Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Skin science article

Paula's Choice 2% BHA Body Spot Exfoliant Versus Eucerin Dermopure Triple Action

Paula's Choice 2% BHA Body Spot Exfoliant Versus Eucerin Dermopure Triple Action This acne serum is formulated around Salicylic Acid and Isobutylamido Thiazolyl Resorcinol to clear breakouts and fade the look of dark spots. What's inside Key Ingredients Benefi

Paula's Choice 2% BHA Body Spot Exfoliant Versus Eucerin Dermopure Triple Action

This acne serum is formulated around Salicylic Acid and Isobutylamido Thiazolyl Resorcinol to clear breakouts and fade the look of dark spots.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Butylene Glycol

Cetyl Alcohol

PPG-14 Butyl Ether

Salicylic Acid

Dimethicone

Tocopheryl Acetate

Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract

Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract

Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract

Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract

Bisabolol

Allantoin

Cyclopentasiloxane

Cyclohexasiloxane

Dimethiconol

PEG-40 Stearate

Sorbitan Stearate

Polysorbate 20

Pvm/Ma Decadiene Crosspolymer

Polyacrylamide

C13-14 Isoparaffin

Laureth-7

Disodium EDTA

Sodium Hydroxide

Hexylene Glycol

Caprylyl Glycol

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Ethylhexylglycerin

Methylparaben

Butylparaben

Ethylparaben

Propylparaben

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, PPG-14 Butyl Ether, Salicylic Acid, Dimethicone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Bisabolol, Allantoin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Dimethiconol, PEG-40 Stearate, Sorbitan Stearate, Polysorbate 20, Pvm/Ma Decadiene Crosspolymer, Polyacrylamide, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Laureth-7, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Hexylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ethylhexylglycerin, Methylparaben, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Phenoxyethanol

Alcohol Denat.

Glycerin

Tapioca Starch

Carbomer

Isobutylamido Thiazolyl Resorcinol

Decylene Glycol

Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract

Panthenol

Glucosylrutin

Isoquercitrin

Pantolactone

Trisodium EDTA

Citric Acid

Parfum

Water, Alcohol Denat., Glycerin, Tapioca Starch, Carbomer, Salicylic Acid, Isobutylamido Thiazolyl Resorcinol, Decylene Glycol, Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract, Panthenol, Glucosylrutin, Isoquercitrin, Pantolactone, Sodium Hydroxide, Trisodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Parfum

Reviews

Be the first to review

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Salicylic Acid (also known as beta hydroxy acid or BHA) is a well-known ingredient for treating skin that struggles with acne and clogged pores. It exfoliates both the skin's surface and deep within the pores to help clear out buildup, control oil, and reduce inflammation.

Unlike AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids), salicylic acid is oil-soluble. This allows it to penetrate into pores which makes it especially effective for treating blackheads and preventing future breakouts.

Salicylic acid is also known for its soothing properties. It has a similar structure to aspirin and can calm inflamed or irritated skin, making it a good option for acne-prone skin that is also sensitive.

Concentrations of 0.5-2% are recognized by the U.S. FDA as an over-the-counter topical acne product.

It can cause irritation and/or dryness if one's skin already has a compromised moisture barrier, so it's best to focus on repairing that before introducing this ingredient into your routine.

While salicylic acid does not increase sun sensitivity, it’s still important to wear sunscreen daily to protect your skin.

If you are looking for the ingredient called BHA or Butylated Hydroxyanisole, click here.

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

Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment With 2% BHAIngredients explained

  1. 01Good old water, aka H2O. The most common skincare ingredient of all. You can usually find it right in the very first spot of the ingredient list, meaning it’s the biggest thing out of all the stuff that makes up the product.
  2. 02It’s mainly a solvent for ingredients that do not like to dissolve in oils but rather in water.
  3. 03Expand to read more
  4. 04Once inside the skin, it hydrates, but not from the outside - putting pure water on the skin (hello long baths!) is drying.
  5. 05One more thing: the water used in cosmetics is purified and deionized (it means that almost all of the mineral ions inside it is removed). Like this, the products can stay more stable over time.
  6. 06Butylene glycol, or let’s just call it BG, is a multi-tasking colorless, syrupy liquid. It’s a great pick for creating a nice feeling product.
  7. 07BG’s main job is usually to be a solvent for the other ingredients. Other tasks include helping the product to absorb faster and deeper into the skin (penetration enhancer), making the product spread nicely over the skin (slip agent), and attracting…
  8. 08It’s an ingredient whose safety hasn’t been questioned so far by anyone (at least not that we know about). BG is approved by Ecocert and is also used enthusiastically in natural products. BTW, it’s also a food additive.
  9. 09A so-called fatty (the good, non-drying kind of) alcohol that does all kinds of things in a skincare product: it makes your skin feel smooth and nice (emollient), helps to thicken up products and also helps water and oil to blend (emulsifier). Can b…
  10. 10We don't have description for this ingredient yet.
  11. 11It's one of the gold standard ingredients for treating problem skin
  12. 12It can exfoliate skin both on the surface and in the pores
  13. 13It's a potent anti-inflammatory agent
  14. 14It's more effective for treating blackheads than acne
  15. 15For acne combine it with antibacterial agents like benzoyl peroxide or azelaic acid
  16. 16Probably the most common silicone of all. It is a polymer (created from repeating subunits) molecule and has different molecular weight and thus different viscosity versions from water-light to thick liquid.
  17. 17As for skincare, it makes the skin silky smooth, creates a subtle gloss and forms a protective barrier (aka occlusive). Also, works well to fill in fine lines and wrinkles and give skin a plump look (of course that is only temporary, but still, it's…
  18. 18As for hair care, it is a non-volatile silicone meaning that it stays on the hair rather than evaporates from it and smoothes the hair like no other thing. Depending on your hair type, it can be a bit difficult to wash out and might cause some build…
  19. 19It’s the most commonly used version of pure vitamin E in cosmetics. You can read all about the pure form here. This one is the so-called esterified version.
  20. 20According to famous dermatologist, Leslie Baumann while tocopheryl acetate is more stable and has a longer shelf life, it’s also more poorly absorbed by the skin and may not have the same awesome photoprotective effects as pure Vit E.
Source · incidecoder.com
02

Product index

Related product references

03

Comparison edit

Read side by side