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Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant Versus Best Face Forward Clarifying Toner

Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant Versus Best Face Forward Clarifying Toner This smoothing exfoliator is formulated around Salicylic Acid to refine skin texture and refine the look of pores. This smoothing toner is formulated around Glycol

By Peptide Skincare & Beauty Editorial TeamPublished

Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant Versus Best Face Forward Clarifying Toner

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

This smoothing toner is formulated around Glycolic Acid and Salicylic Acid to refine skin texture and brighten dull-looking skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Methylpropanediol

Butylene Glycol

Salicylic Acid

Polysorbate 20

Camellia Oleifera Leaf

Sodium Hydroxide

Tetrasodium EDTA

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

Glycerin

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water

Glycolic Acid

Malic Acid

Tartaric Acid

Urea

Propanediol

Sodium Lactate

Sucrose

Microcitrus Australasica Fruit Extract

Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Allantoin

Ascorbyl Glucoside

Ceramide NP

Sodium Citrate

Potassium Hydroxide

PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Benzyl Glycol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Raspberry Ketone

Disodium EDTA

Parfum

Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Glycolic Acid, Malic Acid, Tartaric Acid, Salicylic Acid, Urea, Propanediol, Sodium Lactate, Sucrose, Microcitrus Australasica Fruit Extract, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Ceramide NP, Sodium Citrate, Potassium Hydroxide, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Benzyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Raspberry Ketone, Disodium EDTA, Parfum

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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.

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

Though 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.

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.

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. 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. 06Ceramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
  7. 07Since 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.
  8. 08This 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.
  9. 09A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
  10. 10Another 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.
  11. 11Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
  12. 12Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
  13. 13Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
  14. 14Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
  15. 15It plays several roles in a formula:
  16. 16Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
  17. 17Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
  18. 18However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
  19. 19Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
  20. 20Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Source · skinsort.com ⟶
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Product index

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Comparison edit

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