Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Triple-Action Toner versus Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel Exfoliant .
Last updated on July 18, 2023. Published on August 16, 2021
Overview
What they are
These products are both reef safe . They have a total of 5 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain BHA
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, brightening skin, oily skin, reducing pores and scar healing
Free From
They both do not contain any common allergens, oils, parabens 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.
Toner
Toners are used as a “last-step” cleanser, a pH balancer, add moisture to the skin, or may help in reducing impurities on the skin. They have a liquid consistency and are usually used after cleansers but before treatments.
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
Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Triple-Action Toner 21 ingredients
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel Exfoliant 13 ingredients
Contains Alcohol
Ingredients in this product that are types of alcohol:
Contains Silicon
Ingredients in this product that are types of silicon:
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 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Malassezia Safe
This product is free of malassezia feeding ingredients 🎉
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 😥
Not Cruelty Free
This product is not 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 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Triple-Action Toner 21 ingredients
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel Exfoliant 13 ingredients
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 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 2 ingredients 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 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 5 ingredients 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:
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:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Triple-Action Toner 21 ingredients
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel Exfoliant 13 ingredients
Salicylic Acid • Water • Alcohol Denat. • Butylene Glycol • Ppg-5-Ceteth-20 • C12-15 Alkyl Lactate • Parfum • Sodium Citrate • Cocamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate • Peg/Ppg-20/6 Dimethicone • Sodium Hydroxide • Benzalkonium Chloride • Cetyl Lactate • Sodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate • Disodium EDTA • Propylene Glycol • Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract • Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract • Blue 1 Lake • Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract • Yellow 11
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.
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 AcidNeutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Triple-Action Toner contains this as ingredient number 1.
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel Exfoliant contains this as ingredient number 5.
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 WaterNeutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Triple-Action Toner contains this as ingredient number 2.
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel Exfoliant contains this as ingredient number 1.
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.
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.
Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Triple-Action Toner contains this as ingredient number 4.
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel Exfoliant contains this as ingredient number 3.
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 HydroxideNeutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Triple-Action Toner contains this as ingredient number 11.
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel Exfoliant contains this as ingredient number 13.
Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract is the extract of the leaves of Camellia Oleifera, Theaceae.
Camellia Oleifera Leaf is a green tea plant native to China. It is closely related to Camellia sinensis. Both plants have very similar properties.
Camellia Oleifera Leaf is rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules. Free-radical molecules are capable of damaging our cells and other genetic material. Antioxidants help stabilize free-radicals. Antioxidants may help reduce the signs of aging.
Camellia Oleifera Leaf also has anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties.
Learn more about Camellia Oleifera Leaf ExtractNeutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Triple-Action Toner contains this as ingredient number 18.
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel Exfoliant contains this as ingredient number 9.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Triple-Action Toner 21 ingredients
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel Exfoliant 13 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Triple-Action Toner 21 ingredients
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel Exfoliant 13 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Triple-Action Toner 21 ingredients
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel Exfoliant 13 ingredients
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 34 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Triple-Action Toner.
See 34 alternativesOur Dupe Finder has found 5 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel Exfoliant.
See 5 alternatives
