Paula's Choice 2% BHA Lotion Exfoliant Versus Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Dark Spot Sun Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 50
This smoothing exfoliator is formulated around Salicylic Acid and Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract to refine skin texture and refine the look of pores.
This mineral sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~98% of UVB at SPF 50.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Epilobium Angustifolium Extract
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingMagnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Water, Butylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Cetyl Alcohol, Salicylic Acid, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Cyclopentasiloxane, Sorbitan Stearate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Lauric Acid, Allantoin, Glycerin, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium Extract, Dimethicone, Xanthan Gum, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Hexylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Zinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Acrylates/Carbamate Copolymer
Skin ConditioningAluminum Hydroxide
EmollientAscorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
BHT
Antioxidant
Bis-Ethylhexyl Hydroxydimethoxy Benzylmalonate
Antioxidant
Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract
Skin Protecting
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract
Emulsion Stabilising
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Coconut Alkanes
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingIsohexadecane
EmollientIsononyl Isononanoate
EmollientIsopropyl Titanium Triisostearate
Emollient
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Melatonin
Antioxidant
Nordihydroguaiaretic Acid
Antioxidant
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Oleanolic Acid
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Skin Conditioning
PEG-60 Almond Glycerides
Emulsifying
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Propanediol
Solvent
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Sphingolipids
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingZinc PCA
Humectant
Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Acrylates/Carbamate Copolymer, Aluminum Hydroxide, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Benzyl Alcohol, BHT, Bis-Ethylhexyl Hydroxydimethoxy Benzylmalonate, Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract, Butylene Glycol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Citric Acid, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Coconut Alkanes, Disodium EDTA, Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil, Glycerin, Glycolic Acid, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Isohexadecane, Isononyl Isononanoate, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Melatonin, Nordihydroguaiaretic Acid, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Oleanolic Acid, Oryza Sativa Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, PEG-60 Almond Glycerides, Pentylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Phospholipids, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Polysorbate 60, Potassium Sorbate, Propanediol, Saccharide Isomerate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium PCA, Sphingolipids, Stearic Acid, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Tocopherol, Water, Xanthan Gum, Zinc PCA
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCaprylyl 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).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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.
Learn more about GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolWater. 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. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
