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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Pacifica Vegan Amino Acid 10% Complex versus Paula's Choice Peptide Booster .

Published on June 01, 2022

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe facial treatments. They have a total of 14 ingredients in common

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for dry skin and sensitive skin

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, oils, parabens or sulfates

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

Facial Treatment American Brand United States
Facial Treatment American Brand United States

Facial Treatment

Facial treatments are specially designed to treat a skin concern. Acne treatments and anti-aging products are common examples of facial treatments.

Facial Treatment

Facial treatments are specially designed to treat a skin concern. Acne treatments and anti-aging products are common examples of facial treatments.

Price

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Buy Vegan Amino Acid 10% Complex

Starts at $2.99
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Buy Peptide Booster

Starts at $58.00

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Benefits

Hydrating (2)
Redness Reducing (2)
Reduces Irritation (2)

Concerns

Rosacea
Eczema

Notable Ingredients

AHA
Peptides (8)

Benefits

Hydrating (3)
Redness Reducing (2)
Reduces Irritation
Anti-Aging
Dark Spots
Scar Healing
Brightening (2)

Concerns

Rosacea
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Ingredients Compared

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

Water • Betaine • Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice • Glutamic Acid • Lysine Hcl • Threonine • Arginine • Proline • Serine • Alanine • Glycine • Hydroxyethylcellulose • Sclerotium Gum • Xanthan Gum • Sodium PCA • Sodium Lactate • Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract • Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract • PCA • Disodium Phosphate • Polysorbate 20 • Citric Acid • Potassium Sorbate • Sodium Benzoate • Sodium Phosphate • Ethylhexylglycerin • Phenoxyethanol • Parfum

Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

1
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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 Water

Pacifica Vegan Amino Acid 10% Complex contains this as ingredient number 1.

Paula's Choice Peptide Booster contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Humectant
Community Rating: Loved

Glutamic Acid is an amino acid that is found in all living organisms. Our bodies use this to help nerve cells in the brain communicate with other cells.

In cosmetics, glutamic acid is a famous humectant. It draws water from the air to your skin, keeping your skin hydrated (like hyaluronic acid).

An in-vitro study from 2024 found glutamic acid to play a role in inhibiting inflammation and thus a potential skin-soothing ingredient.

Other studies show it to be have potential wound healing, skin barrier repair, and hair growth properties.

Glutamic acid has poor solubility in water and other solvents.

Learn more about Glutamic Acid

Pacifica Vegan Amino Acid 10% Complex contains this as ingredient number 4.

Paula's Choice Peptide Booster contains this as ingredient number 20.

3
What it does:
Community Rating: Loved

Threonine is an amino-acid. It helps hydrate the skin and has antioxidant benefits.

Threonine is vital for creating collagen and elastin. Collagen and elastin support youthful and firm skin. Our bodies decrease collagen production naturally with age.

Humans are not able to create threonine and must get it through eating foods such as fish, lentils, poultry, sesame seeds, and more.

Learn more about Threonine

Pacifica Vegan Amino Acid 10% Complex contains this as ingredient number 6.

Paula's Choice Peptide Booster contains this as ingredient number 22.

4
What it does: Masking, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Mixed

Arginine is an amino acid that is important for human development. Your body uses is it to produce hair keratin and skin collagen.

As a cosmetic ingredient, Arginine has antioxidant properties and can also help repair damaged skin. This ingredient is derived either synthetically or from animals.

Arginine isn't fungal acne safe when used in the presence of other lipids (fats, fatty acids, oils, esters, etc). Oils and fats occur naturally within the skin, so take caution when using Arginine if you're prone to fungal acne.

Learn more about Arginine

Pacifica Vegan Amino Acid 10% Complex contains this as ingredient number 7.

Paula's Choice Peptide Booster contains this as ingredient number 16.

5
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

Proline is an amino-acid. It helps moisturize the skin and plays an important role in creating proteins.

Proline is one of the building blocks for producing collagen. As we age, our bodies produce less collagen. Collagen helps the skin look plump and firm.

In medicine, proline is used as an osmoprotectant. This means it helps prevent oxidative degradation in other drugs.

Our bodies are able to produce proline naturally, but certain conditions may inhibit this production. In that case, proline can be obtained from eating egg whites, soy protein, dairy products, asparagus, mushrooms, and seaweed.

Learn more about Proline

Pacifica Vegan Amino Acid 10% Complex contains this as ingredient number 8.

Paula's Choice Peptide Booster contains this as ingredient number 25.

6
What it does: Masking, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

Serine is an amino acid naturally found in our body. Our bodies use amino acids to create protein.

Amino-acids help give keep our skin hydrated. They play an important role in the skin barrier, which keeps the skin plump and firm.

Serine is a non-essential amino acid, meaning we don't need to obtain it from eating foods.

Learn more about Serine

Pacifica Vegan Amino Acid 10% Complex contains this as ingredient number 9.

Paula's Choice Peptide Booster contains this as ingredient number 21.

7
What it does: Masking, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

Alanine is an amino acid and is already found in the human body.

Alanine has antioxidant properties and can help with anti-aging.

Alanine is used by fibrous proteins such as collagen, elastin, and keratin. These three help make a strong skin barrier. Having a healthy skin barrier leads to more plump and youthful skin.

Learn more about Alanine

Pacifica Vegan Amino Acid 10% Complex contains this as ingredient number 10.

Paula's Choice Peptide Booster contains this as ingredient number 19.

8
What it does: Buffering, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

Glycine is an amino acid that helps build proteins. It is already present in our skin as our bodies produce them naturally.

Glycine helps keep skin hydrated and reduce signs of aging. Amino acids help transport moisture throughout our skin; glycine already plays a role in helping keep our skin moisturized.

As collagen is made up of glycine and other amino acids, it is believed Glycine may help our skin produce more collagen. Collagen helps keep skin plump and firm.

Learn more about Glycine

Pacifica Vegan Amino Acid 10% Complex contains this as ingredient number 11.

Paula's Choice Peptide Booster contains this as ingredient number 18.

9
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

Sodium PCA is the sodium salt of pyroglutamic acid and is naturally occurring on human skin.

The PCA stands for pyrrolidone carboxylic acid, a natural amino acid derivative.

Sodium PCA is a has conditioning, anti-inflammatory, and humectant properties. Humectants help hydrate your skin by drawing moisture from the air. This helps keep your skin moisturized.

Learn more about Sodium PCA

Pacifica Vegan Amino Acid 10% Complex contains this as ingredient number 15.

Paula's Choice Peptide Booster contains this as ingredient number 31.

10
What it does: Buffering, Humectant
Community Rating: Liked

Sodium Lactate is the sodium salt of lactic acid, an AHA. It is a humectant and used to adjust the pH of a product.

Sodium Lactate is part of our skin's NMF, or natural moisturizing factor. Our NMF is essential for the hydration of our top skin layers and plasticity of skin.

It also influences our skin's natural acid mantle and pH, which protects our skin from harmful bacteria.

Our NMF is formed from amino acids, lactic acid, sugars, minerals, peptides, and electrolytes. As we age, our NMF naturally depletes. Other sources of NMF depletion include harsh and drying ingredients such as denatured alcohol. Sodium lactate can help replenish our NMF, leading to more hydrated and plump skin.

High percentages of Sodium Lactate can have an exfoliating effect.

Sodium Lactate is produced from fermented sugar.

Learn more about Sodium Lactate

Pacifica Vegan Amino Acid 10% Complex contains this as ingredient number 16.

Paula's Choice Peptide Booster contains this as ingredient number 41.

11
What it does: Humectant, Moisturising
Community Rating: Loved

PCA is derived from amino acids and is naturally found in our skin's barrier.

As a humectant, PCA helps draw and hold moisture to the skin. Studies show it is effective at helping the skin stay hydrated long-term.

Pacifica Vegan Amino Acid 10% Complex contains this as ingredient number 19.

Paula's Choice Peptide Booster contains this as ingredient number 28.

12
What it does: Emulsifying
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Polysorbate 20 is made by combining ethoxylation of sorbitan, ethylene oxide, and lauric acid. It is a mild cleansing agent, surfactant, and emulsifier.

As a surfactant, it helps collect dirt and oils for washing. Emulsifiers prevent oils and water from separating.

Polysorbate 20 also adds scent to a product. Since it is made using sorbitol, it has a sweet scent. Sorbitol can also be found in fruits such as apples and peaches.

The lauric acid used to create Polysorbate 20 is often derived from coconuts.

Polysorbate 20 may not be fungal acne safe.

Learn more about Polysorbate 20

Pacifica Vegan Amino Acid 10% Complex contains this as ingredient number 21.

Paula's Choice Peptide Booster contains this as ingredient number 44.

13
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Mixed

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.

Pacifica Vegan Amino Acid 10% Complex contains this as ingredient number 26.

Paula's Choice Peptide Booster contains this as ingredient number 56.

14
What it does: Preservative
Community Rating: Very Disliked

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.

Pacifica Vegan Amino Acid 10% Complex contains this as ingredient number 27.

Paula's Choice Peptide Booster contains this as ingredient number 54.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

54% are loved or liked
11% have mixed ratings
29% are disliked or very disliked
7% have no rating yet
61% are loved or liked
11% have mixed ratings
9% are disliked or very disliked
20% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

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