Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of InstaNatural Vitamin C Serum versus Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant US .
Last updated on December 05, 2023. Published on February 14, 2022
Overview
What they are
These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe . They have a total of 2 ingredients in common
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, brightening skin, reducing pores and scar healing
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, 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
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
Ingredient Info
InstaNatural Vitamin C Serum 28 ingredients
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant 8 ingredients
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Contains Oils
Ingredients in this product that are types of oil:
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Fragrance Free
This product is free of fragrances 🎉
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Vegan
This product is vegan 🎉
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
InstaNatural Vitamin C Serum 28 ingredients
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant 8 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Benefits
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients 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 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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:
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:
Build your routine, track which ingredients work for you, and much more with your free account.
Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
InstaNatural Vitamin C Serum 28 ingredients
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant 8 ingredients
Water • Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate • Hamamelis Virginiana Water • Cassia Angustifolia Seed Extract • Globularia Cordifolia Callus Culture Extract • Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract • Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract • Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract • Fucus Vesiculosus Extract • Punica Granatum Extract • Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil • Algae Extract • Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract • Rosa Canina Fruit Oil • Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil • Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil • Ferulic Acid • Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer • Tocopheryl Acetate • Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil • Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil • Centella Asiatica Extract • Equisetum Arvense Extract • Taraxacum Officinale Extract • Geranium Maculatum Extract • Sodium Hydroxide • Phenoxyethanol • Ethylhexylglycerin
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are
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. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterInstaNatural Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant US contains this as ingredient number 1.
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.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideInstaNatural Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 26.
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant US contains this as ingredient number 7.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
InstaNatural Vitamin C Serum 28 ingredients
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant 8 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
InstaNatural Vitamin C Serum 28 ingredients
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant 8 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
InstaNatural Vitamin C Serum 28 ingredients
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant 8 ingredients
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.
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
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 6 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to InstaNatural Vitamin C Serum.
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