“What’s the best salicylic acid exfoliant, Gio?” My answer’s always the same: Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant or, if you’re on a budget, The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution.
No, I’m not cheating. I just like to give people choice. 😉 Cos what works for me may not work so well for you. Or you may not like the texture of my HG. Or the price.
Most people don’t like the price. I get it, I like to get the most bang for my buck, too. So if that’s what you’re after, is The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2%Solution a dupe for Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant? Let’s find out:
- What Ingredients Do The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2%Solution And Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant Have In Common?
- What Else Is In These BHA Exfoliants?
- What’s The Texture Like?
- What’s The Packaging Like?
- How To Use Them
- Which Of The Two Should You Go For?
- Price & Availability
- Is The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution A Dupe For Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant?
What Ingredients Do The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2%Solution And Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant Have In Common?
SALICYLIC ACID TO EXFOLIATE SKIN AND UNCLOG PORES
Oily skin? Meet your new BFF. Salicylic acid is an exfoliant that does triple duty:
- Exfoliates: It dissolves the “glue” that holds skin cells together on the surface of the skin, leaving it smoother and brighter.
- Unclogs: It’s oil-soluble so it easily penetrates into the pores and removes all the gunk that’s giving you blackheads and pimples.
- Soothing: It has anti-inflammatory properties that reduce redness and irritation.
If you’re dealing with blackheads, whiteheads or pimples, you MUST add salicylic acid to your skincare routine. I’m not kidding when I say this is the most important ingredient for your skin type.
Those nasty buggers rear their ugly heads when your pores are clogged. Salicylic acid removes those clogs and prevents new ones from forming.
Both The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution and Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant have 2% salicylic acid. That’s more than enough to do the job.
P.S. Salicylic acid belongs to the Beta Hydroxy Acid family. If you see BHA on the packaging, it means salicylic acid.
Related: Why Salicylic Acid Is Key To Spot-Free Skin
Want more affordable dupes for expensive skincare products? Download your FREE “Skincare Dupes” cheatsheet and start saving money (without compromising on results) today:
What Else Is In These BHA Exfoliants?
NOTE: The colours indicate the effectiveness of an ingredient. It is ILLEGAL to put toxic and harmful ingredients in skincare products.
- Green: It’s effective, proven to work, and helps the product do the best possible job for your skin.
- Yellow: There’s not much proof it works (at least, yet).
- Red: What is this doing here?!
PAULA’S CHOICE SKIN PERFECTING 2% BHA LIQUID EXFOLIANT
- Water: The main solvent in the product, it helps to dissolve other ingredients.
- Methylpropanediol: A solvent that helps active ingredients better penetrate skin.
- Butylene Glycol: It attracts and binds water to the skin, keeping it hydrated for longer.
- Polysorbate 20: It helps water and oil mix together, creating a pleasant texture that doesn’t separate into two gooey layers.
- Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract: Derived from green tea, this powerful antioxidant fights free radicals and soothe inflammation, including the UV-induced inflammation that leads to wrinkles and dark spots.
- Sodium Hydroxide: It adjusts the pH of the product, helping Salicylic Acid work its best.
- Tetrasodium EDTA: It helps the formula work its best by preventing the interference of metal ions present in water that could spoil it.
THE ORDINARY SALICYLIC ACID 2% SOLUTION
- Aqua (Water): The main solvent in the product, it helps to dissolve other ingredients.
- Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Water: Derived from witch hazel, it has soothing and hydrating properties.
- Cocamidopropyl Dimethylamine: It makes salicylic acid water-soluble and stable. It’s also what makes the texture foam a little.
- Dimethyl Isosorbide: A solvent that helps dissolve other ingredients.
- Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate: A chelating agent that attaches to the metal ions in the water and neutralises them before they can spoil the formula.
- Citric Acid: It helps to adjust the pH of skincare products.
- Polysorbate 20: It helps water and oil mix together, creating a pleasant texture that doesn’t separate into two gooey layers.
- Hydroxyethylcellulose: A thickening agent.
- Ethoxydiglycol: A solvent that helps active ingredients better penetrate skin.
- Potassium Sorbate: A preservative that inhibits the growth of bacteria in your skincare products.
- Sodium Benzoate: Another preservative that inhibits the growth of bacteria in your skincare products.
- 1,2-Hexanediol: A synthetic preservative with mild hydrating properties.
- Caprylyl Glycol: A humectant that increases moisture levels in your skin. It also has mild preservative properties.
WHICH FORMULA IS BETTER?
The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution is cheap for a reason: all you’re getting is salicylic acid. If that’s all you want, cool.
Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant has a drop of green tea, an antioxidant with soothing properties. It fights off free radicals and calms down irritation.
Plus, PC is loaded with humectants, i.e. moisture magnets that attract water from the air into the skin. That makes it a little more hydrating, too.
What’s The Texture Like?
Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant has a liquidy, lightweight texture that leaves skin a little shiny. I guess if you have oily skin, that’s the last thing you want.
The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution is a little thicker and foams a little when you apply it. I know, it’s weird. But it doesn’t compromise its effectiveness, so I’m cool with it too.
Related: The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution Full Review
What’s The Packaging Like?
Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA comes in a dark bottle.
The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution comes in a white bottle with a dropper applicator.
How To Use Them
Like all exfoliants, use them every other night, right after cleansing. Sometimes, the brand tells you you can exfoliate every day, but don’t go there, especially if you’re using retinoids. Too much exfoliation leads to dryness. If you’re using retinol or other forms of Vitamin A, apply them on nights you don’t exfoliate.
Which Of The Two Should You Go For?
It depends on your needs. If you’re on a budget or can’t put up with a shiny feel, The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution is for you.
If you have oily and dehydrated skin or simply prefer a more multi-tasking product, Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant is your best bet.
If you want something in between, like a multi-tasking exfoliant that does NOT leave a shiny residue behind, check out my guide to Paula’s Choice salicylic acid exfoliants. The brand makes 12! so you’ll sure to find one that suits your needs.
Related: The Ultimate Guide To Paula’s Choice Salicylic Acid Exfoliants: Which One Is Right For You?
Price & Availability
Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant ($35.00): Available at Cult Beauty, Paula’s Choice, Sephora, and SpaceNK
The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution ($6.70): Available at Beauty Bay, Boots, Cult Beauty, Look Fantastic, Sephora, and The Ordinary
Is The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution A Dupe For Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant?
| PAULA’S CHOICE | THE ORDINARY | |
|---|---|---|
| ACTIVE INGREDIENTS | 2% Salicylic Acid (BHA) | 2% Salicylic Acid (BHA) |
| OTHER INGREDIENTS | Antioxidant green tea. | Nothing worthy of note. |
| TEXTURE | Lightweight and liquidy, it leaves skin a little shiny. | Thicker, it foams a little. |
| PACKAGING | Dark bottle. | White bottle with a pump applicator. |
| PERFORMANCE | Unclogs pores, treats and prevents acne and soothes skin. | Unclogs pores, treats and prevents acne and soothes skin. But it’s a little less soothing. |
| IRRITATING POTENTIAL | Low. | Low. |
Nope. The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution is a more basic version of Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant. But it unclogs pores just as well.
Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant Ingredients:
Water (Aqua), Methylpropanediol (hydration), Butylene Glycol (hydration), Salicylic Acid (beta hydroxy acid/exfoliant), Polysorbate 20 (stabilizer), Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract (green tea/skin calming/antioxidant), Sodium Hydroxide (pH balancer), Tetrasodium EDTA (stabilizer)
The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution Ingredients:
Aqua (Water), Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Water, Cocamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Salicylic Acid, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Citric Acid, Polysorbate 20, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Ethoxydiglycol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol
I tried The Ordinary’s SA and it didn’t do a thing for my skin (and my skin normally improves with SA products). The Ordinary SA was also a weird foamy texture I couldn’t get used to. I just ordered the CLEAR regular strength BHA from Paula’s Choice and I’m hoping it works out!
Heidi, sorry The Ordinary didn’t work out for you. I guess there was something else in the formula that didn’t agree with your skin. I’m sure you will have better luck with Paula’s Choice. She has so many BHA exfoliants, you’re bound to find one that works for you.
Hey Gio – can you weigh in on whether Paula’s Choice CLEAR range (there’s also a 2% HA acid lotion) is better/worse than the original? Thanks!
TJ, I don’t think the formulas have changed much, it’s mainly the packaging that’s undergoing a revamp. So yes, all good. 🙂
Hi!! I NEED YOUR HELP!! I thought like for my oily and enlarged pore the best produc was glicolyc acid but them I found your articules… so I used glow tonic from pixi and BHA exfoliate from PAULAS BUT at this time I need something much stronger … so 🙂 i live in Spain and i think the top of porcentage for salicylic is 2% … do you recommended to me glicolyc acid from
Ordinary to increase the % (pixi has 5%)
Thank u !!!!
Gaby, you don’t need something stronger, you need more patience. Exfoliants don’t work overnight. If you have large pores because they’re congested, only salicylic acid can do the job. Glycolic can’t get into the pores so using a higher concentration of glycolic is useless. If the congestion is old, it can take weeks to see results but keep at it!
Gio, thanks for the wealth of info on your site! I am in the process of formulating a routine for myself. I have acne prone skin (blackheads and large pores being my biggest problem), fine lines and some age spots. My questions are: 1) have you seen or used an oil based salicylic solution? I was thinking of using Baobab oil as the carrier and skipping the alcohol all together. 2) Would you recommend using this solution after a water-based hyaluronic serum?
I’m considering making a water based serum with Hyaluronic acid, Nacinimide, and Retinyl Palmitate. I’d like to make the Baobab/Rosehip oil based moisturizer with salicylic acid and CO Q10. Here’s the plan:
Cleanse
Vit C serum
Hyaluronic acid serum (water based)
Salicylic acid moisturizer
Joy, I haven’t seen any oil-based salicylic acid exfoliant because it’s much more difficult to dissolve it in oil than in alcohol. You can check out this discussion for more information about it: https://chemistscorner.com/cosmeticsciencetalk/discussion/2514/how-to-dissolve-salicylic-acid-or-aha-acid-in-oil
As a rule, though, it’s always best to use exfoliants after cleansing. Plus, oil-based and water-based products may not layer well and cause pilling.
I just added Salicylic Acid (Paula’s Choice) to my evening routine. Should I now steer clear of The Ordinary’s Resveratrol 3% + Ferulic Acid 3%. I’ve tried to search online if they can be paired but can’t seem to find any answers.
Daniela, you can use them together. 🙂
Hi, I’m looking for this product but it’s not available in my country, the same with The Ordinary. Could you recommend anothe option please? Thak you!