Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Revolution Beauty 2% Salicylic Acid Tonic versus Paula's Choice Clear Regular Strength Anti-Redness Exfoliating Solution With 2% Salicylic Acid .
Published on February 25, 2023
Overview
What they are
These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe . They have a total of 6 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain BHA
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, dry skin, brightening skin, oily skin, reducing pores and scar healing
Free From
They both do not contain any 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
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
Revolution Beauty 2% Salicylic Acid Tonic 22 ingredients
Paula's Choice Clear Regular Strength Anti-Redness Exfoliating Solution With 2% Salicylic Acid 18 ingredients
Contains Alcohol
Ingredients in this product that are types of alcohol:
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 🎉
Contains EU Allergens
Ingredients in this product that are 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 🎉
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
Revolution Beauty 2% Salicylic Acid Tonic 22 ingredients
Paula's Choice Clear Regular Strength Anti-Redness Exfoliating Solution With 2% Salicylic Acid 18 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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Concerns
This product contains 4 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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This product contains 4 ingredients 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 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 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 1 ingredient 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:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Revolution Beauty 2% Salicylic Acid Tonic 22 ingredients
Paula's Choice Clear Regular Strength Anti-Redness Exfoliating Solution With 2% Salicylic Acid 18 ingredients
Water • Butylene Glycol • Polysorbate 20 • Hamamelis Virginiana Water • Propanediol • Salicylic Acid • Poloxamer 184 • Benzyl Alcohol • Cocamidopropyl Betaine • Glycerin • Sodium Chloride • Sodium Hydroxide • Sodium Cocoamphoacetate • Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate • Urea • Dehydroacetic Acid • Disodium EDTA • Althaea Officinalis Root Extract • Phenoxyethanol • Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice • Sodium Benzoate • Potassium Sorbate
Salicylic Acid 2% • Water • Dipropylene Glycol • Pentylene Glycol • Polysorbate 20 • Butylene Glycol • Glycerin • Sodium Hyaluronate • Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate • Allantoin • Panthenol • Peg/Ppg-17/6 Copolymer • Methyl Gluceth-20 • Glycereth-26 • Bis-Peg-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane • Sodium Hydroxide • Tetrasodium EDTA • Sodium Metabisulfite
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 WaterRevolution Beauty 2% Salicylic Acid Tonic contains this as ingredient number 1.
Paula's Choice Clear Regular Strength Anti-Redness Exfoliating Solution With 2% Salicylic Acid contains this as ingredient number 2.
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.
Revolution Beauty 2% Salicylic Acid Tonic contains this as ingredient number 2.
Paula's Choice Clear Regular Strength Anti-Redness Exfoliating Solution With 2% Salicylic Acid contains this as ingredient number 6.
Polysorbate 20 is made by combining ethoxylation of sorbitan, ethylene oxide, and lauric acid. It is a mild cleansing agent, surfactant, and emulsifier.
As a surfactant, it helps collect dirt and oils for washing. Emulsifiers prevent oils and water from separating.
Polysorbate 20 also adds scent to a product. Since it is made using sorbitol, it has a sweet scent. Sorbitol can also be found in fruits such as apples and peaches.
The lauric acid used to create Polysorbate 20 is often derived from coconuts.
Polysorbate 20 may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Polysorbate 20Revolution Beauty 2% Salicylic Acid Tonic contains this as ingredient number 3.
Paula's Choice Clear Regular Strength Anti-Redness Exfoliating Solution With 2% Salicylic Acid contains this as ingredient number 5.
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 AcidRevolution Beauty 2% Salicylic Acid Tonic contains this as ingredient number 6.
Paula's Choice Clear Regular Strength Anti-Redness Exfoliating Solution With 2% Salicylic Acid 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 GlycerinRevolution Beauty 2% Salicylic Acid Tonic contains this as ingredient number 10.
Paula's Choice Clear Regular Strength Anti-Redness Exfoliating Solution With 2% Salicylic Acid contains this as ingredient number 7.
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 HydroxideRevolution Beauty 2% Salicylic Acid Tonic contains this as ingredient number 12.
Paula's Choice Clear Regular Strength Anti-Redness Exfoliating Solution With 2% Salicylic Acid contains this as ingredient number 16.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Revolution Beauty 2% Salicylic Acid Tonic 22 ingredients
Paula's Choice Clear Regular Strength Anti-Redness Exfoliating Solution With 2% Salicylic Acid 18 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Revolution Beauty 2% Salicylic Acid Tonic 22 ingredients
Paula's Choice Clear Regular Strength Anti-Redness Exfoliating Solution With 2% Salicylic Acid 18 ingredients
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Revolution Beauty 2% Salicylic Acid Tonic.
See 50 alternativesOur Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Paula's Choice Clear Regular Strength Anti-Redness Exfoliating Solution With 2% Salicylic Acid.
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