Clinical Ceramide-Enriched Firming Moisturizer
The Paula's Choice Clinical Ceramide-Enriched Firming Moisturizer is a moisturizer. Our analysis of its 46 ingredients (35 low-risk) rates it Excellent (97/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone and dry skin.
The Paula's Choice Clinical Ceramide-Enriched Firming Moisturizer is a moisturizer. Our analysis of its 46 ingredients (35 low-risk) rates it Excellent (97/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone and dry skin.
Summarised from our ingredient analysis — not brand marketing copy.
The evidence
| EWG | CIR | Ingredient Name & Cosmetic Functions | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Water
(Solvent) |
|
|
|
|
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
(Antioxidant) |
|
|
|
|
Cetyl Alcohol
(Emulsion Stabilising, Fragrance, Opacifying, Emulsifying, Surfactant, Foam Boosting, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Emollient, Masking, Viscosity Controlling) |
|
|
|
|
Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Viscosity Increasing Agent) |
|
|
|
|
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
(Emulsifying, Surfactant) |
|
|
|
|
Glyceryl Stearate
(Emollient, Emulsifying) |
Fungal Acne Trigger
|
|
|
|
PEG-100 Stearate
(Surfactant) |
Fungal Acne Trigger
|
|
|
|
Glycerin
(Denaturant, Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Oral Care Agent, Oral Health Care Drug, Skin Protecting, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Perfuming, Solvent) |
Good for Dry Skin
Fungal Acne Trigger
|
|
|
|
PEG-12 Glyceryl Dimyristate
(Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
|
|
Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient) |
|
|
|
|
Dimethicone
(Antifoaming Agent, Skin Protecting, Emollient, Skin Conditioning) |
Silicone
|
|
|
|
Glyceryl Ascorbate
(Antioxidant, Humectant) |
|
|
|
|
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
(Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
|
|
Retinol
(Skin Conditioning) |
Bad for Sensitive Skin
|
|
|
|
Ceramide NP
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
|
|
Ceramide NS
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
|
|
Ceramide AP
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
|
|
Ceramide EOP
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
|
|
Ceramide EOS
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
|
|
Cholesterol
(Emulsion Stabilising, Skin Conditioning, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Emollient, Emulsifying, Stabilising, Viscosity Controlling) |
|
|
|
|
Caprooyl Phytosphingosine
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
|
|
Caprooyl Sphingosine
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
|
|
Squalane
(Emollient, Hair Conditioning, Refatting, Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
|
|
Punica Granatum Extract
(Astringent, Masking, Tonic) |
|
|
|
|
Pongamia Glabra Seed Oil
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
|
|
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root
(Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
|
|
Vitis Vinifera
(Fragrance, Skin Protecting) |
|
|
|
|
Tocopheryl Acetate
(Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning) |
Bad for Oily Skin
|
|
|
|
Carnosine
(Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
|
|
Panthenol
(Antistatic Agent, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning) |
Good for Dry Skin
|
|
|
|
Sodium PCA
(Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Antistatic Agent, Skin Conditioning) |
Good for Dry Skin
|
|
|
|
Butylene Glycol
(Fragrance, Skin Conditioning, Solvent, Viscositydecreasing Agent, Humectant, Masking, Viscosity Controlling) |
Good for Dry Skin
|
|
|
|
Sodium Citrate
(Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent, Chelating, Masking) |
|
|
|
|
Ceteareth-25
(Cleansing, Emulsifying, Surfactant) |
|
|
|
|
Polysorbate 20
(Emulsifying, Surfactant) |
Fungal Acne Trigger
|
|
|
|
Ethylhexyl Stearate
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient) |
|
|
|
|
Sodium Hydroxide
(Denaturant, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent) |
|
|
|
|
Trideceth-6
(Emulsifying, Surfactant) |
|
|
|
|
Propyl Gallate
(Antioxidant, Fragrance, Perfuming) |
|
|
|
|
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer
(Viscosity Controlling) |
|
|
|
|
Sodium Polyacrylate
(Absorbent, Emulsion Stabilising, Film Forming, Hair Fixing, Skin Conditioning Agent Emollient, Viscosity Controlling Agent, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Binding, Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
|
|
Behenic Acid
(Opacifying, Sufactantsurfactant Cleansing Agent Is Included As A Function For The Soap Form Of Behenic Acid., Emulsifying) |
Fungal Acne Trigger
|
|
|
|
Disodium EDTA
(Chelating Agent, Viscosity Controlling) |
|
|
|
|
Phenoxyethanol
(Fragrance, Preservative) |
Paraben
|
|
|
|
Caprylyl Glycol
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Humectant) |
|
|
|
|
Chlorphenesin
(Cosmetic Biocide, Antimicrobial, Preservative) |
No personal ingredient notes yet. Save ingredients to your profile to get good/bad alerts here.
EWG flags hazard, not real-world risk — ratings don't account for how much of an ingredient a product contains. Treat these as things to research, not verdicts. How we score →
How to use
General guidance from this product's category and active ingredients — always follow the directions on the package.
Trust & honesty
Contains ingredients some choose to avoid or double-check while pregnant or nursing.
Topical retinoids (retinol, retinaldehyde, retinyl esters) are widely advised against in pregnancy as a precaution. The strongest evidence is for ORAL retinoids; topical absorption is low, but most clinicians err on the side of caution.
This is general information, not medical advice. Pregnancy guidance varies and depends on concentration and your individual situation — always check with your doctor, midwife or pharmacist. How we flag this.
The concentrations these actives are typically effective at in research — not a measurement of this product.
Most studied between 0.1% and 1%. Higher is not automatically better — irritation climbs with dose, so a well-formulated lower strength is often the sweet spot.
Retinol
L-ascorbic acid is usually used at 5–20% (around 10–15% is common). Above ~20% adds little and tends to irritate more; it also needs a low pH to work.
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Glyceryl Ascorbate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
INCI lists don't disclose amounts, and we don't claim to know this product's levels — these are the ranges these ingredients are usually effective at, so you can tell a real formula from "fairy-dusting" a marketed active. How we estimate this.
From the community
Used this product? Rate it in 10 seconds
Alternatives