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Clean & Clear Deep Action Exfoliating Scrub Versus Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant

Clean & Clear Deep Action Exfoliating Scrub Versus Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant This oil-control exfoliator is formulated around Cellulose to balance excess oil. This smoothing exfoliator is formulated around Salicylic Acid to refine

By Peptide Skincare & Beauty Editorial TeamPublished

Clean & Clear Deep Action Exfoliating Scrub Versus Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant

This oil-control exfoliator is formulated around Cellulose to balance excess oil.

This smoothing exfoliator is formulated around Salicylic Acid to refine skin texture and refine the look of pores.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Sodium Laureth Sulfate

Microcrystalline Cellulose

Cellulose

Lauryl Glucoside

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Phenoxyethanol

Parfum

Methylparaben

Microcrystalline Wax

Sodium Hydroxide

Menthol

Disodium EDTA

Sodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate

Ultramarines

CI 73360

Talc

Blue 1 Lake

CI 19140

Water, Glycerin, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Cellulose, Lauryl Glucoside, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Methylparaben, Microcrystalline Wax, Sodium Hydroxide, Menthol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate, Ultramarines, CI 73360, Talc, Blue 1 Lake, CI 19140

Methylpropanediol

Butylene Glycol

Salicylic Acid

Polysorbate 20

Camellia Oleifera Leaf

Tetrasodium EDTA

Water, Methylpropanediol, Butylene Glycol, Salicylic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Camellia Oleifera Leaf, Sodium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium EDTA

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Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.

In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.

Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.

"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!

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The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

Connected source records selected through this article’s public topic index.

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Formula cabinet

Ingredients & structured notes

Ingredient index

Ingredients Explained

  1. 01These ingredients are found in both products.
  2. 02Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
  3. 03This ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
  4. 04Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
  5. 05In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
  6. 06Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
  7. 07Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
  8. 08While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
  9. 09This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
  10. 10Ceramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
  11. 11Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
  12. 12This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
  13. 13A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
  14. 14Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
  15. 15Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
  16. 16Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
  17. 17Cholesterol is a lipid that is naturally found in human skin and is one of the three key components of your skin barrier. In skincare, it is an emollient and barrier-repairing ingredient.
  18. 18It works by fitting directly into the lipid layers of skin to help restore structure and reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
  19. 19This is a great ingredient for dry, compromised, or aging skin; our skin starts to produce less cholesterol with age.
  20. 20Research shows cholesterol works best in combination with ceramides and fatty acids, the other two major components in your skin barrier.
Source · skinsort.com ⟶
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