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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of CARE:NEL AHA BHA Peeling Serum versus COSRX The AHA BHA PHA LHA 35 Peel .

Last updated on October 31, 2023. Published on April 07, 2024

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe . They have a total of 6 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain AHA and BHA

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, brightening skin, sensitive skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing, dark spots and better texture

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, fragrances, oils, parabens, silicones or sulfates

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

Serum South Korean Brand South Korea
Exfoliator South Korean Brand South Korea

Serum

Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Exfoliator

Exfoliators are used to exfoliate the skin, or remove dead skin cells from the skin. Exfoliators may be chemical or physical.

Price

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Buy AHA BHA Peeling Serum

Starts at $14.10
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Buy The AHA BHA PHA LHA 35 Peel

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Notable Ingredients

AHA
BHA

Benefits

Hydrating
Good For Oily Skin (2)
Redness Reducing
Reduces Irritation
Skin Texture
Reduces Large Pores (2)
Anti-Aging
Dark Spots
Scar Healing (2)
Acne Fighting
Brightening (2)

Concerns

Drying
Irritating (2)
Rosacea (2)
Eczema

Notable Ingredients

AHA (4)
BHA
PHA
Vitamin E
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Good For Oily Skin (2)
Reduces Irritation
Skin Texture (4)
Reduces Large Pores (5)
Anti-Aging (3)
Dark Spots (2)
Scar Healing (4)
Acne Fighting
Brightening (6)

Concerns

Drying
Irritating (5)
Rosacea (5)
Eczema (2)
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Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

1
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

CARE:NEL AHA BHA Peeling Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

COSRX The AHA BHA PHA LHA 35 Peel contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Buffering
Community Rating: Loved

Glycolic Acid is arguably the most famous AHA with research to back up its benefits. Its main role is to peel the top layer of skin cells from the newer layer of skin underneath. This helps skin to remove dark spots and look more even.

Glycolic Acid has shown to boost collage production, a protein that helps skin stay firm. Overall, Glycolic Acid helps with improving uneven tone, rough patches of skin, fine lines, wrinkles, and sun damage. It also increases skin hydration by playing a role in creating molecules that create hyaluronic acid naturally.

When applying Glycolic Acid, it is normal to feel slight stinging. The pH value and concentration of glycolic acid play a role in the effectiveness of the product.

Recent studies have shown Glycolic Acid may protect the skin against UV damage. However, you should always wear SPF, especially when using exfoliants.

Read more about some other popular AHA's here:

Learn more about Glycolic Acid

CARE:NEL AHA BHA Peeling Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.

COSRX The AHA BHA PHA LHA 35 Peel contains this as ingredient number 2.

3
What it does: Buffering
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Potassium hydroxide is commonly known as caustic potash. It is used to fix the pH of a product or as a cleaning agent in soap. In cleansers, it is used for the saponification of oils.

Sapnification is the process of creating fatty acid metal salts from triglycerides and a strong base. During this process, Potassium Hydroxide is used up and is not present in the final product.

Using high concentrations of Potassium Hydroxide have shown to irritate the skin.

Learn more about Potassium Hydroxide

CARE:NEL AHA BHA Peeling Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.

COSRX The AHA BHA PHA LHA 35 Peel contains this as ingredient number 4.

4
What it does: Masking, Solvent
Community Rating: Disliked

Dipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created stabilizer and solvent. It is a part of the glycol class in the alcohol family.

Dipropylene Glycol helps dissolve and evenly distribute ingredients. It also helps decrease viscosity and thin out texture.

As a masking agent, Dipropylene Glycol can be used to cover the smell of other ingredients. However, it does not have a scent.

Studies show Dipropylene Glycol is considered safe to use in skincare.

Learn more about Dipropylene Glycol

CARE:NEL AHA BHA Peeling Serum contains this as ingredient number 5.

COSRX The AHA BHA PHA LHA 35 Peel contains this as ingredient number 7.

5
What it does: Masking, Preservative, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Salicylic Acid (also known as beta hydroxy acid or BHA) is one of the most well-known ingredients for treating skin that struggles with blackheads and acne. It helps to exfoliate both the skin's surface and pores, and also acts as an anti-inflammatory agent.

This multitasking property makes it a great ingredient for cleaning out pores, controlling oil production, and reducing inflammation.

Unlike AHAs which are water soluble, Salicylic Acid is oil soluble. This means that it's able to exfoliate the inside of pores and reduce blackheads.

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 a Salicylic Acid into your routine.

In general, Salicylic Acid is a great ingredient for oily acne-prone skin.

While salicylic acid does not increase sun-sensitivity, we still recommend wearing SPF.

If you are looking for the ingredient called BHA or Butylated Hydroxyanisole, click here.

Learn more about Salicylic Acid

CARE:NEL AHA BHA Peeling Serum contains this as ingredient number 6.

COSRX The AHA BHA PHA LHA 35 Peel contains this as ingredient number 9.

6
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Mixed

1,2-Hexanediol is a multi-tasker ingredient. It acts as a preservative to increase shelf-life and can aid other preservatives in preventing microbe growth. 1,2-Hexanediol also helps the skin retain moisture as a humectant.

In products that are water-based, this ingredient can help stabilize perfumes and fragrances. It can also help make the texture of products softer and more smooth.

CARE:NEL AHA BHA Peeling Serum contains this as ingredient number 11.

COSRX The AHA BHA PHA LHA 35 Peel contains this as ingredient number 11.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

62% are loved or liked
8% have mixed ratings
31% are disliked or very disliked
0% have no rating yet
44% are loved or liked
19% have mixed ratings
19% are disliked or very disliked
19% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

CARE:NEL AHA BHA Peeling Serum 13 ingredients

AHA BHA Peeling Serum hasn't been rated yet.
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COSRX The AHA BHA PHA LHA 35 Peel 27 ingredients

5.0 /5
from 1 rating

Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 34 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to CARE:NEL AHA BHA Peeling Serum.

See 34 alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 35 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to COSRX The AHA BHA PHA LHA 35 Peel.

See 35 alternatives
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