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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Nø Cosmetics Liquid Refiner versus Balea Liquid Peeling 2% BHA .

Last updated on July 28, 2023. Published on September 30, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both fungal acne (malassezia) safe and reef safe . They have a total of 3 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 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.

Toner German Brand Germany
Exfoliator German Brand Germany

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

Shop

Buy Liquid Refiner

Shop

Buy Liquid Peeling 2% BHA

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

Good For Oily Skin
Reduces Large Pores
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting
Brightening (2)

Concerns

Drying
Irritating
Rosacea (2)
Eczema (2)

Notable Ingredients

BHA

Benefits

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

Concerns

Drying
Irritating
Rosacea
Eczema
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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

Nø Cosmetics Liquid Refiner contains this as ingredient number 1.

Balea Liquid Peeling 2% BHA contains this as ingredient number 2.

2
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

Nø Cosmetics Liquid Refiner contains this as ingredient number 4.

Balea Liquid Peeling 2% BHA contains this as ingredient number 3.

3
What it does: Buffering
Community Rating: Mixed

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 Hydroxide

Nø Cosmetics Liquid Refiner contains this as ingredient number 14.

Balea Liquid Peeling 2% BHA contains this as ingredient number 6.

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

71% are loved or liked
14% have mixed ratings
14% are disliked or very disliked
0% have no rating yet
83% are loved or liked
17% have mixed ratings
0% are disliked or very disliked
0% 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

Nø Cosmetics Liquid Refiner 14 ingredients

4.5 /5
from 4 reviews
Mormo's Avatar'
Mar 18, 2023

Amazing product for combination skin with clogged pores
Atm this product may be available only in Germany, but it has amazing ingredients that offer more than another similar products of higher price range. It has 2% BHA and resveratrol,...

Amazing product for combination skin with clogged pores
Atm this product may be available only in Germany, but it has amazing ingredients that offer more than another similar products of higher price range. It has 2% BHA and resveratrol, which do magic on oily skin. If you compare it to the Paula's Choice 2% BHA exfoliator, the concentration of the ingredients look pretty similar, especially the salicylic acid part, but the Liquid Refiner has additional products that help to make the skin better, and it's more affordable.

Even if this is not considered to be an "exfoliator" and more of a toner, my skin got much more smooth and "free" after this product than another BHA exfoliators, including Paula's Choice. I don't mean to say that they are bad, just that this product became a holy grail for me.

amorleannekoffi's Avatar'
Apr 4, 2024

Light weight not drying at all. Doesn’t have bad ingredients overall good but I haven’t seen the results yet because I haven’t used it for a long time

Light weight not drying at all. Doesn’t have bad ingredients overall good but I haven’t seen the results yet because I haven’t used it for a long time

Great Value
Hydrating
Light
Absorbs Well
Works Well

Balea Liquid Peeling 2% BHA 6 ingredients

4.5 /5
from 1 review

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