Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 25% AHA + 2% BHA Exfoliant Peel versus Somethinc AHA 7%, BHA 1%, PHA 3% Weekly Peeling Solution .
Published on October 14, 2022
Overview
Cool Features
They both contain AHA, BHA and Vitamin E
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing, dark spots and better texture
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, 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.
Exfoliator
Exfoliators are used to exfoliate the skin, or remove dead skin cells from the skin. Exfoliators may be chemical or physical.
Facial Treatment
Facial treatments are specially designed to treat a skin concern. Acne treatments and anti-aging products are common examples of facial treatments.
Price
Ingredient Info
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 25% AHA + 2% BHA Exfoliant Peel 25 ingredients
Somethinc AHA 7%, BHA 1%, PHA 3% Weekly Peeling Solution 37 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:
Not Reef Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not reef safe:
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 🎉
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 😥
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 25% AHA + 2% BHA Exfoliant Peel 25 ingredients
Somethinc AHA 7%, BHA 1%, PHA 3% Weekly Peeling Solution 37 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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Concerns
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Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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Concerns
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.
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 25% AHA + 2% BHA Exfoliant Peel 25 ingredients
Somethinc AHA 7%, BHA 1%, PHA 3% Weekly Peeling Solution 37 ingredients
Water • Aminomethyl Propanol • Glycolic Acid • Lactic Acid • Mandelic Acid • Isoamyl Laurate • Tartaric Acid • Propanediol • Salicylic Acid • Butylene Glycol • Clitoria Ternatea Flower Extract • Sodium Hyaluronate • Glycyrrhetinic Acid • Glycerin • Tocopherol • Bisabolol • Allantoin • Hydroxyethylcellulose • Hydrogenated Lecithin • Xanthan Gum • Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate • Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6 • Titanium Dioxide • CI 77015 • Phenoxyethanol
Water • Artemisia Vulgaris Extract • Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract • Glycolic Acid • Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract • Lactobionic Acid • Sodium Hydroxide • Pentylene Glycol • Cocamidopropyl Dimethylamine • Glycerin • Salicylic Acid • Propanediol • 1,2-Hexanediol • Panthenol • Butylene Glycol • Xanthan Gum • C12-14 Pareth-12 • Betaine • Caprylyl Glycol • Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract • Ethylhexylglycerin • Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract • Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract • Amino Esters-1 • Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract • Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract • Sodium Phytate • Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract • Octanediol • Curcuma Longa Root Extract • Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract • Pearl Powder • Lawsonia Inermis Flower Extract • Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract • Allantoin • Caffeine • Tocopherol
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 25% AHA + 2% BHA Exfoliant Peel contains this as ingredient number 1.
Somethinc AHA 7%, BHA 1%, PHA 3% Weekly Peeling Solution contains this as ingredient number 1.
Glycolic Acid is arguably the most famous AHA with research to back up its benefits. Its main role is to peel the top layer of skin cells from the newer layer of skin underneath. This helps skin to remove dark spots and look more even.
Glycolic Acid has shown to boost collage production, a protein that helps skin stay firm. Overall, Glycolic Acid helps with improving uneven tone, rough patches of skin, fine lines, wrinkles, and sun damage. It also increases skin hydration by playing a role in creating molecules that create hyaluronic acid naturally.
When applying Glycolic Acid, it is normal to feel slight stinging. The pH value and concentration of glycolic acid play a role in the effectiveness of the product.
Recent studies have shown Glycolic Acid may protect the skin against UV damage. However, you should always wear SPF, especially when using exfoliants.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Glycolic AcidPaula's Choice Skin Perfecting 25% AHA + 2% BHA Exfoliant Peel contains this as ingredient number 3.
Somethinc AHA 7%, BHA 1%, PHA 3% Weekly Peeling Solution contains this as ingredient number 4.
Propanediol helps absorb ingredients into your skin, boosting their benefits. It can act as an emollient, making your skin softer. Propanediol can help products last longer by boosting the properties of preservatives within the formulation.
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use.
It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolPaula's Choice Skin Perfecting 25% AHA + 2% BHA Exfoliant Peel contains this as ingredient number 8.
Somethinc AHA 7%, BHA 1%, PHA 3% Weekly Peeling Solution contains this as ingredient number 12.
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 25% AHA + 2% BHA Exfoliant Peel contains this as ingredient number 9.
Somethinc AHA 7%, BHA 1%, PHA 3% Weekly Peeling Solution contains this as ingredient number 11.
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.
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 25% AHA + 2% BHA Exfoliant Peel contains this as ingredient number 10.
Somethinc AHA 7%, BHA 1%, PHA 3% Weekly Peeling Solution contains this as ingredient number 15.
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 Skin Perfecting 25% AHA + 2% BHA Exfoliant Peel contains this as ingredient number 14.
Somethinc AHA 7%, BHA 1%, PHA 3% Weekly Peeling Solution contains this as ingredient number 10.
Tocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
Learn more about TocopherolPaula's Choice Skin Perfecting 25% AHA + 2% BHA Exfoliant Peel contains this as ingredient number 15.
Somethinc AHA 7%, BHA 1%, PHA 3% Weekly Peeling Solution contains this as ingredient number 37.
Allantoin plays a role in soothing and moisturizing the skin. Because of this, it is often added to products with strong active ingredients.
Some studies have shown this ingredient can promote wound healing with higher concentrations.
Allantoin is derived from the comfrey plant but produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Learn more about AllantoinPaula's Choice Skin Perfecting 25% AHA + 2% BHA Exfoliant Peel contains this as ingredient number 17.
Somethinc AHA 7%, BHA 1%, PHA 3% Weekly Peeling Solution contains this as ingredient number 35.
Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan GumPaula's Choice Skin Perfecting 25% AHA + 2% BHA Exfoliant Peel contains this as ingredient number 20.
Somethinc AHA 7%, BHA 1%, PHA 3% Weekly Peeling Solution contains this as ingredient number 16.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 25% AHA + 2% BHA Exfoliant Peel 25 ingredients
Somethinc AHA 7%, BHA 1%, PHA 3% Weekly Peeling Solution 37 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 25% AHA + 2% BHA Exfoliant Peel 25 ingredients
Somethinc AHA 7%, BHA 1%, PHA 3% Weekly Peeling Solution 37 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Somethinc AHA 7%, BHA 1%, PHA 3% Weekly Peeling Solution 37 ingredients
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