Urban Skin Vitamin C Brighten & Glow Enzyme Mask Versus Paula's Choice Oil-Absorbing Mask

See how these products line up with your preferences

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Urban Skin Vitamin C Brighten & Glow Enzyme Mask versus Paula's Choice Oil-Absorbing Mask .

Last updated on May 03, 2024. Published on June 30, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe wash off masks. They have a total of 4 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain exfoliants, retinoid, 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, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing, dark spots and better texture

Free From

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

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Urban Skin Vitamin C Brighten & Glow Enzyme Mask

Paula's Choice Oil-Absorbing Mask

Wash Off Mask American Brand United States

Wash Off Mask

Wash off masks are used to treat skin concerns: large pores, dryness, dullness, acne, and much more. They are applied preferably after cleansing (depending on the product’s instructions) and usually have to be removed within a specific time period.

Wash Off Mask

Price

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Buy Vitamin C Brighten & Glow Enzyme Mask

Starts at $11.49

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Buy Oil-Absorbing Mask

Starts at $26.00

Ingredient Info

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

Urban Skin Vitamin C Brighten & Glow Enzyme Mask 38 ingredients

Paula's Choice Oil-Absorbing Mask 22 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

Urban Skin Vitamin C Brighten & Glow Enzyme Mask 38 ingredients

Paula's Choice Oil-Absorbing Mask 22 ingredients

Notable Ingredients

AHA (2)

Retinoid

Vitamin C

Vitamin E

Exfoliators

Niacinamide

Hyaluronic Acid

Peptides

Benefits

Hydrating (3)

Good For Oily Skin (3)

Redness Reducing (3)

Reduces Irritation

Skin Texture (4)

Reduces Large Pores (5)

Anti-Aging (6)

Dark Spots (7)

Scar Healing (6)

Acne Fighting (4)

Brightening (5)

Concerns

Drying

May Worsen Oily Skin

Irritating (4)

Rosacea (2)

Eczema

Notable Ingredients

Retinoid

Vitamin C

Vitamin E

Exfoliators (2)

Benefits

Hydrating

Good For Oily Skin (2)

Redness Reducing

Reduces Irritation (3)

Skin Texture (2)

Reduces Large Pores

Anti-Aging (2)

Dark Spots (2)

Scar Healing (2)

Acne Fighting (2)

Brightening (3)

Concerns

Drying

May Worsen Oily Skin

Irritating

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Ingredients Compared

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

Urban Skin Vitamin C Brighten & Glow Enzyme Mask 38 ingredients

Paula's Choice Oil-Absorbing Mask 22 ingredients

Water • Glycerin • Polysorbate 60 • Lactic Acid • Glycolic Acid • Sodium Hydroxide • Pvp • Hydroxystearic/Linolenic/Oleic Polyglycerides • Kojic Acid • Niacinamide • Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil • Hydroxyacetophenone • Xanthan Gum • Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract • 1,2-Hexanediol • Caprylyl Glycol • Ricinus Communis Seed Oil • Sclerotium Gum • Lecithin • Pullulan • Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer • Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride • Glycine Soja Oil • Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract • Tocopherol • Sodium Hyaluronate • Citrus Limon Juice • Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate • Retinyl Palmitate • Lactobacillus/Papaya Fruit Ferment Extract • Bixa Orellana Seed Oil • Carica Papaya Seed Oil • Alpha-Arbutin • Glutathione • Azelaic Acid • Morus Alba Leaf Extract • Oligopeptide-51

Water • Kaolin • Bentonite • Glycerin • Salix Alba Extract • Stearic Acid • Steareth-2 • Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder • Sea Whip Extract • Colloidal Oatmeal • Bisabolol • Ascorbyl Palmitate • Tocopheryl Acetate • Phospholipids • Panthenol • Retinyl Palmitate • Caprylyl Glycol • Butylene Glycol • Ethylhexylglycerin • Hexylene Glycol • Disodium EDTA • Phenoxyethanol

Ingredients Side-by-side

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

Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are

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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

Urban Skin Vitamin C Brighten & Glow Enzyme Mask contains this as ingredient number 1.

Paula's Choice Oil-Absorbing Mask contains this as ingredient number 1.

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

Urban Skin Vitamin C Brighten & Glow Enzyme Mask contains this as ingredient number 2.

Paula's Choice Oil-Absorbing Mask contains this as ingredient number 4.

Caprylyl Glycol

What it does: Emollient, Humectant, Skin Conditioning

Community Rating: Liked

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.

It is a common ingredient in many products, especially those designed to hydrate skin. The primary benefits are retaining moisture, skin softening, and promoting a healthy skin barrier.

Though Caprylyl Glycol is an alcohol derived from fatty acids, it is not the kind that can dry out skin.

This ingredient is also used as a preservative to extend the life of products. It has slight antimicrobial properties.

Learn more about Caprylyl Glycol

Urban Skin Vitamin C Brighten & Glow Enzyme Mask contains this as ingredient number 16.

Paula's Choice Oil-Absorbing Mask contains this as ingredient number 17.

Retinyl Palmitate

What it does: Skin Conditioning

Community Rating: Mixed

Retinyl palmitate is a form of retinoid. Retinoids are the superstar class of anti-aging ingredients that include tretinoin and retinol.

This particular ingredient has had a bumpy year with its rise and fall in popularity.

First, Retinyl palmitate is created from palmitic acid and retinol. It is a retinol ester and considered one of the weaker forms of retinoid.

This is because all retinoids have to be converted to Tretinoin, AKA retinoic acid. Retinyl Palmitate is pretty far down the line and has to go through multiple conversions before its effects are seen.

Due to this long and ineffective conversion line, the benefits of Retinyl Palmitate are debated.

Studies show Retinyl Palmitate to help:

Dermatologists say this ingredient is ineffective because it isn't used in high enough concentrations in cosmetics.

This ingredient used to be found in sunscreens to boost the efficacy of sunscreen filters.

The downfall of Retinyl Palmitate was due to released reports about the ingredient being correlated to sun damage and skin tumors.

While there is a study showing this ingredient to cause DNA damage when exposed to UV-A, there is no concrete proof of it being linked to skin cancer. It is safe to use when used correctly.

All retinoids increase your skin's sensitivity to the sun in the first few months of usage. Be especially careful with reapplying sunscreen when using any form of retinoid.

Currently, this ingredient is still allowed in cosmetics all over the world. In Canada, cosmetics must have a warning label stating the product to contain Retinyl Palmitate

Fun fact: This ingredient is often added to low-fat milk to increase the levels of Vitamin A.

Learn more about Retinyl Palmitate

Urban Skin Vitamin C Brighten & Glow Enzyme Mask contains this as ingredient number 30.

Paula's Choice Oil-Absorbing Mask contains this as ingredient number 16.

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

Urban Skin Vitamin C Brighten & Glow Enzyme Mask 38 ingredients

Paula's Choice Oil-Absorbing Mask 22 ingredients

45% are loved or liked

13% have mixed ratings

26% are disliked or very disliked

16% have no rating yet

50% are loved or liked

18% have mixed ratings

23% are disliked or very disliked

9% have no rating yet

Usage

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

When to use

Urban Skin Vitamin C Brighten & Glow Enzyme Mask 38 ingredients

Paula's Choice Oil-Absorbing Mask 22 ingredients

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Urban Skin Vitamin C Brighten & Glow Enzyme Mask 38 ingredients

Vitamin C Brighten & Glow Enzyme Mask hasn't been rated yet.

Rate it now

Paula's Choice Oil-Absorbing Mask 22 ingredients

5.0 /5

from 1 rating

Great Value (1) Hydrating (1) Light (1)

MichelleR

4 months ago · Dry Skin

Review

Gorgeous clay mask. Aloe, Bisabolol, Vitamin C, Vitamin E - just gorgeous formulation. It's hard to choose between this and the Kiehl's Rare Earth...

Gorgeous clay mask. Aloe, Bisabolol, Vitamin C, Vitamin E - just gorgeous formulation. It's hard to choose between this and the Kiehl's Rare Earth Masque. I'll take them both!