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Necessaire The Body Retinol Versus Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA

Necessaire The Body Retinol Versus Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA What's inside Key Ingredients Benefits Concerns Ingredients Side-by-side Water Glycolic Acid Mandelic Acid Rosa Damascena Flower Water Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Glycerin Cete

By Peptide Skincare & Beauty Editorial TeamPublished

Necessaire The Body Retinol Versus Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycolic Acid

Mandelic Acid

Rosa Damascena Flower Water

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Glycerin

Cetearyl Alcohol

Sodium Hydroxide

Coconut Alkanes

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

1,2-Hexanediol

Cetearyl Olivate

Sorbitan Olivate

Propanediol

Silica

Silica Silylate

Magnesium Stearate

Niacinamide

Retinol

Sh-Oligopeptide-1

Sh-Oligopeptide-2

Sh-Polypeptide-1

Sh-Polypeptide-9

Sh-Polypeptide-11

Tocopherol

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Bacillus/Folic Acid Ferment Filtrate Extract

Cellulose Acetate Butyrate

C13-14 Alkane

C15-23 Alkane

Tricaprylin

Acetyl Glutamine

Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate

Lecithin

Citric Acid

Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Decyl Glucoside

Sodium Hyaluronate

Caprylyl Glycol

Sodium Benzoate

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Carbonate

Sodium Chloride

Ethylhexylglycerin

Hydroxyacetophenone

Citronellol

Geraniol

Water, Glycolic Acid, Mandelic Acid, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Hydroxide, Coconut Alkanes, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Propanediol, Silica, Silica Silylate, Magnesium Stearate, Niacinamide, Retinol, Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Sh-Oligopeptide-2, Sh-Polypeptide-1, Sh-Polypeptide-9, Sh-Polypeptide-11, Tocopherol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Bacillus/Folic Acid Ferment Filtrate Extract, Cellulose Acetate Butyrate, C13-14 Alkane, C15-23 Alkane, Tricaprylin, Acetyl Glutamine, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Lecithin, Citric Acid, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Carbonate, Sodium Chloride, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Citronellol, Geraniol

Butylene Glycol

Cetyl Alcohol

PPG-14 Butyl Ether

Salicylic Acid

Dimethicone

Tocopheryl Acetate

Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract

Epilobium Angustifolium Extract

Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract

Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract

Bisabolol

Allantoin

Cyclopentasiloxane

Cyclohexasiloxane

Dimethiconol

PEG-40 Stearate

Sorbitan Stearate

Pvm/Ma Decadiene Crosspolymer

Polyacrylamide

C13-14 Isoparaffin

Laureth-7

Disodium EDTA

Hexylene Glycol

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, PPG-14 Butyl Ether, Salicylic Acid, Dimethicone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium Extract, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Bisabolol, Allantoin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Dimethiconol, PEG-40 Stearate, Sorbitan Stearate, Pvm/Ma Decadiene Crosspolymer, Polyacrylamide, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Laureth-7, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Hexylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol

Reviews

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.

Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.

In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.

While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.

Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.

This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.

This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.

Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.

Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).

Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:

The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.

Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.

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!

Similar Comparisons

The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

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

01

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. 03Ascorbic Acid is is pure Vitamin C and is the biologically active form used directly by skin.
  4. 04Not only is vitamin C great for your overall health and immune system, but it also has plenty of benefits for your skin. It is best supported by academic literature for:
  5. 05Topical vitamin C has been shown to help neutralize oxidative stress from UV and pollution, helping to improve photoaging and hyperpigmentation when used consistently.
  6. 06One clinical study found that using 5% topical vitamin C for six months improved signs of photodamaged skin, both on the surface and in the deeper structural layers of the skin.
  7. 07While vitamin C doesn’t replace sunscreen, studies show it can boost photoprotection when combined with Vitamin E and ferulic acid. These two ingredients help improve stability and protective effects.
  8. 08The big downside of this ingredient is formulation difficulty. Vitamin C is prone to oxidation and doesn't penetrate the skin unless formulated correctly. Research found that vitamin C absorbs into the skin best at a low pH (< 3.5) with about 20% be…
  9. 09Skin levels can saturate after repeated application; this means your skin won’t keep absorbing more once it’s full of vitamin C. This is why more isn’t always better with vitamin C and why very high concentrations don’t necessarily give extra benefits.
  10. 10Ascorbic acid generally works well with many skincare ingredients but can be irritating when combined with other active ingredients. Strong oxidizing acne treatments like benzoyl peroxide can reduce the effectiveness of vitamin C if they are used at…
  11. 11Read more about other types of Vitamin C:
  12. 12Foods rich with vitamin C include oranges, strawberries, broccoli, bell peppers, and more. When consuming Vitamin C, your skin receives a portion of the nutrients.
  13. 13Ethoxydiglycol (aka Diethylene Glycol Monoethyl Ether) is one of the cosmetic world's quiet problem solvers.
  14. 14In a formula, it is a solvent that dissolves tricky ingredients that don't want to mix in and helps spread ingredients evenly across your skin without leaving a greasy or sticky feeling
  15. 15This makes it great for hard-to-dissolve actives like vitamin C, benzoyl peroxide, and self-tanner DHA.
  16. 16It also has mild humectant and penetration enhancer abilities so it can help some actives absorb a little deeper.
  17. 17The penetration boost is backed by lab research: studies using human skin samples found it improved how well an active dissolves into the upper layer of skin rather than tearing down your skin barrier. Reviews of its mechanism also describe it inter…
  18. 18Just know this penetration-enhancing effect is not universal. It helps a lot in some formulas and did very little in others (so the benefit really depends on the specific product).
  19. 19Safety-wise, the evidence is reassuring. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel reviewed it and concluded it's safe for use in cosmetics and recognized it as non-irritating, non-sensitizing, and non-comedogenic in skincare.
  20. 20Typical leave-on skincare usage lands around 1-10%. The EU has sets caps of 2.6% in non-spray products, 10% in rinse-offs, 7% in oxidative hair dye, and 5% in non-oxidative hair dye.
Source · skinsort.com ⟶
02

Product index

Related product references

03

Comparison edit

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