Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Skin science article

Paula's Choice Clear Regular Strength Anti-Redness Exfoliating Solution With 2% Salicylic Acid Versus Stridex Max Strength Acne Pads

Paula's Choice Clear Regular Strength Anti-Redness Exfoliating Solution With 2% Salicylic Acid Versus Stridex Max Strength Acne Pads This acne exfoliator is formulated around Salicylic Acid and Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate to clear breakouts and calm redness. Thi

By Peptide Skincare & Beauty Editorial TeamPublished

Paula's Choice Clear Regular Strength Anti-Redness Exfoliating Solution With 2% Salicylic Acid Versus Stridex Max Strength Acne Pads

This acne exfoliator is formulated around Salicylic Acid and Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate to clear breakouts and calm redness.

This acne treatment pad uses a pre-saturated pad with Salicylic Acid to clear breakouts and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Salicylic Acid 2%

Water

Dipropylene Glycol

Pentylene Glycol

Polysorbate 20

Butylene Glycol

Glycerin

Sodium Hyaluronate

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Allantoin

Panthenol

PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer

Methyl Gluceth-20

Glycereth-26

Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane

Sodium Hydroxide

Tetrasodium EDTA

Sodium Metabisulfite

Salicylic Acid 2%, Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Allantoin, Panthenol, PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer, Methyl Gluceth-20, Glycereth-26, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Sodium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sodium Metabisulfite

Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate

Ammonium Xylenesulfonate

Citric Acid

DMDM Hydantoin

Parfum

Menthol

PPG-5-Ceteth-20

Simethicone

Sodium Borate

Salicylic Acid 2%, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Ammonium Xylenesulfonate, Citric Acid, DMDM Hydantoin, Parfum, Menthol, PPG-5-Ceteth-20, Water, Simethicone, Sodium Borate, Tetrasodium EDTA

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.

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.

Tetrasodium EDTA is the salt formed from neutralizing ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid with sodium hydroxide. It is a chelating agent and used to prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This helps keep the product and ingredients stable.

Tetrasodium EDTA comes as a white solid and is soluble in water.

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. 03Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
  4. 04Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
  5. 05Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
  6. 06Cocamidopropyl Betaine is a fatty acid created by mixing similar compounds in coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine, a compound with two amino groups.
  7. 07This ingredient is a surfactant and cleanser. It helps gather the dirt, pollutants, and other impurities in your skin to be washed away. It also helps thicken a product and make the texture more creamy.
  8. 08Being created from coconut oil means Cocamidopropyl Betaine is hydrating for the skin.
  9. 09While Cocamidopropyl Betaine was believed to be an allergen, a study from 2012 disproved this. It found two compounds in unpure Cocamidopropyl Betaine to be the irritants: aminoamide and 3-dimethylaminopropylamine. High-grade and pure Cocamidopropyl…
  10. 10Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate is a surfactant and helps cleanse skin. It is created from the fatty acids of coconut oil.
  11. 11Surfactants help rinse oil, dirt, and other pollutants easily from skin. It has a faint fruit-like scent.
  12. 12Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
  13. 13The 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 …
  14. 14Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
  15. 15Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
  16. 16It 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.
  17. 17On 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.
  18. 18Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
  19. 19You'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.
  20. 20Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Source · skinsort.com ⟶
02

Product index

Related product references

Product

Paula's Choice 5% Niacinamide Body Serum

Paula's Choice 5% Niacinamide Body Serum Paula's Choice 5% Niacinamide Body Serum ingredients explained: Water⁠, Panthenol⁠, Niacinamide⁠, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride⁠, Myristyl Myristate⁠…

Source: incidecoder.comView reference →
03

Comparison edit

Read side by side

Continue reading

Related articles