10 Best Paula's Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant Dupes from $7.5
10 Best Paula's Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant Dupes from $7.5
May 5, 2024Tired of dry, dull, or acne-prone skin? Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant is a beloved liquid exfoliating product that unclogs pores, fights blemishes, decreases redness, reduces blackheads, pimples, and breakouts, and smooths out uneven skin tone.
This best-selling skincare product is known for its powerful main ingredient, salicylic acid, a strong beta hydroxy acid or BHA. It’s an exfoliant that you leave on the skin to penetrate deeply into the pores, helps eliminate dirt, removes excess oil, and clears out other bacteria and debris that can cause skin irritation, redness, and breakouts.
But Paula’s Choice’s price tag means it’s not for everyone. The good news is that several good alternatives contain many of the same ingredients and offer similar anti-inflammatory and skin-improvement benefits. Check out our top faves that will work to give you a clearer, more youthful complexion for an affordable price.
Naturium BHA Liquid Exfoliant 2% Salicylic Acid Toner
Enjoy the same benefits without the price tag with this effective Naturium BHA exfoliant. Packed with 2% salicylic acid and bioactive acids derived from fruits, this leave-on tonic has an ultra-soothing and toning effect thanks to its unique formula.
Naturium’s blend includes salicylic acid that is micro-encapsulated in a microemulsion state. This means that this salicylic acid doesn’t require alcohol, which can be harsh on sensitive or inflamed skin, to dissolve and work effectively. It also promotes product stability, making your skincare routine a win-win.
A bioactive blend of Australian caviar lime, rainforest lime, and desert lime is packed with antioxidants that offer gentle exfoliation. They keep your skin’s acid mantle intact while maximizing hydration instead of drying out your skin.
The leave-on BHA toner ensures that you can apply a gentle layer of protection to fight breakouts under your choice of makeup or SPF. Some of the best benefits of this oil-free product include pore reduction, gentle exfoliation, dead skin cell sweeps, evens out hyperpigmentation, improves dark spots and sunspots, and hydrates your skin barrier to ensure that your skin feels clean, smooth, and nourished.
The result is clearer, dewier, and more radiant skin for an affordable price.
Pros
- Clears dead skin cells away
- Improves uneven skin tone, sunspots, and dark spots
- Oil-free and Hydrating formula
- Alcohol-free
Cons
- May not work for super-sensitive skin
CORSYX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid
Stand-out ingredients in this K-Beauty cult favorite include a powerful trifecta of willow bark extract, which acts as a natural and gentle form of salicylic acid, niacinamide (Vitamin B3), and betaine salicylate. These minimal ingredients target unclog pores, gently exfoliate to remove blackheads, and control and balance oil production for an anti-inflammatory effect.
Pros
- Korean beauty product
- Made with a natural form of salicylic acid
- Made without phthalates, sulfates, and alcohol
- Anti-inflammatory
- Clears pores
- Exfoliates the skin
- Balances sebum
Cons
- A little more expensive than some dupes on the list
Makeup Revolution Skincare 2% Salicylic Acid Tonic
Revolutionize your skincare routine and break the acne cycle with this Paula’s Choice dupe that contains both BHA tonic and soothing marshmallow extract. The result is an anti-inflammatory formula that banishes puffiness, reduces irritation, calms redness, and clears up other skin problems. This is a good option if you’re experiencing inflammation, redness, or dry skin.
Pros
- Contains BHA and nourishing ingredients
- Reduces inflammation and redness
- Gets rid of facial puffiness
Cons
- May not be as gentle as Paula’s Choice
Pixie by Petra Clarity Tonic
The Pixie Formula pairs BHAs and AHAs with hydrating ingredients such as aloe vera leaf juice, Vitamin C, Centella Asiatica extract, and licorice root. Together, these ingredients nourish your skin, improve the appearance of large pores, offset dryness and redness, and boost skin texture to create a smoother surface. As an oil-free toner, this dupe is a good choice for those with acne-prone skin.
This oil-free toner is suitable for all skin types, especially acne-prone skin.
Pros
- Works for all skin types (best for acne)
- Oil-free formula
- Hydrating feel
- Reduces redness and dryness
- Enhances skin texture
- Reduces large pores
Cons
- Some consumers found the bottle on the small side
Bliss Clear Genius Clarifying Toner + Serum
Tone and clarify your skin with this 2-in-1 toner + serum that uses salicylic acid and witch hazel to unclog the pores. The lightweight gel also contains Vitamin B3 that balances sebum production, zinc to tone down redness, and other active antioxidant ingredients such as Centella Asiatica to soothe, hydrate, and clear away dead skin cells.
Pros
- Dual-working formula
- Contains BHA
- Reduces redness and inflammation
- Balances oil production
- Sweeps away debris on the skin
Cons
- Thicker gel formula than Paula’s Choice
Peach Slices Acne Exfoliating Toner
Target and prevent breakouts with this Korean toner containing 2% salicylic acid (BHA) to help eliminate excess oil and break the acne cycle. The formula is infused with soothing and protective Vitamins A and C, exfoliating lactic acid, cucumber fruit water, Centella asiatica extract, and acerola fruit extract.
Pros
- Achieves great results without harming sensitive skin
- Contains BHA
- Exfoliates and reduces oil
- Works well for oily skin
Cons
- May not work well for dry or sensitive skin
The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Anhydrous Solution Serum
Vegan, cruelty-free, and formulated with clean ingredients, this toning serum is packed with squalene and BHA, which reduces inflammation, targets uneven tone, reduces pore size, and exfoliates and smooths skin texture.
Pros
- Vegan formula
- Cruelty-free
- Non-comedogenic
- Improves skin tone
- Light emollient
- Sustainable packaging
Cons
- Contains some synthetic ingredients
Revolution Beauty Targeted Acne Serum 2% Salicylic Acid
Made with a purifying and exfoliating blend of 2% salicylic acid (BHA) and witch hazel, this lightweight tonic can be used every day and even applied under makeup in a thin layer to combat blemishes during the day.
Pros
- Contains BHA
- Works well for oily skin
- Targets blackheads, oil, and blemishes
- Clears pores
- Layers well
Cons
- May not work well for sensitive skin
Farmacy Deep Sweep 2% BHA Toner
This alcohol-free, deep exfoliator is formulated with a blend of 2% BHA (salicylic acid), chlorella, and papaya enzymes to reduce pores and extract excess oil and dirt while leaving the skin soothed and refreshed.
Pros
- Good for oily skin
- Reduces shine
- Deep exfoliation
- Clinically proved
- Doesn’t over-strip the skin
Cons
- May not work well for sensitive skin
Humane Clarifying Toner
If you’re looking for a safe, vegan, cruelty-free, and natural beauty product, look no further than this exfoliating and clarifying toner. Instead of liquid toner, these treatment pads are pre-soaked in an antioxidant-rich, breakout-fighting blend of 2% salicylic acid (an oil-soluble BHA) and extracted from green tea. This safe and gentle formula dissolves oils, grime buildup, and dead cells without irritating skin. It also helps balance the skin’s pH for overall improved skin tone.
Pros
- Small business brand
- Proven ingredients
- Formulated without phthalates, parabens, sulfates, formaldehyde, synthetic colors and fragrances, DEA, mineral oil, paraffin, triclosan, alcohol, petroleum, GMOs, and animal byproducts
- Skin pH balancing
- Contains 60 pads
Cons
- Not a liquid toner
Choosing the Best Paula’s Choice BHA Alternative
Specially formulated skincare products such as Paula’s Choice BHA make it easy to get control over your skin. Irritants, hormonal changes, acne, and sun damage can wreak havoc on our skin, causing redness, pimples, wrinkles, and fine lines.
Paula’s Choice is a popular, oil-soluble skincare product that gets below the skin's surface to open and clean pores and eliminates pollutants associated with breakouts and uneven skin tone. Packed with green tea to calm inflammation and provide anti-aging benefits, Paula’s Choice formula also contains an optional pH balance of 3.2 to 3.8.
These great alternatives contain exfoliating and purifying BHA and salicylic acid, which help clarify and improve skin tone. Now, you don’t need to spend a fortune on a 4 oz. bottle when you can get the same results from a less expensive alternative.
The Most Affordable Paula’s Choice BHA Alternative
Get an affordable skincare solution that gets results that rival Paula’s Choice with Peach Slices Acne Exfoliating Toner. This K-Beauty BHA toner exfoliates pores, reduces oil, and works well for oily or acne-prone skin. Packed with hydrating vitamins, botanicals, and fruit extracts that lock in moisture to tone it without stripping the skin, it delivers great results for a third of the price.
Our Favorite Paula’s Choice BHA Dupe
This is our favorite alternative to the pricier Paula’s Choice BHA toner. Naturium BHA Liquid Exfoliant 2% is an emollient and exfoliant that combines Australian lime extracts, alcohol-free salicylic acid, and gentle ingredients that sweep away dead skin cells, clear pores, combat redness, and improve overall skin texture and tone.