Skin Restoring Moisturizer
Published Date: 2025-03-09
Review Date: 2025-02-13
Category: skincare
Brand: Paula's Choice
Product Type: SPF, moisturizer
Ingredients
Aqua, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate (Octinoxate 7.5%, sunscreen), Homosalate (5%, sunscreen), Ethylhexyl Salicylate (Octisalate 5%, sunscreen), Benzophenone-3 (Oxybenzone 5%, sunscreen), Silica (opacifier and texture enhancer), Glycerin (hydration), Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane (Avobenzone 3.0 %, sunscreen), Cetearyl Alcohol (texture enhancer), Dimethicone (hydration), Butylene Glycol (hydration), Pentylene Glycol (hydration), Potassium Cetyl Phosphate (emulsifier), Cyclopentasiloxane (hydration), Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract (skin-restoring), VP/Eicosene Copolymer (texture enhancer), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter (emollient), Allantoin (skin soothing), Niacinamide (skin-restoring), Tocopherol (vitamin E/antioxidant), Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract (skin soothing), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract (hydration, soothing), Atractylodes Macrocephala Root Powder (antioxidant), Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract (skin soothing), Coffea Arabica (Coffee) Seed Extract (antioxidant), Portulaca Oleracea Extract (antioxidant), Mahonia Aquifolium Root Extract (antioxidant), Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate (antioxidant), Sarcosine (skin softener), Capryloyl Glycine (skin softener), Maltooligosyl Glucoside (skin softener), Cetearyl Glucoside (skin softener), Dimethiconol (texture enhancer), Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer (stabilizer), Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate (hydration), Hexylene Glycol (texture enhancer), 4-T-Butylcyclohexanol (emollient), Glyceryl Stearate (texture enhancer), PEG-100 Stearate (texture enhancer), Sodium Hydroxide (pH adjuster), Xanthan Gum (stabilizer), Disodium EDTA (chelating agent), Phenoxyethanol (preservative), Caprylyl Glycol (preservative), Ethylhexylglycerin (skin softening).
This is the moisturizer with the highest SPF I tried from Paula's Choice. It's the most occlusive of the three sunscreens I've tried, which makes sense since it's meant for normal to dry skin. Even though it is the thickest and the closest to a traditional facial sunscreen, it's not heavy nor difficult to spread. It also has a light sunscreen scent.
Performance-wise, I never felt the need to reapply the moisturizer throughout my outing (but then again, I never do with anything with an SPF of 30 or higher), and my skin always felt hydrated when I used it. On rare occasions, I felt my skin was a bit too greasy.
Lovely user experience aside, it is a very well-formulated cream. There are a lot of famously great ingredients here: glycerin, niacinamide, shea butter, vitamin E. Apart from containing a lot of hydrating and emollient elements, this contains a decent amount of skin-soothing (allantoin, licorice extract, aloe vera, oat extract) and antioxidant ingredients.
It's around 35-45€ per 60 ml. Paula's Choice isn't necessarily the most affordable brand, but for what you get, I find the price very much worth it.