Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Paula's Choice 2% BHA Lotion Exfoliant versus Obagi Exfoliating Cleanser .
Last updated on August 01, 2023. Published on November 25, 2023
Overview
What they are
These products are both reef safe . They have a total of 8 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain exfoliants
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for dry skin, brightening skin and sensitive skin
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, 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.
Exfoliator
Exfoliators are used to exfoliate the skin, or remove dead skin cells from the skin. Exfoliators may be chemical or physical.
Face Cleanser
Face cleansers are used to remove makeup, dead skin cells, pollutants, oil, dirt, and/or clean out pores on the skin. Face cleansers may specialize in having one function (exa. just removing makeup) or may have multiple functions (exa. Removing makeup and cleaning pores).
Ingredient Info
Paula's Choice 2% BHA Lotion Exfoliant 25 ingredients
Obagi Exfoliating Cleanser 24 ingredients
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Contains Silicon
Ingredients in this product that are types of silicon:
Fragrance Free
This product is free of fragrances 🎉
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 🎉
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 🎉
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 😥
Not Cruelty Free
This product is not cruelty-free 😥
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Paula's Choice 2% BHA Lotion Exfoliant 25 ingredients
Obagi Exfoliating Cleanser 24 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:
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This product contains 2 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 1 ingredient 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 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:
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:
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 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 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Paula's Choice 2% BHA Lotion Exfoliant 25 ingredients
Obagi Exfoliating Cleanser 24 ingredients
Water • Butylene Glycol • Polysorbate 20 • Cetyl Alcohol • Salicylic Acid • Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer • Cyclopentasiloxane • Sorbitan Stearate • Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract • Lauric Acid • Allantoin • Glycerin • Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract • Avena Sativa Kernel Extract • Epilobium Angustifolium Extract • Dimethicone • Xanthan Gum • Magnesium Aluminum Silicate • Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil • Sodium Hydroxide • Hexylene Glycol • Disodium EDTA • Ethylhexylglycerin • Phenoxyethanol • Caprylyl Glycol
Water • Synthetic Wax • Glycerin • Decyl Glucoside • Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate • Cocamidopropyl Betaine • Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer • Sodium Lauroamphoacetate • Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate • Parfum • Phenoxyethanol • Caprylyl Glycol • Sodium PCA • Panthenol • Sodium Hydroxide • Chlorphenesin • Ethylhexylglycerin • Hexylene Glycol • Disodium EDTA • Sodium Hyaluronate • Papain • Carbomer • 1,2-Hexanediol • Algin
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 WaterPaula's Choice 2% BHA Lotion Exfoliant contains this as ingredient number 1.
Obagi Exfoliating Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 1.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.
As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.
Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.
Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.
In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.
This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinPaula's Choice 2% BHA Lotion Exfoliant contains this as ingredient number 12.
Obagi Exfoliating Cleanser 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 HydroxidePaula's Choice 2% BHA Lotion Exfoliant contains this as ingredient number 20.
Obagi Exfoliating Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 15.
Hexylene Glycol is a surfactant. Glycols are a class of alcohols. Hexylene Glycol is a surfactant and emulsifier.
As a surfactant, Hexylene Glycol helps gather dirt and oil on your skin to be washed away.
As an emulsifier, Hexylene Glycol helps keep water and oil together. This prevents them from separating in a product. Hexylene Glycol also thins out the texture of a product by lessening viscosity.
Hexylene Glycol has a small molecular weight.
Learn more about Hexylene GlycolPaula's Choice 2% BHA Lotion Exfoliant contains this as ingredient number 21.
Obagi Exfoliating Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 18.
Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.
It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.
Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAPaula's Choice 2% BHA Lotion Exfoliant contains this as ingredient number 22.
Obagi Exfoliating Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 19.
Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.
You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.
Paula's Choice 2% BHA Lotion Exfoliant contains this as ingredient number 23.
Obagi Exfoliating Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 17.
Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent germ and microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Paula's Choice 2% BHA Lotion Exfoliant contains this as ingredient number 24.
Obagi Exfoliating Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 11.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.
It is a common ingredient in many products, especially those designed to hydrate skin. The primary benefits are retaining moisture, skin softening, and promoting a healthy skin barrier.
Though Caprylyl Glycol is an alcohol derived from fatty acids, it is not the kind that can dry out skin.
This ingredient is also used as a preservative to extend the life of products. It has slight antimicrobial properties.
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolPaula's Choice 2% BHA Lotion Exfoliant contains this as ingredient number 25.
Obagi Exfoliating Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 12.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Paula's Choice 2% BHA Lotion Exfoliant 25 ingredients
Obagi Exfoliating Cleanser 24 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Paula's Choice 2% BHA Lotion Exfoliant 25 ingredients
Obagi Exfoliating Cleanser 24 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Obagi Exfoliating Cleanser 24 ingredients
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 23 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Paula's Choice 2% BHA Lotion Exfoliant.
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