Versus

Isntree Chestnut AHA 8% Clear Essence Versus Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant - US

Essence
Exfoliator
Korean Brand South Korea
American Brand United States

Updated on October 30, 2024

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 dry skin, brightening skin, oily skin and reducing pores

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 needs an update? Let us know.

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and see relevant ingredients

About this product

About this product

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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 Water
Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning

Butylene 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.
  • It has mild preservative properties.

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

When to use

92 Routines
17% use in am
83% use in pm
42% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->
5,377 Routines
26% use in am
74% use in pm
62% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Isntree Chestnut AHA 8% Clear Essence 25 ingredients

4.0 /5
from 2 ratings
Light (2) No Scent (2) Works Well (2)
sumayabegum's avatar

su maya

4 months ago
Review

this works so well!! it got rid of all my texture. my skin looks and feels so smooth. it’s very light on the skin and absorbs almost immediately. the only reason why i rated this product 4 stars is bc it gave me fungal acne on my forehead :( i didn’t think this product would trigger my fungal acne as it only has one ingredient (cetearyl alcohol) that isn’t fungal acne safe. but thankfully i Show more

#light
#absorbs well
#no scent
#works well
iamloveday's avatar

Erin Loveday

10 months ago
Review

it felt very light and was the first ever essence i used but really worked well. But the fact that it feels so light makes you want to put more because it feels like you’ve put nothing on your skin.

#great value
#light
#no scent
#works well

Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant 8 ingredients

3.4 /5
from 66 ratings
Expensive (22) Works Well (18) Irritating (10)
skinogre's avatar

skinogre

12 months ago
Review

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. Show more

#strong scent
#works well
Vman's avatar

Wiesław Gierczak

9 months ago
Review

Blackheads? Gone. Dry flakes? Gone. Nose? Smooth. Clogged pores who? My skin tends to be sensitive at times but it could easily handle this product.

#great value
#expensive
#light
#absorbs well