Updated on June 28, 2024
Overview
What they are
These products are both reef safe . They have a total of 3 ingredients in common
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, brightening skin and reducing pores
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, parabens or sulfates
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that needs an update? Let us know.
Ingredient Info
Estée Lauder Idealist Pore Minimizing Skin Refinisher 54 ingredients
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant 8 ingredients
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Estée Lauder Idealist Pore Minimizing Skin Refinisher 54 ingredients
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant 8 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Benefits
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Ingredients Side-by-side
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.
Cyclopentasiloxane is a silicone used to improve texture and trap moisture. An easier name for this is D5.
Dimethicone is a silicone used for making products smooth and silky. It also has the added benefit of sealing in hydration. The amount of dimethicone found in beauty products is considered safe and non-comedogenic, meaning it won't clog pores.
Acetyl Glucosamine is an antioxidant and humectant. It is a form of Vitamin C.
Sodium Lactate is the sodium salt of lactic acid, an AHA. It is a humectant and used to adjust the pH of a product.
The Morus Nigra root extract comes from the roots of the Black Mulberry tree.
This ingredient is extracted from the germ part of the wheat plant. The germ of a plant refers to the seed embryo, or part that sprouts into a new plant.
5 Benefits
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract is derived from the leaves of the tea plant. Black tea, green tea, and oolong tea are all harvested from this plant.
Lavandula Angustifolia Extract comes from the lavender flower. Lavandula Angustifolia is known as the English Lavender and famous for creating purple fields in Provence, France.
Caffeine is most associated with coffee, tea, and cacao. In skincare, it helps with calming inflammation and anti-aging.
Antioxidant Helps brighten skin
Tocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.
Not safe for Fungal Acne
Coriandrum Sativum Oil is an oil and isn't fungal acne safe.
Cholesterol is a class of organic molecules called lipids. It helps hydrate your skin and is essential to having a healthy skin barrier.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.
Squalane is an emollient that helps the skin hold onto moisture. It's an oily liquid that occurs naturally in certain types of fish and plant oils.
Polyethylene is a synthetic ingredient that helps the skin retain moisture. It is a polymer.
Phenyl Trimethicone is a silicon-based polymer. It is derived from silica.
Isohexadecane is added to enhance texture, emulsify, and to help cleanse. It is an isoparrafin. It is a component of petrolatum.
Polysorbate 20 is made by combining ethoxylation of sorbitan, ethylene oxide, and lauric acid. It is a mild cleansing agent, surfactant, and emulsifier.
We don't have a description for Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer.
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer (let's call it AAVC for short) is a synthetically created polymer. It's used as a film-forming agent and used to thicken the consistency of products.
Polysorbate 80 is a surfactant and emulsifier. It is used to keep ingredients together, and prevent oils and waters from separating.
Phospholipids are naturally found in our skin as they are the main component of cell membranes. Phospholipids have humectant, emollient, antioxidant properties.
Not safe for Fungal Acne
Palmitoyl Oligopeptide is a form of peptide. It is created by blending peptides with palmitic acid. Peptides are building blocks for protein.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Antioxidant 5 Benefits
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate (MAP) is a form of Vitamin C and is an antioxidant. It can help to reduce redness, improve skin texture, reduce the effects of aging, reduce the visibility of dark spots, and brighten skin.
Chlorphenesin is a synthetic preservative. It helps protect a product against bacteria in order to extend shelf life. In most cases, Chlorphenesin is paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol and caprylyl glycol.
Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
Limonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.
2 Concerns
Linalool is a fragrance and helps add scent to products. It's derived from common plants such as cinnamon, mint, citrus, and lavender.
Ci 77491 is also hydrated iron III oxide. It's sole purpose is to give a red/pink hue to products.
Mica refers to a group of silicate minerals. Mica crystals are easily split to give products a shimmer. These crystals are able to reflect light to temporarily give your skin a glowy look.
Ci 77891 is a white pigment from Titanium dioxide. It is naturally found in minerals such as rutile and ilmenite.
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Polysilicone-11, Acetyl Glucosamine, Sodium Lactate, Morus Nigra Root Extract, Yeast Extract, Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract, Triticum Vulgare Germ Extract, Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Extract, Castanea Sativa Seed Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Hordeum Vulgare Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Extract, Amorphophallus Konjac Root Powder, Caffeine, Laminaria Saccharina Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Salvia Sclarea Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Coriandrum Sativum Oil, Citrus Grandis, Cholesterol, Glycerin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Squalane, Polyethylene, Isopentyldiol, Phenyl Trimethicone, Isohexadecane, Polysorbate 20, Pantethine, Methyldihydrojasmonate, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Polysorbate 80, Peg-8, Ethyl 2,2-Dimethylhydrocinnamal, Phospholipids, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Butylene Glycol, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Disodium Succinoyl Glycyrrhetinate, Nordihydroguaiaretic Acid, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Limonene, Linalool, CI 77491, Mica, CI 77891
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.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Preservative 5 Benefits 4 Concerns
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.
Polysorbate 20 is made by combining ethoxylation of sorbitan, ethylene oxide, and lauric acid. It is a mild cleansing agent, surfactant, and emulsifier.
Camellia Oleifera Leaf is a green tea plant native to China. It is closely related to Camellia sinensis. Both plants have very similar properties.
Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
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.
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterPolysorbate 20 is made by combining ethoxylation of sorbitan, ethylene oxide, and lauric acid. It is a mild cleansing agent, surfactant, and emulsifier.
As a surfactant, it helps collect dirt and oils for washing. Emulsifiers prevent oils and water from separating.
Polysorbate 20 also adds scent to a product. Since it is made using sorbitol, it has a sweet scent. Sorbitol can also be found in fruits such as apples and peaches.
The lauric acid used to create Polysorbate 20 is often derived from coconuts.
Polysorbate 20 may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Polysorbate 20Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
- It is a solvent, meaning that it helps to dissolve other ingredients. This also enhances the absorption of the product into one's skin.
- It is a humectant, which means that it helps attract moisture into the skin.
- It helps improve product application.
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient. It is unlikely to irritate skin, and works well with pretty much all other ingredients.
Ingredient Ratings
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
When to use
Estée Lauder Idealist Pore Minimizing Skin Refinisher 54 ingredients
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant 8 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Estée Lauder Idealist Pore Minimizing Skin Refinisher 54 ingredients
ChristineQuimbo_318
I've been using Idealist since it first came out in 2000, and have loved it ever since. They've discontinued just this year, and I'm now desperate...
I've been using Idealist since it first came out in 2000, and have loved it ever since. They've discontinued just this year, and I'm now desperate for any stock left, or for EL to bring it back...
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant 8 ingredients
skinogre
The first night I used Paula’s choice exfoliant just once, it cleaned up my skin scraping it whole, I was left GLOWING but it felt kind of tight...
The first night I used Paula’s choice exfoliant just once, it cleaned up my skin scraping it whole, I was left GLOWING but it felt kind of tight like I had been using corsx salicylic acid for 3 days straight, it takes some getting used to, to the extent that the instructions literally say to start off once a week and slowly build your usage up overtime, it’s really strong but does the job well. I’ve noticed that if I overuse it, I get extremely coarse skin and whiteheads slowly appear in the places I use it most (my nose). This is why I highly advise to purchase the small sample bottle first and to build your way up, at MOST every other day. I’ve used it 3-4 times a week since and on the few days I don’t I use a daily-friendly exfoliant toner pad so my skin barrier isn’t destroyed but bacteria doesn’t also build. It dries up all the forehead gunk, removes residue on the sides of my nose and dried up the pimples I had been trying to rid of for so long, my skin is left gleaming, exfoliated as ever, and I know my skin wouldn’t be as flawless without it. 30ml sample version Lasted 2 months from Dec-Feb used every other day. I now use the 118ml version since Feb and there’s plenty left, will most likely last for about 7 months and 3 weeks in total (based on how long i went through the sample size). As much as I love this I deeply suggest researching and sampling because there are mixed reviews of people claiming that it ruined their skin which doesn’t surprise me -since it is pretty harsh exfoliant and skin is diverse. I tend to be wary of western products but one thing western products do well is harsh exfoliants. If you have a lot of bacterial residue, sebaceous filaments and the feeling of gunk on your face even after your exfoliant, this is a good one to consider. This combined with my Needley daily Toner pad is the only reason why my forehead looks like a glazed doughnut
MichelleR
Viral for a REASON
This product is popular for a reason. Back in the day [showing my age] we used to use Noxzema and Stridex for our acne. But...
Viral for a REASON
This product is popular for a reason. Back in the day [showing my age] we used to use Noxzema and Stridex for our acne. But those products were so harsh, burned, and didn't produce any results. This product not only clears pores but is also nourishing [suspect it is the green tea]. After I apply, my skin doesn't feel raw or sensitive. The formulation of this product is FANTASTIC. Truly viral for a reason. It will forever be in my skincare collection.
