Defense Essential Glow Moisturizer SPF 30

Paula's Choice

Defense Essential Glow Moisturizer SPF 30

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About this product

The Paula's Choice Defense Essential Glow Moisturizer SPF 30 is a moisturizer. Our analysis of its 45 ingredients (36 low-risk) rates it Excellent (98/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone, dry, and sensitive skin.

Vegan-friendly Reef-safe

Summarised from our ingredient analysis — not brand marketing copy.

At a glance

Type
Moisturizers
Ingredients
45
Low-risk
36
Fragrance
Fragrance-free
Origin
United States
SPF
30 · blocks 96.7% UVB

The evidence

Quick Product Notes

Paraben-Free Sulfate-Free Alcohol-Free Silicone-Free EU Allergen-Free Fungal Acne (Malassezia) Safe

Notable Effects & Ingredients

No Notable Effects & Ingredients

Ingredients Related to Skin Types

Good   Bad — tap a skin type to see which ingredients · estimated from ingredient functions
Dry Skin 13/10
Good for dry skin
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate C13-14 Isoparaffin Glyceryl Stearate Linoleic Acid Cetearyl Alcohol Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil Isononyl Isononanoate Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Caprylyl Glycol Butylene Glycol Glycerin Dimethicone Lecithin
Caution for dry skin
Linoleic Acid Xanthan Gum Glycerin Potassium Cetyl Phosphate Polyhydroxystearic Acid Acrylates Copolymer Alumina Laureth-7 Ceteareth-20 Lecithin
Oily/Acne-Prone Skin 1/0
Good for oily/acne-prone skin
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Sensitive Skin 8/6
Good for sensitive skin
Zinc Oxide Resveratrol Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate Ascorbyl Glucoside Glycerin Dimethicone Tocopheryl Acetate Tetrapeptide-30
Caution for sensitive skin
Linoleic Acid Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Butylene Glycol Glycerin Citric Acid Phenoxyethanol

Ingredients list

45 total
Lower hazard (1) Higher hazard (4)
All45 Skin Conditioning35 Emollient11 Emulsion Stabilising8 Skin Protecting7 Emulsifying7 Fragrance7 Film Forming6 Viscosity Controlling6
EWG CIR Ingredient Name & Cosmetic Functions Notes
1
Water
(Solvent)
1
A
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Antimicrobial)
2
3
Zinc Oxide
(Bulking Agent, Cosmetic Colorant, Skin Protecting, Sunscreen Agent)
Good for Oily Skin
Good for Oily Skin
1
3
Titanium Dioxide
(Cosmetic Colorant, Opacifying, Sunscreen Agent, Uv Absorber)
Good for Sensitive Skin
Good for Sensitive Skin
2
A
Glycerin
(Denaturant, Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Oral Care Agent, Oral Health Care Drug, Skin Protecting, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Perfuming, Solvent)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
1
B
Isononyl Isononanoate
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Antistatic Agent)
1
A
Butylene Glycol
(Fragrance, Skin Conditioning, Solvent, Viscositydecreasing Agent, Humectant, Masking, Viscosity Controlling)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
1
A
Cetearyl Alcohol
(Emulsion Stabilising, Opacifying, Foam Boosting, Viscosity Increasingagent Aqueous, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Emollient, Emulsifying, Viscosity Controlling)
1
B
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
(Emulsifying, Surfactant)
3
A
Dimethicone
(Antifoaming Agent, Skin Protecting, Emollient, Skin Conditioning)
Silicone
Silicone
1
A
Glyceryl Stearate
(Emollient, Emulsifying)
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
glycyrrhiza glabra root extract
(Bleaching, Perfuming, Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning Emollient, Smoothing, Soothing)
Actinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract
(Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning Emollient)
1
A
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
(Emollient, Skin Conditioning)
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
Tetrapeptide-30
(Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting)
1
Linoleic Acid
(Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Sufactantsurfactant Cleansing Agent Is Included As A Function For The Soap Form Of Linoleic Acid., Antistatic Agent, Emollient)
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
1
Resveratrol
(Antioxidant, Skin Protecting)
1
Ascorbyl Glucoside
(Antioxidant)
1
A
Niacinamide
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Smoothing)
3
Tocopheryl Acetate
(Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning)
Bad for Oily Skin
Bad for Oily Skin
1
A
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
(Antioxidant)
Bisabolol
(Fragrance, Skin Conditioning, Soothing)
TOCOPHEROL
(Antioxidant, Fragrance, Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Phospholipids
(Skin Conditioning)
2
3
Lecithin
(Skin Conditioning, Emulsifying, Surfactant, Antistatic Agent, Emollient)
Glycine Soja Sterols
(Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning Emollient)
Xanthophylls
(Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Pullulan
(Binding Agent, Film Forming, Binding)
1
A
Sodium Gluconate
(Chelating Agent, Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Xanthan Gum
(Binding Agent, Emulsion Stabilising, Skin Conditioning, Surfactant Emulsifying Agent, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Binding, Gel Forming, Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
Sclerotium Gum
(Emulsion Stabilising, Skin Conditioning, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Viscosity Controlling)
2
A
Alumina
(Abrasive, Absorbent, Anticaking Agent, Bulking Agent, Opacifying, Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
(Emollient, Masking, Perfuming, Skin Conditioning, Solvent)
2
A
Citric Acid
(Chelating Agent, Fragrance, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent, Masking)
Bad for Sensitive Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
1
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
(Binding Agent, Binding)
1
B
C13-14 Isoparaffin
(Emollient, Solvent)
2
B
Acrylates Copolymer
(Adhesive, Artificial Nail Builder, Binding Agent, Film Forming, Hair Fixing, Suspending Agent Nonsurfactant, Antistatic Agent, Binding)
1
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
(Suspending Agent Nonsurfactant, Emulsifying)
1
A
Caprylyl Glycol
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Humectant)
4
B
Polyacrylamide
(Binding Agent, Film Forming, Hair Fixing, Antistatic Agent, Binding)
3
B
Ceteareth-20
(Cleansing, Emulsifying, Surfactant)
1
2
A
Aluminum Stearate
(Anticaking Agent, Colorant, Emulsion Stabilising, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Cosmetic Colorant, Viscosity Controlling)
3
B
Laureth-7
(Emulsifying, Surfactant)
1
A
Ethylhexylglycerin
(Deodorant, Skin Conditioning)
4
A
Phenoxyethanol
(Fragrance, Preservative)
Paraben
Paraben

My Ingredient Notes

No personal ingredient notes yet. Save ingredients to your profile to get good/bad alerts here.

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Key ingredients

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
Skin Conditioning, Emollient
Zinc Oxide
Skin Protecting
Titanium Dioxide
Uv Absorber
Glycerin
Humectant, Skin Protecting
Isononyl Isononanoate
Skin Conditioning, Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning, Humectant

Benefits

Good for dry skin
Good for oily/acne-prone skin
Good for sensitive skin

Concerns

Contains paraben
Contains silicone
Not fungal acne (malassezia) safe

Ingredients explained

Water
Solvent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Solvent
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
Skin conditioning, Emollient
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Skin conditioningEmollientAntimicrobial
Isononyl Isononanoate
Skin conditioning, Emollient
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B Skin conditioningEmollientAntistatic agent
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emulsion stabilising, Opacifying
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Emulsion stabilisingOpacifyingFoam boostingViscosity increasingagent - aqueousViscosity increasing agentEmollientEmulsifyingViscosity controlling
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
Emulsifying, Surfactant
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B EmulsifyingSurfactant
glycyrrhiza glabra root extract
Bleaching, Perfuming
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A BleachingPerfumingSkin conditioningSkin conditioning emollientSmoothingSoothing
Actinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract
Skin conditioning, Skin conditioning emollient
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Skin conditioningSkin conditioning emollient
Tetrapeptide-30
Skin conditioning, Skin protecting
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Skin conditioningSkin protecting
Resveratrol
Antioxidant, Skin protecting
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 AntioxidantSkin protecting
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Antioxidant
Niacinamide
Hair conditioning, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Hair conditioningSkin conditioningSmoothing
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Antioxidant
Bisabolol
Fragrance, Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A FragranceSkin conditioningSoothing
TOCOPHEROL
Antioxidant, Fragrance
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A AntioxidantFragranceSkin conditioning
Phospholipids
Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Skin conditioning
+ 19 more — see the full ingredients list above
Zinc Oxide
Bulking agent, Cosmetic colorant
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 2–3 Bulking agentCosmetic colorantSkin protectingSunscreen agent Good for Oily Skin
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic colorant, Opacifying
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 1–3 Cosmetic colorantOpacifyingSunscreen agentUv absorber Good for Sensitive Skin
Glycerin
Denaturant, Fragrance
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 2 CIR A DenaturantFragranceHair conditioningHumectantOral care agentOral health care drugSkin protectingViscosity decreasing agentPerfumingSolvent Good for Dry SkinFungal-acne trigger
Butylene Glycol
Fragrance, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A FragranceSkin conditioningSolventViscositydecreasing agentHumectantMaskingViscosity controlling Good for Dry Skin
Dimethicone
Antifoaming agent, Skin protecting
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR A Antifoaming agentSkin protectingEmollientSkin conditioning Silicone
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient, Emulsifying
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A EmollientEmulsifying Fungal-acne trigger
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A EmollientSkin conditioning Fungal-acne trigger
Linoleic Acid
Fragrance, Hair conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 FragranceHair conditioningSkin conditioningSufactantsurfactant-cleansing agent is included as a function for the soap form of linoleic acid.Antistatic agentEmollient Fungal-acne trigger
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant, Skin conditioning
Potentially comedogenic - can block poresRead moreShow less
EWG 3 AntioxidantSkin conditioning Bad for Oily Skin
Citric Acid
Chelating agent, Fragrance
Skin irritation can occur at high concentrationRead moreShow less
EWG 2 CIR A Chelating agentFragrancePh adjusterBuffering agentMasking Bad for Sensitive Skin
Phenoxyethanol
Fragrance, Preservative
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 4 CIR A FragrancePreservative Paraben

How to use

How to use

  • 1 Where it fits: Apply near the end of your routine, after thinner serums.
  • 2 Morning only: Apply as the last step of your AM routine, after moisturiser, and reapply every ~2 hours of sun exposure.

General guidance from this product's category and active ingredients — always follow the directions on the package.

Trust & honesty

Effective levels — general guide

The concentrations these actives are typically effective at in research — not a measurement of this product.

Vitamin C (ascorbic) 5–20%

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.

Ascorbyl Glucoside, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Niacinamide 2–5% (up to 10%)

Most research uses 2–5%; some formulas go to 10%. Very high levels can cause flushing in sensitive skin.

Niacinamide

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.

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