Paula's Choice Barrier Repair Advanced Moisturizer Versus Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Peptide Plumping Moisturizer
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientEthylhexyl Stearate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cocoglycerides
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingTocopherol
Antioxidant
2,3-Butanediol
HumectantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Phytate
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Trehalose
Humectant
Polyquaternium-51
Skin Conditioning
Triacetin
AntimicrobialCholesterol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Glycerin, Cocoglycerides, Squalane, Sodium Polyacrylate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide As, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide EOP, Sodium Hyaluronate, Adenosine, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Hexylene Glycol, Tocopherol, 2,3-Butanediol, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Phytate, Sodium PCA, Urea, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Trehalose, Polyquaternium-51, Triacetin, Cholesterol, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingGigartina Stellata Extract
Skin ProtectingAcetyl Sh-Hexapeptide-5 Amide Acetate
Skin Conditioning
Tridecapeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Oligopeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Phytate
Propanediol
Solvent
Lecithin
Emollient
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Cyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Dimethicone, Squalane, Glycerin, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Pentylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Gigartina Stellata Extract, Acetyl Sh-Hexapeptide-5 Amide Acetate, Tridecapeptide-1, Oligopeptide-1, Sodium Phytate, Propanediol, Lecithin, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Cyanocobalamin, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
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 GlycerinHydroxyacetophenone is antioxidant with skin conditioning and soothing properties. It also boosts the efficiency of preservatives.
Though naturally occuring in Norwegian spruce needles, this ingredient is usually synthetically created.
This ingredient is not irritating or sensitizing. Recent research also suggests it may have skin-brightening effects through tyrosinase inhibition.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenonePhenoxyethanol 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.
Sodium Phytate is the synthetic salt form of phytic acid. Phytic acid is an antioxidant and can be found in plant seeds.
Sodium Phytate is a chelating agent. Chelating agents help prevent metals from binding to water. This helps stabilize the ingredients and the product.
Squalane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.
Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.
No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).
Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.
The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.
Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.
A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.
The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.
Learn more about SqualaneWater. 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
