Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Paula's Choice Defense Essential Glow Moisturizer SPF 30 versus Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Ultra-Sheer Daily Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 30 .
Last updated on December 05, 2023. Published on May 25, 2021
Overview
What they are
These products are both cruelty-free . They have a total of 7 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain exfoliants, SPF, Vitamin C and Vitamin E
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing, dark spots 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.
Sunscreen
Sunscreens help absorb or reflect UV radiation and protect skin against skin damage. Sunscreens may come in the form of lotion, gel, foam, spray, or solid-stick.
Price
Ingredient Info
Paula's Choice Defense Essential Glow Moisturizer SPF 30 45 ingredients
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Ultra-Sheer Daily Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 30 31 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 🎉
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:
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of 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 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Not Reef Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not reef safe:
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
Paula's Choice Defense Essential Glow Moisturizer SPF 30 45 ingredients
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Ultra-Sheer Daily Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 30 31 ingredients
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Benefits
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Concerns
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Benefits
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Paula's Choice Defense Essential Glow Moisturizer SPF 30 45 ingredients
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Ultra-Sheer Daily Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 30 31 ingredients
Water • C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate • Zinc Oxide • Titanium Dioxide • Glycerin • Isononyl Isononanoate • Butylene Glycol • Cetearyl Alcohol • Potassium Cetyl Phosphate • Dimethicone • Glyceryl Stearate • Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract • Actinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract • Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil • Tetrapeptide-30 • Linoleic Acid • Resveratrol • Ascorbyl Glucoside • Niacinamide • Tocopheryl Acetate • Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate • Bisabolol • Tocopherol • Phospholipids • Lecithin • Glycine Soja Sterols • Xanthophylls • Pullulan • Sodium Gluconate • Xanthan Gum • Sclerotium Gum • Alumina • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride • Citric Acid • Triethoxycaprylylsilane • C13-14 Isoparaffin • Acrylates Copolymer • Polyhydroxystearic Acid • Caprylyl Glycol • Polyacrylamide • Ceteareth-20 • Aluminum Stearate • Laureth-7 • Ethylhexylglycerin • Phenoxyethanol
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3% • Homosalate 7% • Octocrylene 2% • Benzophenone-3 4% • Water • Butylene Glycol • Silica • Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate • Cetyl Dimethicone • Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract • Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder • Ascorbyl Palmitate • Phospholipids • Superoxide Dismutase • Adenosine • Tocopherol • Bisabolol • Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract • Avena Sativa Kernel Extract • Panthenol • Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract • Salix Alba Bark Extract • Rosin Acrylate • Titanium Dioxide • Sodium Hydroxide • Steareth-21 • Steareth-2 • Polysorbate 20 • Disodium EDTA • Phenoxyethanol • Sorbic 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 WaterPaula's Choice Defense Essential Glow Moisturizer SPF 30 contains this as ingredient number 1.
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Ultra-Sheer Daily Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 30 contains this as ingredient number 5.
Titanium dioxide is known for its UVA and UVB protection properties. It is non-comedogenic and non-irritating. Titanium Dioxide is a physical sunscreen. Physical sunscreens reflect light and prevent it from reaching your skin.
Protecting your skin against UV radiation can prevent the signs of aging. Sun damage is associated with fine-lines, wrinkles, loss of firmness, and hyperpigmentation. Titanium dioxide can help prevent premature aging.
With modern production, nano-scale or fine-grade titanium dioxide can be easily produced for cosmetics. In sunscreen, titanium dioxide absorbs UV light. Our skin is not able to absorb Titanium dioxide, even nanoparticles.
Titanium itself is the 9th most common element in the Earth's crust. Titanium dioxide is formed when oxygen is introduced and can be found in ores, dust, sand, and soil.
Pure titanium dioxide is a white powder that is used in many products to add or change color.
Learn more about Titanium DioxidePaula's Choice Defense Essential Glow Moisturizer SPF 30 contains this as ingredient number 4.
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Ultra-Sheer Daily Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 30 contains this as ingredient number 24.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
- It is a solvent, meaning that it helps to dissolve other ingredients. This also enhances the absorption of the product into one's skin.
- It is a humectant, which means that it helps attract moisture into the skin.
- It helps improve product application.
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient. It is unlikely to irritate skin, and works well with pretty much all other ingredients.
Paula's Choice Defense Essential Glow Moisturizer SPF 30 contains this as ingredient number 7.
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Ultra-Sheer Daily Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 30 contains this as ingredient number 6.
Bisabolol is pimarily used to add fragrance to a product. However, it is also famous for helping soothe skin.
Bisabolol comes from German chamomile essential oil. Synthetic Bisabolol has been shown to be less effective.
Bisabolol helps soothe skin. It does this by blocking the inflammatory signals, helping to reduce your body's reaction to irritation.
Bisabolol also interferes with the process of hyperpigmentation. This can help with reducing dark spots and uneven tone.
Bisabolol is an antioxidant. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells. By fighting these free-radicals, Bisabolol may slow down signs of aging.
Studies have shown Bisabolol to have antimicrobial properties and may be a fungicide. These properties help preserve a product's shelf life.
Bisabolol also helps the absorption of other ingredients.
Learn more about BisabololPaula's Choice Defense Essential Glow Moisturizer SPF 30 contains this as ingredient number 22.
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Ultra-Sheer Daily Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 30 contains this as ingredient number 17.
Tocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
Learn more about TocopherolPaula's Choice Defense Essential Glow Moisturizer SPF 30 contains this as ingredient number 23.
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Ultra-Sheer Daily Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 30 contains this as ingredient number 16.
Phospholipids are naturally found in our skin as they are the main component of cell membranes. Phospholipids have humectant, emollient, antioxidant properties.
The phospholipids in our skin can be naturally depleted. Replenishing the phospholipids in our skin can help hydrate your skin. Due to their hygroscopic nature, they act as humectants and emollients. Humectants draw moisture from the air to your skin, while emollients help trap moisture in. This ingredient is non-occlusive.
Studies show phospholipids display antioxidant activity and may help with reducing the signs of aging.
Phospholipids are complex lipids that contain glycerin, two fatty acids, and a phosphate group. Some foods that contain phospholipids include soybeans and milk. The phospholipids found in soy come from Lecithin. This ingredient can also be synthetically created.
Some types of phospholipids:
Learn more about PhospholipidsPaula's Choice Defense Essential Glow Moisturizer SPF 30 contains this as ingredient number 24.
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Ultra-Sheer Daily Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 30 contains this as ingredient number 13.
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.
Paula's Choice Defense Essential Glow Moisturizer SPF 30 contains this as ingredient number 45.
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Ultra-Sheer Daily Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 30 contains this as ingredient number 30.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Paula's Choice Defense Essential Glow Moisturizer SPF 30 45 ingredients
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Ultra-Sheer Daily Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 30 31 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Paula's Choice Defense Essential Glow Moisturizer SPF 30 45 ingredients
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Ultra-Sheer Daily Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 30 31 ingredients
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 27 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Paula's Choice Defense Essential Glow Moisturizer SPF 30.
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