Paula's Choice Defense Nightly Reconditioning Moisturizer Versus Paula's Choice Clinical Ceramide-Enriched Firming Moisturizer
This barrier-repair night moisturizer is formulated around Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12 and Ceramide Ng to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate and Retinol to soften the look of wrinkles and strengthen the skin barrier.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingIsoamyl Laurate
Emollient
Prunus Serotina Fruit Extract
MaskingAlmond/Borage/Linseed/Olive Acids/Glycerides
Antioxidant
Medicago Sativa Extract
TonicSesamum Indicum Seed
Abrasive
Hydrolyzed Eruca Sativa Leaf
Antioxidant
Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Algae Extract
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Dipeptide-10
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ceramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Cocoyl Proline
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Trehalose
Humectant
Eclipta Prostrata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate
Skin Conditioning
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract
Skin Conditioning
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Alaria Esculenta Extract
Skin Protecting
Adenosine Phosphate
Skin ConditioningPEG-10 Phytosterol
EmulsifyingTribehenin
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Sodium Gluconate
ChelatingZinc Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Copper Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Magnesium Aspartate
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Olivate
Isoamyl Cocoate
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Polyglyceryl-10 Caprylate/Caprate
EmulsifyingMicrocrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol Stearate
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Isoamyl Laurate, Prunus Serotina Fruit Extract, Almond/Borage/Linseed/Olive Acids/Glycerides, Medicago Sativa Extract, Sesamum Indicum Seed, Hydrolyzed Eruca Sativa Leaf, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Algae Extract, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-10, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide Ng, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Cocoyl Proline, Tocopherol, Allantoin, Trehalose, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Alaria Esculenta Extract, Adenosine Phosphate, PEG-10 Phytosterol, Tribehenin, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Sorbitan Olivate, Sodium Gluconate, Zinc Gluconate, Copper Gluconate, Magnesium Aspartate, Cetearyl Olivate, Isoamyl Cocoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polyglyceryl-10 Caprylate/Caprate, Microcrystalline Cellulose, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Xanthan Gum, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate
EmollientPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Glycerin
Humectant
PEG-12 Glyceryl Dimyristate
Skin ConditioningBis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glyceryl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Eos
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Caprooyl Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Caprooyl Sphingosine
Skin ConditioningSqualane
Emollient
Punica Granatum Extract
AstringentPongamia Glabra Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root
Skin ConditioningVitis Vinifera
MaskingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Carnosine
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCeteareth-25
CleansingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Ethylhexyl Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingTrideceth-6
EmulsifyingPropyl Gallate
Antioxidant
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Behenic Acid
Cleansing
Disodium EDTA
ChelatingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Water, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Cetyl Alcohol, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Glycerin, PEG-12 Glyceryl Dimyristate, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Ascorbate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Retinol, Ceramide NP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide Eos, Cholesterol, Caprooyl Phytosphingosine, Caprooyl Sphingosine, Squalane, Punica Granatum Extract, Pongamia Glabra Seed Oil, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root, Vitis Vinifera, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carnosine, Panthenol, Sodium PCA, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Citrate, Ceteareth-25, Polysorbate 20, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Sodium Hydroxide, Trideceth-6, Propyl Gallate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Sodium Polyacrylate, Behenic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 Water
