Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel US versus Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Invisible Finish Moisture Gel .
Last updated on October 29, 2023. Published on June 05, 2021
Overview
What they are
These products are both reef safe general moisturizers. They have a total of 5 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain hyaluronic acid
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin and better texture
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, fragrances, parabens or sulfates
What's Inside
They both contain silicones
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.
General Moisturizer
All-purpose moisturizers hydrate the top layer of skin cells.
General Moisturizer
All-purpose moisturizers hydrate the top layer of skin cells.
Price
Ingredient Info
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel 34 ingredients
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Invisible Finish Moisture Gel 28 ingredients
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 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
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 😥
Not Cruelty Free
This product is not 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 🎉
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
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel 34 ingredients
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Invisible Finish Moisture Gel 28 ingredients
Benefits
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Concerns
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Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Concerns
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel 34 ingredients
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Invisible Finish Moisture Gel 28 ingredients
Water • Glycerin • Dimethicone • Cetearyl Olivate • Sorbitan Olivate • Sodium Hyaluronate • Serine • Glycine • Alanine • Threonine • Arginine • Proline • Lysine Hcl • Glutamic Acid • Sodium PCA • PCA • Sodium Lactate • Urea • Sodium Chloride • Citric Acid • Betaine • Allantoin • Fructose • Maltose • Trehalose • Glucose • Pentylene Glycol • Synthetic Beeswax • Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6 • Dimethicone Crosspolymer • Dimethiconol • Ethylhexylglycerin • Caprylyl Glycol • Sodium Hydroxide
Water • Cyclopentasiloxane • Butylene Glycol • Glycerin • Bis-Phenylpropyl Dimethicone • Niacinamide • Laminaria Saccharina Extract • Avena Sativa Kernel Extract • Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract • Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract • Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil • Tocopheryl Acetate • Phenyl Trimethicone • Dimethicone • Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate • Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate • Sodium Hyaluronate • Phospholipids • Superoxide Dismutase • Isohexadecane • Panthenol • Sodium Caprylate • Sodium Carbomer • Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer • Polysorbate 80 • Hydroxyethylcellulose • Ethylhexylglycerin • Phenoxyethanol
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 WaterNeutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel US contains this as ingredient number 1.
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Invisible Finish Moisture Gel 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 GlycerinNeutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel US contains this as ingredient number 2.
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Invisible Finish Moisture Gel contains this as ingredient number 4.
Dimethicone is a silicone used for making products smooth and silky. It also has the added benefit of sealing in hydration. The amount of dimethicone found in beauty products is considered safe and non-comedogenic, meaning it won't clog pores.
Dimethicone has been found increase absorption in skin, boosting the benefits of other ingredients. While there is concern for the safety of dimethicone, the levels used in skincare are safe for use.
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel US contains this as ingredient number 3.
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Invisible Finish Moisture Gel contains this as ingredient number 14.
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 HyaluronateNeutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel US contains this as ingredient number 6.
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Invisible Finish Moisture Gel contains this as ingredient number 17.
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.
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel US contains this as ingredient number 32.
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Invisible Finish Moisture Gel contains this as ingredient number 27.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel 34 ingredients
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Invisible Finish Moisture Gel 28 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel 34 ingredients
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Invisible Finish Moisture Gel 28 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel 34 ingredients
jeanpaul2301
Great mosturizer!
Tried this out of curiosity with my mom, both of us were pleased with our results. She has normal to dry skin and I have combo...
Great mosturizer!
Tried this out of curiosity with my mom, both of us were pleased with our results. She has normal to dry skin and I have combo skin with fungal acne. She uses this everyday as soon as she gets out of the shower; without it her skin would feel dry as a desert. In my case, I put this on after using the Cetaphil daily facial cleanser. I know this product isn't fungal acne safe but I have combo skin, so I put it on the areas of my face that instead of having fungal acne, are kind of dry (mostly my cheeks, nose and neck). This moisturizer makes my skin feel refreshed, hydrated and healthy. It definitely has fragrance, but It's nice and light. I won't give it 5 stars just because it isn't fungal acne safe:)
cgi
I want to say I love it
This moisturizer isn’t even that bad, in fact it’s the first moisturizer that made my skin feel like a baby’s bum when I...
I want to say I love it
This moisturizer isn’t even that bad, in fact it’s the first moisturizer that made my skin feel like a baby’s bum when I first got into the skincare world. It made my skin smooth within a month or so. It’s very lightweight and looks clear when you put it on. When you apply it, you might have to protect your face because it does take a couple of minutes to absorb into your skin. Though it was formulated for dry/extremely dry skin, I bought this product even though I have oily skin because I’ve seen many dermatologists recommend it to those with dehydrated oily skin or just oily skin in general. It smells good, but since it does have fragrance I would not recommend this to those with sensitive skin. I love the way it feels on my face but I feel like it just doesn’t pair with the other skincare products I own. I only use this occasionally when my skin feels a little dehydrated. Other than that, I’d totally recommend this to those with dehydrated oily skin and extremely dry skin!
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Invisible Finish Moisture Gel 28 ingredients
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel US.
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