Paula's Choice 2% BHA Lotion Exfoliant Versus Topicals Faded Brightening + Clearing Serum

Paula's Choice 2% BHA Lotion Exfoliant Versus Topicals Faded Brightening + Clearing Serum

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

This brightening serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Tranexamic Acid to fade the look of dark spots and brighten dull-looking skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Butylene Glycol

Polysorbate 20

Cetyl Alcohol

Salicylic Acid

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Cyclopentasiloxane

Sorbitan Stearate

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Lauric Acid

Allantoin

Glycerin

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Avena Sativa Kernel Extract

Epilobium Angustifolium Extract

Dimethicone

Xanthan Gum

Magnesium Aluminum Silicate

PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Sodium Hydroxide

Hexylene Glycol

Disodium EDTA

Ethylhexylglycerin

Phenoxyethanol

Caprylyl Glycol

Water, Butylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Cetyl Alcohol, Salicylic Acid, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Cyclopentasiloxane, Sorbitan Stearate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Lauric Acid, Allantoin, Glycerin, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium Extract, Dimethicone, Xanthan Gum, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Hexylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Niacinamide

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Tranexamic Acid

Glyceryl Stearate

Arbutin

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Behenyl Alcohol

Glyceryl Behenate

Kojic Acid

Oxidized Glutathione

Ceteareth-20

Lecithin

Sclerotium Gum

Zinc Ricinoleate

Arginine Hcl

Azelaic Acid

Squalane

Ceteareth-12

Cetearyl Alcohol

Cetyl Palmitate

Tetrahydroxypropyl Ethylenediamine

Curcuma Longa Root Extract

Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Phytic Acid

Dimethylmethoxy Chromanyl Palmitate

Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract

Melatonin

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Tranexamic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Arbutin, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Behenyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Behenate, Kojic Acid, Oxidized Glutathione, Phenoxyethanol, Ceteareth-20, Lecithin, Sclerotium Gum, Zinc Ricinoleate, Arginine Hcl, Azelaic Acid, Squalane, Ceteareth-12, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Palmitate, Tetrahydroxypropyl Ethylenediamine, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Phytic Acid, Allantoin, Dimethylmethoxy Chromanyl Palmitate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Melatonin, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

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.

Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.

Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.

Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.

It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.

Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.

This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.

Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.

Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.

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.

Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.

Topically, glycerin does several things at once:

Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.

Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.

This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.

Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract is an extract of the roots of Licorice. It has been found to have several benefits such as skin hydrating, conditioning, and soothing.

One component, glabridin, has extra potent antioxidant and soothing properties. It has also been found to block pigmentation from UVB rays in guinea pigs.

Licorice Root also contains a flavonoid. Flavonoids are a natural substance from in plants. Flavonoids also have antioxidant properties.

Another component, glycyrrhizin, has been found to have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial benefits. This may make licorice root extract effective at treating acne. However, more research is needed to support this.

Liquiritin is one of the flavone compounds found in licorice. It has been found to help lighten skin by preventing tyrosinase from reacting with tyrosine. When the two react, protein is converted to melanin. Melanin is the substance in your body that gives your features pigmentation.

Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).

It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.

On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.

Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).

You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.

Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.

Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.

Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.

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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