If you love a good acid exfoliant like I do and want to fight blackheads, blemishes, enlarged pores and bumpy skin texture – may I refer you to the best-selling Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant for some help?
This cult classic beta-hydroxy acid (BHA) has been topping skin care lovers’ lists since its release years ago and has been atop my acid wish list for the last three years. Why? Because BHA is a miracle worker when it comes to deep cleaning pores and destroying oil, blackheads, whiteheads, zits and a ton of other skin care nightmares that we all work tirelessly to get rid of in our quest for the perfect complexion.
So whether you suffer from pesky blackheads or just want to improve your skin texture, a great BHA exfoliant is a must-have in your skin care routine forever and always!
*Paula’s Choice gifted me a bottle of the 2% BHA to trial, but I also have my own bottle that I purchased prior to my free sample arriving. This post contains affiliate links*
What Is Beta-Hydroxy Acid a.k.a. BHA?
Beta-hydroxy acids or BHAs are a form of hydroxy acid that is oil-soluble, which allows the BHA to not only exfoliate the surface of the skin, but also penetrate deeply into pores to remove dead skin cells and excess sebum (oil). Alpha-hydroxy acids, or AHAs, cannot get into pores like BHAs can.
BHA’s oil-fighting ability makes it a great acid for oily skin types or those suffering from blemishes, blackheads and clogged pores. BHAs are also great at making skin smoother, softer and more even toned, while reducing redness and inflammation.
The most common form of BHA is salicylic acid, which is derived from willow bark and belongs to a class of ingredients called “salicylates”.
The Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA uses salicylic acid to exfoliate.
What Does the Paula’s Choice BHA Do? What Skin Types Should Avoid BHA?
Because it contains 2% BHA in the form of salicylic acid, the Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting liquid exfoliant can exfoliate, un-clog and soothe skin as follows:
-Reduces acne and blemishes from appearing forming (use with benzoyl peroxide, azelaic acid or mandelic acid for best results)
-Unclogs pores for clearer skin and minimizes pore size over time
-Reduces blackheads and whiteheads
-Reduces redness and inflammation
-Reduces skin texture and fine lines by exfoliating the skin’s surface
-Promotes smoother, softer skin
-Can also reduce fine lines and wrinkles
RELATED READING: How To Prevent Blackheads In 6 Steps
Who can use the PC BHA? This exfoliant is a MUST-HAVE for oily/combination or acne prone skin types looking to de-clog pores on a regular basis.
I cannot stress enough that if you have blemishes, blackheads, whiteheads or clogged pores, a good BHA exfoliant is an essential to getting clearer skin.
However, even if you have perfectly clear skin, acid exfoliation is a great way to keep skin even and smooth, so don’t think you can’t use a BHA exfoliant if you don’t suffer from complexion issues, because you can!
In general, BHAs in 0.5-2% strengths are gentle enough for daily use on most skin types. However, if you find daily BHA use makes your skin dry, flaky or irritated, reduce usage to only several times per week.
I also find many of the BHAs I’ve tried to be much more gentle and hydrating than the alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) in my skin care collection.
You can read more on this topic in my “how to use it” section.
BUY IT: PAULA’S CHOICE
What’s In the Paula’s Choice 2% BHA?
This product isn’t just a simple exfoliant; besides salicylic acid, it contains green tea to soothe skin and reduce the potential for irritation, as well as butylene glycol to attract moisture and boost hydration.
I also love that it’s fragrance free and alcohol free. The pH range of this exfoliant is 3.2–3.8.
The full ingredients and their purpose are listed below:
– Water (Aqua)
– Methylpropanediol (antimicrobial preservative)
– Butylene Glycol (moisturizer/humectant/slip agent)
– Salicylic Acid (exfoliant, anti-acne, soothing)
– Polysorbate 20 (emulsifying)
– Camellia Oleifera (Green Tea) Leaf Extract (antioxidant/anti-inflammatory, soothing)
– Sodium Hydroxide (pH adjuster)
– Tetrasodium EDTA (preservative)
Texture + Packaging
This clear liquid exfoliant has a really nice slip to it, so it applies nicely with my hands. However, you can apply it with a cotton pad if you prefer, of course.
While it absorbs nicely, it does leave skin a touch dewy and hydrated, which I love.
It dispenses through a hole at the top of the bottle and you don’t need a lot, although I would have preferred a pump dispenser like the one my Cosrx BHA Blackhead Power Liquid uses, but no biggie.
How To Use The Paula’s Choice 2% BHA
The Paula’s Choice 2% BHA is a liquid exfoliant that should be applied to your skin after gently cleansing and patting skin dry. This exfoliant is not to be rinsed off.
You can apply it using a cotton pad, but I prefer to apply it using my hands – so much more environmentally friendly. I spread the liquid all over my face and neck, making sure to apply it to my t-zone first, as well as my eye area (avoiding the eyelid) as part of my morning skin care routine.
I follow this step with a splash of my hydrating toner (which is currently the I’m From Rice Toner) and then continue to apply my essence serum, moisturizer and sunscreen as usual.
For first time use, I recommend doing a patch test to ensure you don’t have any adverse reactions to the product.
RELATED READING: 11 Ways To Manage Oily Skin
Is It Safe To Use a BHA Exfoliant Every Day?
Mostly yes – although the answer to this question depends on your skin type and how it tolerates acids in conjunction with everything else in your skin care routine.
BHAs in 0.5-2% strengths are considered gentle enough for daily use on most skin types, as long as your skin can tolerate it – and by tolerate it, I mean your skin doesn’t get red/inflamed, flakey or irritated with its use. It can also be used as a spot treatment where you need it if you prefer not to apply it to your entire face.
Personally, I’m able to use a BHA exfoliant in the morning and an AHA exfoliant in the evening if I want and I experience zero irritation.
However, someone else with drier or more sensitive skin might experience mild to serious redness, flakiness and/or dryness if they followed this regimen, because what works for my skin may not work for yours, and that’s ok.
If you are new to BHAs or acids in general, I always recommend using a new acid at most once or twice per week during your evening skin care routine to determine how your skin tolerates the product. If everything looks ok, you can increase usage over time to daily use, if that’s what you like.
BHAs also have photoprotective effects (e.g. they can help protect skin from sun damage) but I always advise the use of sunscreen during the day no matter what skin care products you use for proper sun protection.
RELATED READING: My Morning Skin Care Routine | A Comprehensive Guide For Beginners
How The Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Works For Me
Tthe Paula’s Choice 2% BHA liquid is an amazing oil fighter that’s effective yet super gentle.
It keeps my nose clear from new blackheads and leaves my skin super soft and smooth without any irritation.
I don’t feel any annoying stinging, itching or tingling with this acid and it doesn’t leave my skin feeling tight or dry either, thanks to its gentle formula.
This BHA isn’t heavy or greasy either. It absorbs into my skin easily and doesn’t interfere with anything else I apply on top of it, including my daily makeup.
I don’t suffer from acne (unless I forget to change my face mask regularly) but I do suffer from enlarged pores and congestion on my nose, so the pore cleaning ability of this exfoliant makes it one of my go-to weapons to keep my pores minimized along with my Paula’s Choice 1% Retinol.
Overall, it comes as no surprise that this liquid BHA exfoliant is much-hyped the world over – it’s gentle, it works and it’s a must-have if you can afford the price point.
Not ready for a full size bottle? I suggest the 4 oz. travel size as a cheaper starter option to sample.
BUY IT: PAULA’S CHOICE
What Other Paula’s Choice BHAs Are Available?
Did you think that Paula’s Choice stopped at only one BHA product? Oh God no! They also have:
-the 2% BHA Gel Exfoliant
-the Daily Pore-Refining Treatment with 2% BHA
-the Advanced Pore-Refining Treatment 4% BHA
-the Redness Relief 1% BHA Lotion Exfoliant
-the 25% AHA + 2% BHA Exfoliant Peel (I’m testing this one out now!)
-the BHA 9 Treatment
-the Weightless Body Treatment 2%
-the Acne Body Spray
-the Regular Strength Anti-Redness Exfoliating Solution with 2% Salicylic Acid (BHA)
-the Extra Strength Anti-Redness Exfoliating Solution with 2% Salicylic Acid (BHA)
Shop all the Paula’s Choice BHA here!
Before you shop, be sure to sign up for a free Rakuten account to earn a percentage cash back when you shop at participating retailers, which includes Paula’s Choice! You can read more about how Rakuten works here.
I also recommend waiting for a good sale before making your purchase, because Paula’s Choice always has some type of promotion or discount going on.
If you live in Canada like I do and decide to purchase from the brand’s website, you will have to pay an additional duty on the product depending on which province you live in. All amounts are charged in USD.
Have you tried the Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant yet?
What are you waiting for?
