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Stridex Medicated Acne Pads - Sensitive Versus Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant

Stridex Medicated Acne Pads - Sensitive Versus Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant This acne treatment pad uses a pre-saturated pad with Salicylic Acid and Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice to clear breakouts and calm redness. This smoothing exfol

By Peptide Skincare & Beauty Editorial TeamPublished

Stridex Medicated Acne Pads - Sensitive Versus Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant

This acne treatment pad uses a pre-saturated pad with Salicylic Acid and Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice to clear breakouts and calm redness.

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

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Salicylic Acid 0.5%

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate

Ammonium Xylenesulfonate

Citric Acid

DMDM Hydantoin

Parfum

Hamamelis Virginiana Extract

Menthol

PPG-5-Ceteth-20

Water

Simethicone

Sodium Borate

Tetrasodium EDTA

Salicylic Acid 0.5%, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Ammonium Xylenesulfonate, Citric Acid, DMDM Hydantoin, Parfum, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Menthol, PPG-5-Ceteth-20, Water, Simethicone, Sodium Borate, Tetrasodium EDTA

Methylpropanediol

Butylene Glycol

Salicylic Acid

Polysorbate 20

Camellia Oleifera Leaf

Sodium Hydroxide

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

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The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
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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. 03Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder comes from the aloe plant.
  4. 04You may know Aloe to be a good sunburn reliever and inflammation reducer. This is because it contains many components that are known to help reduce irritation and itchiness.
  5. 05Aloe leaves are also great moisturizers. They are naturally rich in polysaccharides, a carbohydrate made of sugars. Polysaccharides are able to mimic the carbs found in the top layer of your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
  6. 06Aloe contains the antioxidants Vitamins A, C, and E. These vitamins neutralize free radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells, such as pollution.
  7. 07Aloe does not protect against UV rays, despite it soothing sunburns.
  8. 08Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (tea extract) is one of the most well-researched plant extracts in skincare with an impressive resume.
  9. 09Black tea, green tea, and oolong tea are all harvested from the Camellia Sinensis plant.
  10. 10Studies show green tea extract and its catechins (like epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)) help your skin cells product energy more efficiently and reducing the number of free-radicals that can damage your skin from the inside.
  11. 11In lab-grown skin models, this translated to younger, healthier, and stronger skin.
  12. 12There's also good sun protection data; researchers saw less DNA damage and redness on human skin when green tea was applied before UVB exposure. And the more they applied, the better the protection.
  13. 13Needless to say, this ingredient shouldn't replace your sunscreen. But it is a great supportive ingredient that you can already find in many sunscreens and antioxidant serums.
  14. 14A 2009 study found a 2% green tea lotion was effective for mild-to-moderate acne thanks to its anti-inflammatory and mild antimicrobial activity.
  15. 15The quality of the extract matters a lot here:
  16. 16Good extracts contain 50-90% catechins while lower quality ones are mostly there for marketing. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the quality or source of their ingredients.
  17. 17Human Repeated Insult Patch Testing showed no irritation or sensitization at use concentrations (0.86% in leave-on products and up to 30% as leaf water).
  18. 18Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
  19. 19The 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 …
  20. 20Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Source · skinsort.com ⟶
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