Smoothing Primer Serum SPF 30

Paula's Choice

Smoothing Primer Serum SPF 30

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About this product

The Paula's Choice Smoothing Primer Serum SPF 30 is a misc. Our analysis of its 21 ingredients (17 low-risk) rates it Excellent (91/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone and dry skin.

Vegan-friendly Reef-safe

Summarised from our ingredient analysis — not brand marketing copy.

At a glance

Type
Misc
Ingredients
21
Low-risk
17
Fragrance
Fragrance-free
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 6/1
Good for dry skin
Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract Isododecane Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Caution for dry skin
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Oily/Acne-Prone Skin 1/1
Good for oily/acne-prone skin
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Caution for oily/acne-prone skin
Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract
Sensitive Skin 6/7
Good for sensitive skin
Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract Physalis Angulata Extract Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Caution for sensitive skin
Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract Isododecane Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A) Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract Homosalate

Ingredients list

21 total
Lower hazard (1) Higher hazard (9)
All21 Skin Conditioning12 Uv Absorber6 Perfuming4 Skin Protecting4 Emollient4 Humectant3 Uv Filter3 Solvent3
EWG CIR Ingredient Name & Cosmetic Functions Notes
1
Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract
(Antioxidant, Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Perfuming)
1
A
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
(Viscosity Controlling)
1
Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate
(Skin Protecting)
1
B
Butyloctyl Salicylate
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Solvent)
1
Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract
(Proprietary, Skin Conditioning)
1
B
Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract
(Fragrance, Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning Agent Occlusive, Perfuming)
Good for Sensitive Skin
Good for Sensitive Skin
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
1
B
Isododecane
(Fragrance, Solvent, Emollient, Perfuming)
1
A
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
(Emollient, Masking, Perfuming, Skin Conditioning, Solvent)
1
Coffea Arabica (Coffee) Seed Extract
1
Chlorella Vulgaris Extract
(Skin Conditioning)
1
Polysilicone-11
(Film Forming)
1
Physalis Angulata Extract
(Skin Protecting)
9
Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A) Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
2
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
(Uv Absorber, Uv Filter)
1
B
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
(Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, Astringent, Emollient, Humectant, Masking, Oral Care Agent, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Tonic, Uv Absorber)
Good for Oily Skin
Good for Oily Skin
3
Cinoxate
(Sunscreen Agent, Uv Absorber)
4
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
(Uv Absorber, Uv Filter)
4
Homosalate
(Fragrance, Sunscreen Agent, Uv Absorber, Skin Conditioning, Uv Filter)
1
3
B
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
(Emollient, Humectant, Oral Care Agent, Skin Conditioning)
Good for Sensitive Skin
Good for Sensitive Skin
Calluna Vulgaris Flower Extract
(Skin Conditioning)
1
(-)-alpha-isabolol

My Ingredient Notes

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Key ingredients

Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract
Antioxidant, Humectant
Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate
Skin Protecting
Butyloctyl Salicylate
Skin Conditioning
Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract
Skin Conditioning
Isododecane
Emollient

Benefits

Good for dry skin

Concerns

Not fungal acne (malassezia) safe
Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A) — higher EWG
May not suit sensitive skin

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

Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract
Antioxidant, Humectant
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 AntioxidantHumectantSkin conditioningPerfuming
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Viscosity controlling
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Viscosity controlling
Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate
Skin protecting
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Skin protecting
Butyloctyl Salicylate
Hair conditioning, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B Hair conditioningSkin conditioningSolvent
Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract
Proprietary, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 ProprietarySkin conditioning
Isododecane
Fragrance, Solvent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B FragranceSolventEmollientPerfuming
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Emollient, Masking
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A EmollientMaskingPerfumingSkin conditioningSolvent
Coffea Arabica (Coffee) Seed Extract
Other
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1
Chlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Skin conditioning
Polysilicone-11
Film forming
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Film forming
Physalis Angulata Extract
Skin protecting
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Skin protecting
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
Uv absorber, Uv filter
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 2 Uv absorberUv filter
Cinoxate
Sunscreen agent, Uv absorber
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 Sunscreen agentUv absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
Uv absorber, Uv filter
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 4 Uv absorberUv filter
Homosalate
Fragrance, Sunscreen agent
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 4 FragranceSunscreen agentUv absorberSkin conditioningUv filter
+ 2 more — see the full ingredients list above
Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract
Fragrance, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B FragranceSkin conditioningSkin-conditioning agent -occlusivePerfuming Good for Sensitive SkinGood for Dry Skin
Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A)
Other
Higher-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 9 Good for Dry SkinFungal-acne trigger
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial, Antioxidant
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B AntimicrobialAntioxidantAstringentEmollientHumectantMaskingOral care agentSkin conditioningSkin protectingTonicUv absorber Good for Oily Skin
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient, Humectant
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 1–3 CIR B EmollientHumectantOral care agentSkin conditioning Good for Sensitive Skin

How to use

How to use

  • 1 Morning only: Apply as the last step of your AM routine, after moisturiser, and reapply every ~2 hours of sun exposure.
  • 2 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 (Vitamin A))

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 A)

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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