Moisture Boost Daily Restoring Complex SPF 30

Paula's Choice

Moisture Boost Daily Restoring Complex SPF 30

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About this product

The Paula's Choice Moisture Boost Daily Restoring Complex SPF 30 is a moisturizer. Our analysis of its 29 ingredients (21 low-risk) rates it Excellent (92/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone, dry, and sensitive skin.

Vegan-friendly

Summarised from our ingredient analysis — not brand marketing copy.

At a glance

Type
Moisturizers
Ingredients
29
Low-risk
21
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 7/4
Good for dry skin
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate Glyceryl Stearate Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate Cetearyl Alcohol Butylene Glycol Dimethicone Sodium Polyacrylate
Caution for dry skin
Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate Bentonite Sodium Polyacrylate Sodium Hydroxide
Oily/Acne-Prone Skin 1/0
Good for oily/acne-prone skin
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Sensitive Skin 4/4
Good for sensitive skin
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate Dimethicone Tocopheryl Acetate Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Caution for sensitive skin
Butylene Glycol Phenoxyethanol Homosalate Benzophenone-3

Ingredients list

29 total
Lower hazard (1) Higher hazard (8)
All29 Skin Conditioning16 Uv Absorber7 Emulsion Stabilising7 Viscosity Controlling6 Uv Filter5 Emollient5 Fragrance4 Film Forming4
EWG CIR Ingredient Name & Cosmetic Functions Notes
2
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
(Uv Absorber, Uv Filter)
4
Homosalate
(Fragrance, Sunscreen Agent, Uv Absorber, Skin Conditioning, Uv Filter)
4
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
(Uv Absorber, Uv Filter)
3
Octocrylene
(Sunscreen Agent, Uv Absorber, Uv Filter)
8
Benzophenone-3
(Uv Absorber, Uv Filter)
Bad for Oily Skin
Bad for Oily Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
1
Water
(Solvent)
1
A
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Antimicrobial)
1
A
Butylene Glycol
(Fragrance, Skin Conditioning, Solvent, Viscositydecreasing Agent, Humectant, Masking, Viscosity Controlling)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
1
VP/Eicosene Copolymer
(Binding, Film Forming, Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate
(Cleansing, Foaming, Surfactant)
1
A
Cetearyl Alcohol
(Emulsion Stabilising, Opacifying, Foam Boosting, Viscosity Increasingagent Aqueous, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Emollient, Emulsifying, Viscosity Controlling)
3
A
Dimethicone
(Antifoaming Agent, Skin Protecting, Emollient, Skin Conditioning)
Silicone
Silicone
1
A
Glyceryl Stearate
(Emollient, Emulsifying)
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
1
A
Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Emulsifying)
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
1
A
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
(Antioxidant)
Retinyl Palmitate
(Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning Miscellaneous)
3
Tocopheryl Acetate
(Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning)
Bad for Oily Skin
Bad for Oily Skin
TOCOPHEROL
(Antioxidant, Fragrance, Skin Conditioning)
Picea Abies Wood Extract
B
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
(Skin Conditioning)
Good for Sensitive Skin
Good for Sensitive Skin
1
3
Titanium Dioxide
(Cosmetic Colorant, Opacifying, Sunscreen Agent, Uv Absorber)
Good for Sensitive Skin
Good for Sensitive Skin
2
A
Bentonite
(Absorbent, Bulking Agent, Emulsion Stabilising, Opacifying, Suspending Agent Nonsurfactant, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Viscosity Controlling)
1
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
(Emulsion Stabilising, Film Forming, Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
Ethylhexylglycerin
(Deodorant, Skin Conditioning)
3
B
Sodium Polyacrylate
(Absorbent, Emulsion Stabilising, Film Forming, Hair Fixing, Skin Conditioning Agent Emollient, Viscosity Controlling Agent, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Binding, Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Disodium EDTA
(Chelating Agent, Viscosity Controlling)
3
B
Sodium Hydroxide
(Denaturant, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent)
4
A
Phenoxyethanol
(Fragrance, Preservative)
Paraben
Paraben
2
A
Chlorphenesin
(Cosmetic Biocide, Antimicrobial, Preservative)

My Ingredient Notes

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Key ingredients

Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
Uv Absorber, Uv Filter
Homosalate
Uv Absorber, Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
Uv Absorber, Uv Filter
Octocrylene
Uv Absorber, Uv Filter
Benzophenone-3
Uv Absorber, Uv Filter
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
Skin Conditioning, Emollient

Benefits

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

Concerns

Contains paraben
Contains silicone
Not fungal acne (malassezia) safe
Benzophenone-3 — higher EWG

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 →

Ingredients explained

Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
Uv absorber, Uv filter
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 2 Uv absorberUv filter
Homosalate
Fragrance, Sunscreen agent
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 4 FragranceSunscreen agentUv absorberSkin conditioningUv filter
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
Uv absorber, Uv filter
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 4 Uv absorberUv filter
Octocrylene
Sunscreen agent, Uv absorber
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 Sunscreen agentUv absorberUv filter
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
VP/Eicosene Copolymer
Binding, Film forming
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 BindingFilm formingViscosity controlling
Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate
Cleansing, Foaming
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A CleansingFoamingSurfactant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emulsion stabilising, Opacifying
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Emulsion stabilisingOpacifyingFoam boostingViscosity increasingagent - aqueousViscosity increasing agentEmollientEmulsifyingViscosity controlling
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Antioxidant
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin conditioning, Skin conditioning miscellaneous
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Skin conditioningSkin conditioning miscellaneous
TOCOPHEROL
Antioxidant, Fragrance
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A AntioxidantFragranceSkin conditioning
Picea Abies Wood Extract
Other
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A
Bentonite
Absorbent, Bulking agent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 2 CIR A AbsorbentBulking agentEmulsion stabilisingOpacifyingSuspending agent -nonsurfactantViscosity increasing agentViscosity controlling
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion stabilising, Film forming
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Emulsion stabilisingFilm formingViscosity controlling
+ 5 more — see the full ingredients list above
Benzophenone-3
Uv absorber, Uv filter
Potentially a skin irritantRead moreShow less
EWG 8 Uv absorberUv filter Bad for Oily SkinBad for Sensitive Skin
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
Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate
Skin conditioning, Emollient
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Skin conditioningEmollientEmulsifying Fungal-acne trigger
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant, Skin conditioning
Potentially comedogenic - can block poresRead moreShow less
EWG 3 AntioxidantSkin conditioning Bad for Oily Skin
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A CIR B Skin conditioning Good for Sensitive Skin
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic colorant, Opacifying
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 1–3 Cosmetic colorantOpacifyingSunscreen agentUv absorber Good 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.
  • 3 Wear SPF the next day: Acids and retinoids increase sun sensitivity — daily sunscreen is a must while using this.

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

Trust & honesty

Pregnancy & breastfeeding

Contains ingredients some choose to avoid or double-check while pregnant or nursing.

Often avoided
Retinoids (Vitamin A) (Retinyl Palmitate)

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.

Effective levels — general guide

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

Retinoids (Vitamin A) 0.01–1%

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.

Retinyl Palmitate

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.

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate

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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