Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel Exfoliant versus Q + A Salicylic Acid Body Wash .
Last updated on January 05, 2024. Published on March 30, 2024
Overview
What they are
These products are both cruelty-free 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, sensitive skin, oily skin, reducing pores and scar healing
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, oils, parabens or silicones
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.
Body Wash
Products for cleansing your body. These include soaps, gels, cleansing creams, cleansing oils, and body washes.
Price
Ingredient Info
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel Exfoliant 13 ingredients
Q + A Salicylic Acid Body Wash 22 ingredients
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 🎉
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:
Contains Sulfate
Ingredients in this product that are types of sulfate:
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 🎉
Contains EU Allergens
Ingredients in this product that are 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
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel Exfoliant 13 ingredients
Q + A Salicylic Acid Body Wash 22 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 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:
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 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 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:
Concerns
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 3 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 Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel Exfoliant 13 ingredients
Q + A Salicylic Acid Body Wash 22 ingredients
Water • Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice • Sodium Coco-Sulfate • Propanediol • Cocamidopropyl Betaine • Lauryl Glucoside • Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside • Glycerin • Salicylic Acid • Salix Alba Bark Extract • Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract • Sodium Chloride • Potassium Sorbate • Sodium Gluconate • Sodium Hydroxide • Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride • Phenoxyethanol • Sodium Benzoate • Parfum • Citric Acid • Limonene • Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
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 Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel Exfoliant contains this as ingredient number 1.
Q + A Salicylic Acid Body Wash contains this as ingredient number 1.
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 AcidPaula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel Exfoliant contains this as ingredient number 5.
Q + A Salicylic Acid Body Wash contains this as ingredient number 9.
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 Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel Exfoliant contains this as ingredient number 13.
Q + A Salicylic Acid Body Wash contains this as ingredient number 15.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel Exfoliant 13 ingredients
Q + A Salicylic Acid Body Wash 22 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel Exfoliant 13 ingredients
Q + A Salicylic Acid Body Wash 22 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel Exfoliant 13 ingredients
Q + A Salicylic Acid Body Wash 22 ingredients
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 5 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel Exfoliant.
See 5 alternativesOur Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Q + A Salicylic Acid Body Wash.
See 50 alternatives