacetophenone • Titanium Dioxide • Phenoxyethanol • Alumina • Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract • Isostearic Acid • Lecithin • Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract • Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate • Stearic Acid • Coumarin • CI 14700
Water • Dimethicone • Glycerin • Butylene Glycol • Isononyl Isononanoate • Castor Isostearate Succinate • Glyceryl Stearate • C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate • Dimethicone Crosspolymer • Peg-33 • Polysorbate 20 • Behenyl Alcohol • Peg-100 Stearate • Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate • Polymethylsilsesquioxane • 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 Seed Oil • Salix Alba Extract • Glycine Soja Sterols • Lecithin • Allantoin • Tocopheryl Acetate • Hydrolyzed Soy Protein • Sorbitan Laurate • Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester • Disodium EDTA • Hydroxyethylcellulose • Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 • Sodium Hydroxide • Tribehenin • Caprylyl Glycol • Ethylhexylglycerin • Pentylene Glycol • Peg-75 Shea Butter Glycerides • Ppg-12/Smdi Copolymer • Peg-10 Phytosterol • Peg-8 Dimethicone • Peg-14 • Magnesium Aluminum Silicate • Arachidyl Glucoside • Arachidyl Alcohol • Sclerotium Gum • Carbomer • Phenoxyethanol • Benzoic Acid
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 WaterMedik8 Crystal Retinal 3 contains this as ingredient number 1.
Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment 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 GlycerinMedik8 Crystal Retinal 3 contains this as ingredient number 3.
Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment US contains this as ingredient number 3.
Tocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateMedik8 Crystal Retinal 3 contains this as ingredient number 10.
Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment US contains this as ingredient number 30.
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 HyaluronateMedik8 Crystal Retinal 3 contains this as ingredient number 12.
Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment US contains this as ingredient number 21.
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.
Medik8 Crystal Retinal 3 contains this as ingredient number 17.
Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment US contains this as ingredient number 40.
Pentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can help thicken or emulsify a product. Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolMedik8 Crystal Retinal 3 contains this as ingredient number 18.
Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment US contains this as ingredient number 41.
Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.
It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.
Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAMedik8 Crystal Retinal 3 contains this as ingredient number 27.
Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment US contains this as ingredient number 34.
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.
Medik8 Crystal Retinal 3 contains this as ingredient number 30.
Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment US contains this as ingredient number 52.
Lecithin is a term for a group of substances found in plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of mixture of fatty acids. These fatty acids usually are a mixture of phosphoric acid's choline ester connected to stearic, oleic, and palmitic acids. Most lecithins are created from plant ingredients scuh as sunflower.
Lecithin is an emollient. Emollients help soften the skin and creates a barrier to keep moisture in.
As an emulsifier, it also helps prevent water and oil ingredients from separating. Lecithin can help ingredients be better absorbed by the skin. The phospholipids in Lecithin can produce liposomes. Liposomes help other ingredients get through the skin barrier.
Learn more about LecithinMedik8 Crystal Retinal 3 contains this as ingredient number 34.
Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment US contains this as ingredient number 28.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Medik8 Crystal Retinal 3 39 ingredients
Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment 53 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Medik8 Crystal Retinal 3 39 ingredients
Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment 53 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment 53 ingredients
glasscasita
Love it
My favorite retinol. Been using it for a year and never had any bad reactions (be sure to follow instructions like starting slow). It's a...
Love it
My favorite retinol. Been using it for a year and never had any bad reactions (be sure to follow instructions like starting slow). It's a bit pricey but worth it
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