Versus

Paula's Choice Clinical 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment Versus Maelove The Glow Maker

Facial Treatment
Serum
American Brand United States
American Brand United States

Updated on June 06, 2024

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe . They have a total of 7 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain hyaluronic acid, Vitamin C and Vitamin E

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin, reducing pores, scar healing, dark spots and better texture

Free From

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

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

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and see relevant ingredients

What's inside (and what isn't)

What's inside (and what isn't)

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products
Clinical 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment

Water

Skin Conditioning

Dimethicone

Emollient
1 / 0 Silicon Icon

Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate

Emollient
2 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Isononyl Isononanoate

Emollient

Butylene Glycol

Humectant
1 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Bakuchiol

Antimicrobial
Antioxidant IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Dark Spots IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Arachidyl Alcohol

Emollient

Glyceryl Polymethacrylate

Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Emulsion Stabilising

Behenyl Alcohol

Emollient
Fatty Alcohol Icon

Glycerin

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps brighten skin Icon

PEG-75 Shea Butter Glycerides

Emulsifying
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Glyceryl Stearate

Emollient
1 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Antimicrobial

Polysorbate 20

Emulsifying
0 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Antioxidant
Vitamin C IconAntioxidant IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Retinol

Skin Conditioning
Retinoid IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps fight Acne IconHelps brighten skin IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Ceramide Ng

Skin Conditioning
Ceramide IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps with Anti-Aging Icon

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Skin Conditioning
Peptide IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12

Skin Conditioning
Peptide IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Sodium Hyaluronate

Humectant
0 / 0 Hyaluronic Acid IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Humectant
Helps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Dark Spots Icon

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Bleaching
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Dark Spots Icon

Avena Sativa Kernel Extract

Abrasive
Exfoliant IconAntioxidant IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Arctium Lappa Root Extract

Skin Conditioning
Helps reduce irritation Icon

Salix Alba Bark Extract

Astringent
Good for Oily Skin IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Glycine Soja Sterols

Emollient
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Lecithin

Emollient
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Allantoin

Skin Conditioning
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Tocopheryl Acetate

Antioxidant
0 / 0 Vitamin E IconAntioxidant Icon

Hydrolyzed Soy Protein

Humectant
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Skin Conditioning
Peptide IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Sodium Hydroxide

Buffering

Tribehenin

Emollient
0 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Caprylyl Glycol

Emollient

Dipeptide-2

Skin Conditioning
Peptide IconHelps with Anti-Aging Icon

Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract

Antioxidant
Antioxidant Icon

PEG-10 Phytosterol

Emulsifying

PEG-8

Humectant

Magnesium Aluminum Silicate

Absorbent
0 / 0

Arachidyl Glucoside

Emulsifying

Chrysin

Skin Conditioning

Pentylene Glycol

Skin Conditioning

Sodium Acrylates Copolymer

Steareth-20

Cleansing
2 / 1

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Emulsion Stabilising

Cetearyl Alcohol

Emollient
2 / 1 Fatty Alcohol IconMay worsen Oily Skin IconBad for Acne Prone Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Coco-Glucoside

Cleansing

Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone

Antioxidant
Antioxidant IconSilicon Icon

N-Hydroxysuccinimide

Skin Conditioning

Disodium EDTA

Phenoxyethanol

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Benzoic Acid

Masking
Preservative IconMay worsen Eczema Icon

Ethylhexylglycerin

Skin Conditioning

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water
Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

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 Glycerin
Humectant, Skin Conditioning

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 Hyaluronate
Emollient, Emulsifying, Skin Conditioning

Lecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of mixture of phospholipids.

This ingredient has emollient and emulsifying properties.

As an emollient, lecithen helps 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 also help ingredients be better absorbed by the skin.

This is because the phospholipids in lecithin produce liposomes. Liposomes help other ingredients get through the skin barrier.

Depending on the source of this ingredient, lecithin may not be fungal acne safe. This is because some sources of lecithin come from soybean oil, which may feed the malassezia yeast that feeds fungal acne.

We recommend reaching out to the brand you are purchasing from to inquire about the source of their lecithin.

Learn more about Lecithin

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 EDTA
Preservative

Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent 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.

Skin Conditioning

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.

When to use

131 Routines
5% use in am
95% use in pm
60% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->
177 Routines
91% use in am
9% use in pm
96% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Paula's Choice Clinical 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment 54 ingredients

3.7 /5
from 3 ratings
Doesn't Work (1)
alexandria111's avatar

Alexandra

2 months ago
Review

Did absolutely nothing and it was $60😭😭

#doesn't work

Maelove The Glow Maker 19 ingredients

4.3 /5
from 3 ratings
Absorbs Well (1) Light (1)
xby's avatar

xby

10 months ago
Review

sinks in sooo well, and my skin feels brighter and glowy using it

#light
#absorbs well