Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Invisible Finish Moisture Gel Versus Paula's Choice Rescue & Repair Intensive Moisturiser
This pore-care moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Avena Sativa Kernel Extract to refine the look of pores and calm redness.
This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Hydrogenated Lecithin and Allantoin to strengthen the skin barrier and calm redness.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Bis-Phenylpropyl Dimethicone
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Laminaria Saccharina Extract
Skin ProtectingAvena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract
AstringentVitis Vinifera Seed Extract
Antimicrobial
Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Superoxide Dismutase
Antioxidant
Isohexadecane
EmollientPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Bis-Phenylpropyl Dimethicone, Niacinamide, Laminaria Saccharina Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phenyl Trimethicone, Dimethicone, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phospholipids, Superoxide Dismutase, Isohexadecane, Panthenol, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sodium Carbomer, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Polysorbate 80, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
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
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycolEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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
