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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of SkinCeuticals Phyto A+ Brightening Treatment 3% Azelaic Acid Moisturiser versus Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster .

Last updated on February 16, 2024. Published on July 21, 2022

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe . They have a total of 4 ingredients in common

Suited For

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

Free From

They both do not contain any parabens or sulfates

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

Day Moisturizer American Brand United States
Facial Treatment American Brand United States

Day Moisturizer

Day Moisturizers are marketed to hydrate the skin during the daytime.

Facial Treatment

Facial treatments are specially designed to treat a skin concern. Acne treatments and anti-aging products are common examples of facial treatments.

Price

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

AHA
Vitamin E
Niacinamide
Ceramides
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

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

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin
Irritating (3)
Rosacea (3)
Eczema (4)

Notable Ingredients

BHA

Benefits

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

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin
Acne Trigger
Irritating
Rosacea
Eczema
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Ingredients Compared

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

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

SkinCeuticals Phyto A+ Brightening Treatment 3% Azelaic Acid Moisturiser contains this as ingredient number 1.

Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
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

SkinCeuticals Phyto A+ Brightening Treatment 3% Azelaic Acid Moisturiser contains this as ingredient number 2.

Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster contains this as ingredient number 6.

3
What it does: Buffering, Masking
Community Rating: Loved

Azelaic acid is a naturally occurring acid that is derived from grains. However, the lab-created form is typically used within cosmetic products as it has better shelf-stability.

It has been shown to be effective in the treatment of acne, rosacea, and other skin conditions. Azelaic acid helps reduce the growth of bacteria that cause acne and helps to reduce inflammation.

It also helps to improve the appearance of skin by reducing the production of sebum and unclogging pores.

Azelaic Acid also has antioxidant properties. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells, such as pollution.

One of the main benefits of azelaic acid is that it is gentle and well-tolerated by most people. It is also non-comedogenic, meaning that it will not clog pores.

Learn more about Azelaic Acid

SkinCeuticals Phyto A+ Brightening Treatment 3% Azelaic Acid Moisturiser contains this as ingredient number 5.

Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster contains this as ingredient number 2.

4
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.

SkinCeuticals Phyto A+ Brightening Treatment 3% Azelaic Acid Moisturiser contains this as ingredient number 19.

Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster contains this as ingredient number 20.

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

45% are loved or liked
13% have mixed ratings
29% are disliked or very disliked
13% have no rating yet
43% are loved or liked
10% have mixed ratings
43% are disliked or very disliked
5% 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

SkinCeuticals Phyto A+ Brightening Treatment 3% Azelaic Acid Moisturiser 38 ingredients

3.0 /5
from 1 rating
Absorbs Well (1) Expensive (1) Light (1)
magicalmarion's avatar

magicalmarion

4 months ago · Sensitive Skin
Review

For the fungal acne girlies its a no no. However if you have an uneven skintone this product brightens very good. As a moisturizer alone it is not...

For the fungal acne girlies its a no no. However if you have an uneven skintone this product brightens very good. As a moisturizer alone it is not enough (i have mixed skin, oily t-zone). Also the price is way too expensive and not fair. There are better and cheaper products on the market.

Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster 21 ingredients

3.7 /5
from 6 ratings
Broke Me Out (1) Doesn't Work (1) Irritating (1)
thesunrising's avatar

thesunrising

24 days ago · Normal Skin
Review

Did nothing for my fungal acne. Actually did nothing at all.
(Compared to my cheap no-name Russian brand Azelaic acid cream which worked wonders).

BubbIes's avatar

BubbIes

2 months ago · Combination Skin
Review

Paula's Choice at it again with cetearyl alcohol high up on the ingredient list. I'm disappointed by their ingredients fairly consistently now.

Alternatives

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Our Dupe Finder has found 36 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster.

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