Paula's Choice Rescue & Repair Intensive Moisturiser Versus Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Replenishing Moisturizer
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningC13-15 Alkane
SolventGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Inulin
Skin Conditioning
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Myristyl Myristate
Emollient
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAlpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Sodium Phytate
Glycogen
HumectantYeast Extract
Skin ConditioningLaminaria Digitata Extract
Skin Protecting
Albatrellus Confluens Extract
Humectant
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract
Skin Conditioning
Galactoarabinan
Schizophyllan
HumectantCitric Acid
Buffering
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, C13-15 Alkane, Glycerin, Propanediol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Inulin, Behenyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Myristyl Myristate, Arachidyl Glucoside, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Allantoin, Tocopherol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Sodium Phytate, Glycogen, Yeast Extract, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Albatrellus Confluens Extract, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Galactoarabinan, Schizophyllan, Citric Acid, Maltodextrin, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate
EmollientCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Glycerin
Humectant
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopheryl Linoleate
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Linolenic Acid
Cleansing
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Hydroxypropyl Guar
Emulsion StabilisingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Rosa Moschata Seed Oil
Emollient
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Citrate
BufferingTrisodium EDTA
Batyl Alcohol
EmollientSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Water, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Butylene Glycol, Glycereth-26, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Glycerin, Cyclohexasiloxane, Dimethicone, Panthenol, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Linoleate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Sodium PCA, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Saccharide Isomerate, Hydroxypropyl Guar, Allantoin, Rosa Moschata Seed Oil, Polysorbate 20, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Carbomer, Sodium Citrate, Trisodium EDTA, Batyl Alcohol, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Benzoic Acid, Sorbic Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinButylene 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 GlycolCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholGlycerin (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 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.
Stearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
