Versus

Paula's Choice Probiotic Nutrient Moisturizer Versus Paula's Choice Water-Infusing Electrolyte Moisturizer - EU

General Moisturizer
General Moisturizer
American Brand United States
American Brand United States

Updated on July 18, 2024

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe general moisturizers. They have a total of 8 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain ceramides, niacinamide, peptides and Vitamin E

Suited For

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

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, fragrances, 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

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products
Probiotic Nutrient Moisturizer

Water

Skin Conditioning

Isoamyl Laurate

Emollient
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Glycerin

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

Butylene Glycol

Humectant
1 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Sodium Polyacrylate Starch

Absorbent

Cetyl Alcohol

Emollient
2 / 2 Fatty Alcohol Icon

Lauroyl Lysine

Skin Conditioning

Lactobacillus/Rye Flour Ferment

Skin Conditioning

Lactobacillus Ferment

Skin Conditioning

Bifida Ferment Lysate

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Glucomannan

Skin Conditioning

Saccharomyces Lysate

Skin Conditioning

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Antimicrobial
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Glycine Soja Seed Extract

Skin Conditioning
Helps reduce irritation IconGood for Dark Spots Icon

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Antimicrobial
Antioxidant IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps with Anti-Aging Icon

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

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

Acetyl Hexapeptide-1

Skin Conditioning
Peptide Icon

Palmitoyl Dipeptide-10

Skin Conditioning
Peptide Icon

Ceramide Ng

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

Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil

Emollient
1 / 0 Oil IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Palmitoyl Proline

Skin Conditioning

Glycine

Buffering
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Serine

Masking
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Threonine

Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Alanine

Masking

Valine

Masking

Arginine

Masking
Good for Scar Healing IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Proline

Skin Conditioning

Lysine Hcl

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract

Astringent

Niacinamide

Smoothing
Niacinamide IconGood for Oily Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps fight Acne IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Adenosine

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Lecithin

Emollient
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Phytic Acid

AHA IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps brighten skin IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Yeast Extract

Skin Conditioning
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Tocopherol

Antioxidant
0-3 / 0-3 Vitamin E IconAntioxidant IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Sodium PCA

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Sodium Lactate

Buffering

PCA

Humectant
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Magnesium Palmitoyl Glutamate

Skin Conditioning

Sodium Palmitoyl Sarcosinate

Cleansing

Isopropyl Palmitate

Emollient
3-4 / 1 May worsen Oily Skin IconBad for Acne Prone Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Glutamic Acid

Humectant
Helps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Betaine

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

Glyceryl Stearate

Emollient
1 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Hydroxyacetophenone

Antioxidant
Antioxidant IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Sodium Acrylates Copolymer

Ceteth-20

Cleansing

Steareth-20

Cleansing
2 / 1

Polysorbate 20

Emulsifying
0 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

PEG-75 Stearate

Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Caprylyl Glycol

Emollient

Propylene Glycol

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

1,2-Hexanediol

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Phenoxyethanol

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Ethylhexylglycerin

Skin Conditioning
Water-Infusing Electrolyte Moisturizer

Water

Skin Conditioning

Glycerin

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

Dimethicone

Emollient
1 / 0 Silicon Icon

Butylene Glycol

Humectant
1 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Propanediol

Solvent
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

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, Masking, Skin Conditioning

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 Glycol
Antioxidant, Masking, Skin Conditioning

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 Tocopherol
Emollient, Emulsifying

Glyceryl Stearate is a mix of glycerin and stearic acid.

It is used to stabilize the mixing of water and oil ingredients. By preventing these ingredients from separating, it can help elongate shelf life. It can also help thicken the product's texture.

As an emollient, it helps soften skin and supports barrier-replenishing ingredients.

In cosmetics, Glyceryl Stearate is often made from vegetable oils or synthetically produced.

This ingredient may not be fungal-acne safe

Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.

Learn more about Glyceryl Stearate

We don't have a description for Sodium Acrylates Copolymer yet.

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

52 Routines
48% use in am
52% use in pm
98% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Paula's Choice Probiotic Nutrient Moisturizer 56 ingredients

4.0 /5
from 1 rating
sameteamdwight's avatar

sameteamdwight

4 years ago
Review

On the Fence
I'm a little on the fence about this product. It goes on smoothly although it has a gooey, sticky texture and it doesn't interfere with any of the serums or oils I put on before it. It smells like wet cardboard (although my toddler told me it smelled like donut so I guess YMMV) but it does dissipate soon enough. It has a lot of sexy ingredients that made me fall for it in the first Show more

Paula's Choice Water-Infusing Electrolyte Moisturizer 48 ingredients

3.8 /5
from 4 ratings
Expensive (2) Absorbs Well (2) Drying (1)
Oona's avatar

Oona

2 years ago
Review

Not sufficient moisturizing for dry skin, a little does not go a long way
This didn't make me break out, didn't pill, and plays nicely with the cream/liquid makeup formulas in my collection. That's about as good as it gets. I have dry skin in a dry environment and this was totally insufficient to use alone as a moisturizer, even during the day under a moisturizing sunscreen, and I would wake up Show more

BriannaA's avatar

BriannaA

1 year ago
Review

This didn't do much for my skin. I pilled on my forehead and under my chin and neck. The moisture is ok for a bit, but then my skin dried out pretty quickly. Hydration did not last all day. Also not sweat proof. Sad, I really liked the idea of this moisturizer.

#expensive
#drying
#light
#absorbs well