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Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant Versus Murad Hydrating Toner

Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant Versus Murad Hydrating Toner This smoothing exfoliator is formulated around Salicylic Acid to refine skin texture and refine the look of pores. This hydrating toner is formulated around Urea to hydrate ski

By Peptide Skincare & Beauty Editorial TeamPublished

Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant Versus Murad Hydrating Toner

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

This hydrating toner is formulated around Urea to hydrate 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

Hamamelis Virginiana Water

Urea

Yeast Amino Acids

Trehalose

Inositol

Taurine

Betaine

Chondrus Crispus Extract

Prunus Persica Fruit Extract

Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract

Sodium PCA

Lecithin

Tocopherol

Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract

Glycerin

Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract

PEG-12 Dimethicone

PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Sodium Citrate

Disodium EDTA

Phenoxyethanol

Caprylyl Glycol

Chlorphenesin

Sodium Benzoate

Benzyl Salicylate

Geraniol

Linalool

Citronellol

Parfum

CI 15510

CI 14700

Water, Butylene Glycol, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Urea, Yeast Amino Acids, Trehalose, Inositol, Taurine, Betaine, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Prunus Persica Fruit Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Sodium PCA, Lecithin, Tocopherol, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Glycerin, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, PEG-12 Dimethicone, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sodium Citrate, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Benzoate, Benzyl Salicylate, Geraniol, Linalool, Citronellol, Parfum, CI 15510, CI 14700

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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.

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.

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. 03Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
  4. 04Despite 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.
  5. 05It plays several roles in a formula:
  6. 06Typical 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.
  7. 07Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
  8. 08However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
  9. 09Cetearyl 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.
  10. 10Here'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.
  11. 11Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
  12. 12This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
  13. 13A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
  14. 14Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
  15. 15What it does:
  16. 16Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
  17. 17Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
  18. 18Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
  19. 19This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
  20. 20Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Source · skinsort.com ⟶
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