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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner versus Paula's Choice Moisture Boost Essential Hydrating Toner .

Published on May 17, 2021

Overview

What they are

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

Cool Features

They both contain Vitamin C and Vitamin E

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin, reducing pores, scar healing, dark spots and better texture

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, parabens or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain oils

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

Toner American Brand United States
Toner American Brand United States

Toner

Toners are used as a “last-step” cleanser, a pH balancer, add moisture to the skin, or may help in reducing impurities on the skin. They have a liquid consistency and are usually used after cleansers but before treatments.

Toner

Toners are used as a “last-step” cleanser, a pH balancer, add moisture to the skin, or may help in reducing impurities on the skin. They have a liquid consistency and are usually used after cleansers but before treatments.

Price

Shop

Buy Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner

Starts at $23.00
Shop

Buy Moisture Boost Essential Hydrating Toner

Starts at $23.00

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Notable Ingredients

Vitamin C
Vitamin E (2)
Niacinamide
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating (2)
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing (3)
Reduces Irritation (4)
Skin Texture
Reduces Large Pores
Anti-Aging (2)
Dark Spots (2)
Scar Healing (3)
Acne Fighting
Brightening (5)

Concerns

May Worsen Oily Skin
Irritating
Eczema (2)

Notable Ingredients

Vitamin C
Vitamin E

Benefits

Hydrating (2)
Redness Reducing (3)
Reduces Irritation (3)
Skin Texture
Reduces Large Pores
Anti-Aging (2)
Dark Spots
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting
Brightening (3)

Concerns

May Worsen Oily Skin
Acne Trigger
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Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

1
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner contains this as ingredient number 1.

Paula's Choice Moisture Boost Essential Hydrating Toner contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Mixed

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

  • It is a solvent, meaning that it helps to dissolve other ingredients. This also enhances the absorption of the product into one's skin.
  • It is a humectant, which means that it helps attract moisture into the skin.
  • It helps improve product application.

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient. It is unlikely to irritate skin, and works well with pretty much all other ingredients.

Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner contains this as ingredient number 3.

Paula's Choice Moisture Boost Essential Hydrating Toner contains this as ingredient number 17.

3
What it does: Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Tocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.

One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.

Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.

Learn more about Tocopheryl Acetate

Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner contains this as ingredient number 9.

Paula's Choice Moisture Boost Essential Hydrating Toner contains this as ingredient number 16.

4
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

Panthenol (also referred to as pro-vitamin B5) is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin.

lt is a humectant, meaning that it helps the skin attract and retain moisture.

Another benefit is the anti-inflammatory abilities. This means that it's great for sensitive, irritation-prone skin.

Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.

Learn more about Panthenol

Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner contains this as ingredient number 12.

Paula's Choice Moisture Boost Essential Hydrating Toner contains this as ingredient number 18.

5
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Soothing
Community Rating: Loved

Allantoin plays a role in soothing and moisturizing the skin. Because of this, it is often added to products with strong active ingredients.

Some studies have shown this ingredient can promote wound healing with higher concentrations.

Allantoin is derived from the comfrey plant but produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.

Learn more about Allantoin

Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner contains this as ingredient number 13.

Paula's Choice Moisture Boost Essential Hydrating Toner contains this as ingredient number 19.

6
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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

Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner contains this as ingredient number 14.

Paula's Choice Moisture Boost Essential Hydrating Toner contains this as ingredient number 2.

7
What it does: Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

Superoxide Dismutase is found in all living cells. This ingredient is AKA as 'SOD'.

SOD is a strong antioxidant. It protects living cells against oxidative damage by breaking down radical molecules into regular oxygen and hydrogen peroxide.

Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules that may damage your skin's DNA. This may help with the signs of aging. Due to its antioxidant property, it is used to help treat chronic inflammation.

In cosmetics, SOD is usually obtained from marine phytoplankton, bovine liver, horseradish, cantaloupe, and certain bacteria.

The three major families of SOD include: Copper/Zinc, Iron/Manganese, and Nickel.

When eating SOD-rich foods, our bodies break it down into amino acids before absorption. Foods that contain SOD include: melons, citrus, spinach, broccoli, kale, almonds, sunflower seeds, and blue-green algae.

Learn more about Superoxide Dismutase

Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner contains this as ingredient number 18.

Paula's Choice Moisture Boost Essential Hydrating Toner contains this as ingredient number 5.

8
What it does: Preservative
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent germ and 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.

Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner contains this as ingredient number 26.

Paula's Choice Moisture Boost Essential Hydrating Toner contains this as ingredient number 22.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

36% are loved or liked
18% have mixed ratings
39% are disliked or very disliked
7% have no rating yet
45% are loved or liked
23% have mixed ratings
14% are disliked or very disliked
18% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner 28 ingredients

3.5 /5
from 4 ratings
Hydrating (2) Irritating (2) Doesn't Work (1) Absorbs Well (1) Works Well (1) No Scent (1)
MymyLe's avatar

MymyLe

29 days ago · Dry Skin
Review

A lovely moisturizing milky toner. I've put it in a spray bottle and like to apply two layers

fahanx's avatar

fahanx

2 months ago · Dry Skin
Review

It is extremely hydrating and it brightened my skin a little bit. However, I think due to the niacinamide in it, it didn’t get rid of the texture...

It is extremely hydrating and it brightened my skin a little bit. However, I think due to the niacinamide in it, it didn’t get rid of the texture on my foraged. Once I stopped using it, the texture cleared up.

Paula's Choice Moisture Boost Essential Hydrating Toner 22 ingredients

Moisture Boost Essential Hydrating Toner hasn't been rated yet.
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Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 44 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner.

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