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Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant Versus Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Pore Perfecting & Refining Serum

Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant Versus Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Pore Perfecting & Refining Serum This smoothing exfoliator is formulated around Salicylic Acid to refine skin texture and refine the look of pores. This pore-ca

By Peptide Skincare & Beauty Editorial TeamPublished

Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant Versus Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Pore Perfecting & Refining Serum

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

This pore-care serum is formulated around Mandelic Acid and Salicylic Acid to refine the look of pores and refine skin texture.

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

Propylene Glycol

Ethoxydiglycol

Glycerin

Polysorbate 80

Mandelic Acid

Carnitine Hcl

Farnesol

Glycolic Acid

Lactic Acid

Adipic Acid

Fomes Officinalis Extract

Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract

Salix Alba Bark Extract

Phytic Acid

Siraitia Grosvenorii Fruit Extract

Hamamelis Virginiana Water

Bisabolol

Pentasodium Pentetate

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Hexylresorcinol

Quercetin

Tocopherol

Sodium Hyaluronate

Dimethyl Isosorbide

Panthenol

Urea

Isopropyl Jojobate

Jojoba Alcohol

Jojoba Esters

Retinol

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Potassium Hydroxide

Octoxynol-9

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract

Prunus Persica Fruit Extract

Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract

Lavandula Angustifolia Extract

Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Extract

Rose Extract

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract

Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract

Citrus Limon Fruit Extract

Triethyl Citrate

Fucus Vesiculosus Extract

Jasminum Officinale Flower Extract

Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract

Coriandrum Sativum Seed Extract

Benzoic Acid

Phenoxyethanol

Sodium Benzoate

Water, Propylene Glycol, Ethoxydiglycol, Glycerin, Polysorbate 80, Butylene Glycol, Mandelic Acid, Carnitine Hcl, Salicylic Acid, Farnesol, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Adipic Acid, Fomes Officinalis Extract, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Phytic Acid, Siraitia Grosvenorii Fruit Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Bisabolol, Pentasodium Pentetate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Hexylresorcinol, Quercetin, Tocopherol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Panthenol, Urea, Isopropyl Jojobate, Jojoba Alcohol, Jojoba Esters, Retinol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Polysorbate 20, Potassium Hydroxide, Octoxynol-9, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Prunus Persica Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Extract, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Extract, Rose Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Triethyl Citrate, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Jasminum Officinale Flower Extract, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Coriandrum Sativum Seed Extract, Benzoic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate

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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.

Polysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.

It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.

The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.

Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).

True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.

Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.

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!

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 Pc4Men Nighttime RepairIngredients 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. 06A clear, colorless, almost odorless oil that spreads nicely and easily and gives a velvet dry skin feel. It is good friends with sunscreen agents and helps to solubilize them. Also, it makes sunscreens feel lighter and spread easier.
  7. 07A natural moisturizer that’s also in our skin
  8. 08A super common, safe, effective and cheap molecule used for more than 50 years
  9. 09Not only a simple moisturizer but knows much more: keeps the skin lipids between our skin cells in a healthy (liquid crystal) state, protects against irritation, helps to restore barrier
  10. 10Effective from as low as 3% with even more benefits for dry skin at higher concentrations up to 20-40%
  11. 11High-glycerin moisturizers are awesome for treating severely dry skin
  12. 12A clear, almost colorless (or slightly yellowish) oily liquid (an ester to be precise) that's used as a medium spreading emollient. It gives skin a nice and smooth after-feel and it's very good at reducing oiliness or greasiness coming from other he…
  13. 13We don't have description for this ingredient yet.
  14. 14Unless you live under a rock you must have heard about shea butter. It's probably the most hyped up natural butter in skincare today. It comes from the seeds of African Shea or Karite Trees and used as a magic moisturizer and emollient.
  15. 15But it's not only a simple emollient, it regenerates and soothes the skin, protects it from external factors (such as UV rays or wind) and is also rich in antioxidants (among others vitamin A, E, F, quercetin and epigallocatechin gallate). If you ar…
  16. 16It seems to us that squalane is in fashion and there is a reason for it. Chemically speaking, it is a saturated (no double bonds) hydrocarbon (a molecule consisting only of carbon and hydrogen), meaning that it's a nice and stable oily liquid with a…
  17. 17It occurs naturally in certain fish and plant oils (e.g. olive), and in the sebum (the oily stuff our skin produces) of the human skin. As f.c. puts it in his awesome blog post, squalane's main things are "emolliency, surface occlusion, and TEWL pre…
  18. 18Another advantage of squalane is that it is pretty much compatible with all skin types and skin conditions. It is excellent for acne-prone skin and safe to use even if you have fungi-related skin issues, like seborrhea or fungal acne.
  19. 19The unsaturated (with double bonds) and hence less stable version of Squalane is Squalene, you can read about it here >>
  20. 20A superabsorbent polymer (big molecule from repeated subunits) that has crazy water binding abilities. Sometimes its referred to as "waterlock" and can absorb 100 to 1000 times its mass in water.
Source · incidecoder.com ⟶
02

Product index

Related product references

03

Comparison edit

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