The INKEY List C-50 Blemish Night Treatment Versus Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster - US

See how these products line up with your preferences

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of The INKEY List C-50 Blemish Night Treatment versus Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster US .

Last updated on November 03, 2023. Published on March 13, 2022

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe facial treatments. 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 anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin, scar healing, dark spots and better texture

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, parabens, silicones 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.

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The INKEY List C-50 Blemish Night Treatment

Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster

Facial Treatment British Brand United Kingdom

Facial Treatment American Brand United States

Facial Treatment

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

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

Shop

Buy C-50 Blemish Night Treatment

Starts at $12.99

Shop

Buy C15 Super Booster

Starts at $55.00

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.

The INKEY List C-50 Blemish Night Treatment 21 ingredients

Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster 21 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

The INKEY List C-50 Blemish Night Treatment 21 ingredients

Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster 21 ingredients

Notable Ingredients

BHA

Vitamin C (2)

Vitamin E

Benefits

Hydrating

Good For Oily Skin

Redness Reducing (2)

Reduces Irritation

Skin Texture (2)

Reduces Large Pores

Anti-Aging (2)

Dark Spots (2)

Scar Healing (3)

Acne Fighting

Brightening (5)

Concerns

Drying

Irritating

Rosacea

Eczema

Notable Ingredients

Vitamin C

Vitamin E

Hyaluronic Acid

Peptides

Benefits

Hydrating (2)

Redness Reducing

Reduces Irritation (2)

Skin Texture

Anti-Aging (3)

Dark Spots

Scar Healing (2)

Brightening (3)

Concerns

Irritating

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Ingredients Compared

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

The INKEY List C-50 Blemish Night Treatment 21 ingredients

Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster 21 ingredients

Water • Propanediol • Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate • Salicylic Acid • Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer • Phenoxyethanol • Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside • Xanthan Gum • Glycerin • Sodium Hydroxide • Madecassoside • Ethylhexylglycerin • Hydroxyacetophenone • Sodium Gluconate • Sodium Metabisulfite • Lecithin • Ascorbyl Palmitate • Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract • Nymphaea Coerulea Flower Extract • Tocopherol • Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Water • Ascorbic Acid • Butylene Glycol • Ethoxydiglycol • Glycerin • Ppg-26-Buteth-26 • Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil • Pentylene Glycol • Tocopherol • Sodium Hyaluronate • Hexanoyl Dipeptide-3 Norleucine Acetate • Lecithin • Ferulic Acid • Panthenol • Bisabolol • Oryza Sativa Bran Extract • Propyl Gallate • Sodium Gluconate • Sodium Hydroxide • Phenoxyethanol • Ethylhexylglycerin

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.

Water

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

The INKEY List C-50 Blemish Night Treatment contains this as ingredient number 1.

Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster US contains this as ingredient number 1.

Phenoxyethanol

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.

The INKEY List C-50 Blemish Night Treatment contains this as ingredient number 6.

Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster US contains this as ingredient number 20.

Glycerin

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

The INKEY List C-50 Blemish Night Treatment contains this as ingredient number 9.

Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster US contains this as ingredient number 5.

Sodium Hydroxide

What it does: Buffering

Community Rating: Mixed

Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.

In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.

Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.

"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.

Learn more about Sodium Hydroxide

The INKEY List C-50 Blemish Night Treatment contains this as ingredient number 10.

Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster US contains this as ingredient number 19.

Ethylhexylglycerin

What it does: Skin Conditioning

Community Rating: Mixed

Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.

You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.

The INKEY List C-50 Blemish Night Treatment contains this as ingredient number 12.

Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster US contains this as ingredient number 21.

Sodium Gluconate

What it does: Skin Conditioning

This is the synthetic salt of gluconic acid, a form of PHA and mild exfoliant.

It is mainly used to stabilize oil and butter formulations from going bad. Sodium gluconate is a humectant, pH regulator, and chelating agent.

Chelating agents help neutralize unwanted metals from affecting the formulation.

Sodium gluconate is water-soluble.

Learn more about Sodium Gluconate

The INKEY List C-50 Blemish Night Treatment contains this as ingredient number 14.

Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster US contains this as ingredient number 18.

Lecithin

What it does: Emollient, Emulsifying, Skin Conditioning

Community Rating: Disliked

Lecithin is a term for a group of substances found in plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of mixture of fatty acids. These fatty acids usually are a mixture of phosphoric acid's choline ester connected to stearic, oleic, and palmitic acids. Most lecithins are created from plant ingredients scuh as sunflower.

Lecithin is an emollient. Emollients help soften the skin and creates a barrier to keep moisture in.

As an emulsifier, it also helps prevent water and oil ingredients from separating. Lecithin can help ingredients be better absorbed by the skin. The phospholipids in Lecithin can produce liposomes. Liposomes help other ingredients get through the skin barrier.

Learn more about Lecithin

The INKEY List C-50 Blemish Night Treatment contains this as ingredient number 16.

Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster US contains this as ingredient number 12.

Tocopherol

What it does: Antioxidant, Masking, Skin Conditioning

Community Rating: Liked

Tocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.

Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.

Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.

You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.

There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.

Learn more about Tocopherol

The INKEY List C-50 Blemish Night Treatment contains this as ingredient number 20.

Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster US contains this as ingredient number 9.

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