Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Lotion Exfoliant

10 Reviews

1. 

   jealousCaribou7

   Reply

   HG product for me! I finally signed up to get this auto shipped to me when I realized every time I went without it I would get breakouts.

   As I’ve gotten already I’ve become more prone to breakouts (seems unfair to need Botox and have acne both but I digress..). I tried this really for the exfoliating properties & found the skin clearing to be a happy surprise.

   I use once or twice a day and in addition to keeping zits away I do think my skin looks less dull, brighter. And it’s not at all drying on my combination skin. Highly recommend

2. 

   lyingOtter8

   Reply

   I feel BHA’s are a “secret weapon” because any time I am having a breakout anything with salicylic acid clears my skin in a day or two. I have dry skin and feel exfoliation is important because my skin will look dull if I skip this step for too long, so using this product a few times a week keeps things glowing as well. I like this product because most salicylic acid products are aimed towards oily skin but this one is hydrating.

3. 

   lazyTeal7

   Reply

   There’s nothing like this product. I have oily, dehydrated, and sensitive skin. It clears pores and makes them disappear WITHOUT causing irritation or dryness! A tiny bit goes a long way. I will never be without this.

4. 

   cynicalIcecream5

   Reply

   Skip the cotton pad and apply patting directly on skin to save money and product. For me, this does not exacerbate redness nor dry, although ymmv if you are new to exfoliating products. I have been using Retin-a gel and still the pores on my nose, inner cheeks and chin can seem congested. I say “orange peel” skin as it is apt. Oily skin, prior sun exposure, extractions. Using this 2x week on days off from R-a has done wonders to lessen the appearance of my pores. I have mild rosesea and it does not inflame. It’s been a high recommend on the Skincare Board for some time.

5. 

   joyfulHawk1

   Reply

   Note: This is for the previous formulation. The newest one doesn’t contain squalane.

   This exfoliant is perfect during winter and for people who are new to exfoliants. I find her BHA gel too stinging and since the weather is very dry, opted for the lotion instead. It’s less irritating and still exfoliates. It’s more moisturizing but still not moisturizing enough because my dry flakes show through when I apply tinted sunscreen. I don’t expect a bha product to be moisturizing enough on its own though – that’s more of a job for hydrating toners/essences, oils and moisturizers.

   I don’t remember when I started seeing results (I avoided staring at my face closely for a few months because back then my horrible skin was sad to look at) but after four months, my skin became almost perfect. It was so smooth it reflected light like glass (I kid you not) and no acne and clogged areas at all. All my chin acne has disappeared. I say almost perfect because if I scrutinize my skin closely, I can see a few very tiny raised bumps on my nose and no amount of rubbing can remove it. Maybe retinoids would smooth it?

   My routine back then for day and night: neutrogena extra gentle cleanser (sad it’s discontinued), using a wet cloth to scrub face during cleansing, PC skin recovery toner, PC BHA Lotion, PC Anti-Aging Hydrator, PC tinted sunscreen, the superlight one.

   Pros:
   -Exfoliates well without irritating skin. Skin became much clearer after months of twice daily usage.
   -Squalane
   -Couple of plant extracts to soothe and provide antioxidants
   -Moisturizing

   Cons
   -The first few weeks, I experienced pilling. As in, if I rub my face, I get bits of dead skin cells and product in clumps. This disappears after some time. I don’t experience it these days. Waiting for the product to absorb also helps avoid pilling.
   – Dry flakes show up when wearing tinted sunscreen without a primer. It’s not a big deal if you don’t stare at it too closely. This also disappears after a while.

   Aqua ⓘ, Cetearyl Alcohol (Thickener) ⓘ, Squalane (Emollient) ⓘ, Glycerin (Skin-Identical Agent) ⓘ, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate (Thickener) ⓘ, Glyceryl Stearate (Thickener) ⓘ, Peg-100 Stearate (Thickener) ⓘ, Salicylic Acid (Beta Hydroxy Acid – Exfoliant) ⓘ, Epilobium Angustifolium (Willow Herb) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract (Anti-Irritant), Camellia Oleifera (Green Tea) Leaf Extract (Anti-Irritant) ⓘ, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil (Antioxidant) ⓘ, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil (Non-Volatile Plant Oil) ⓘ, Beta Glucan (Antioxidant) ⓘ, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E/Antioxidant) ⓘ, Panthenol (Water-Binding Agent) ⓘ, Bisabolol (Anti-Irritanting Agent) ⓘ, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate (Emulsifier) ⓘ, Xanthan Gum (Thickener) ⓘ, Sodium Citrate (Ph Adjuster) ⓘ, Butylene Glycol (Slip Agent) ⓘ, Acacia Senegal Gum (Thickener) ⓘ, Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba (Guar) Gum (Thickener) ⓘ, Tocopherol (Vitamin E/Antioxidant) ⓘ, Sodium Hydroxide (Ph Adjuster) ⓘ, Ethylhexylglycerin (Skin-Conditioning Agent) ⓘ, Phenoxyethanol (Preservative) ⓘ, Sodium Benzoate (Preservative) ⓘ

6. 

   thrilledOil5

   Reply

   What I love about Paula Begoun’s skincare range is first of all: the transparency: an explanation is given for each ingredient so you know exactly what you are putting onto/into your skin. Secondly there’s ample opportunity to trial the products first via a sample size on her website. Not to mention a good returns policy. The 2% BHA lotion was one of the products that I invested in full size (along with a whole bunch of samples) and funnily enough was my least favorite out of everything I ordered. It’s not that it broke me out or disagreed with me in any way, it just didn’t do anything for me at all. Even after 3 weeks of usage my skin still looked exactly the same as before I started using it. Pores, blemishes, you name it, all still the same. Quite unfortunate as I skipped the option of a sample pack thinking it wouldn’t be enough product to give it a fair try. I was somehow convinced this 1 bottle was the answer to all my skin woes. Not sure what lead me to believe that haha. Oh well I live, I learn…I try another product!

   Selena x

   ~ My HG list ~

   (I’ve sampled 100s of skin, hair and m/u products over the last decade and a half, as I’m constantly trying out new stuff all the time – usually sample/trial sizes from e-bay, also plenty courtesy of a friend who works at Sephora. Thought it might be useful to share my top 10 must-have products, subject to change if and when I come across something more effective)

   1. Hair Loss Treatment: ‘Divine Herbal’ – Hair Oil
   2. Lip Balm: Jack Black – Intense Therapy
   3. Pigmentation/Anti-Ageing: ‘Divine Herbal’ – Facial Treatment Serum
   4. Cleanser: ‘Aveda’ – Purifying Gel Cleanser
   5. Concealer: ‘Mac’ – Studio Finish Concealer
   6. Lash Growth Serum: ‘Divine Herbal’ – Divinelash
   7. Foundation/SPF: ‘Juice Beauty’ – Stem Cellular Repair (warm glow)
   8. Face Scrub: ‘Sisley’ – Botanical Gentle Buffing Cream
   9. Moisturizer: ‘Antipodes’ – Rejoice Light Day Cream
   10. Hand Cream: ‘Origins’ – Make A Difference Rejuvenating Hand Treatment

7. 

   cynicalDoughnut9

   Reply

   Holy grail product! Just keeps my skin in check. Went without for a week, and I could see more clogged pores.

   I am on my 3d or 4th bottle maybe…

8. 

   gutturalKitten3

   Reply

   This is the first BHA I’ve used, so I can’t compare it to other BHAs. But this works fine for me.

   How I use this:
   night A. double cleansing (Bioderma followed by Lancôme Galatee)/CosRx AHA BHA toner (to bring down my pH after cleansing)/Paula’s Choice 2% BHA/20min wait/Liquid Gold/20min wait/night cream (my fav is La Prairie anti-aging night cream).
   night B. double cleansing/Retinol Reform by Shani Darden/20min wait/The Ordinary 10% Niacinamide/10min wait night cream.

   I don’t mind the slightly oily residue since I use it at night time. Although this has a higher pH (3.5) than my AHA (Liquid Gold is 2.5), since a BHA resolves oil, it makes more sense to use a BHA first, followed by an AHA.

   I alternate retinol with BHA&AHA since it’s been scientifically proven that retinol doesn’t perform well in an acidic environment. But they do complement each other. Retinol (also known as vitamin A) communicates with your cells, boosting cell turnover, which in turn boost collagen production (giving you that ‘fuller’ look), unclog pores and thicken the deep skin layers where wrinkles start. AHA and BHA ‘unglues’ dead skin cells. As you can see, both products can cause flaking skin when used too aggressively. Hence after much consideration, I landed on above described skin care nighttime routine.

   I don’t use physical exfoliators nor a face wash anymore. This is my morning routine: Lancôme Galatee cleansing milk/CosRx AHA BHA toner/Skinceuticals C E Ferulic/20min wait/The Ordinary azelaic acid/5min wait/a hydrating serum (right now I’m using Hada Labo but I have no favorites)/a light moisturizer (right now I use L’Oreal Revitalift Laser X3 but I have no favorites)/10min wait/a spf/15min wait/makeup.

   Yes my skin care routine is VERY extensive :).

   The reason I describe my whole day- and night time skin care routine here is because I believe the success or failure of a product stands or falls with your whole routine. There’s no miracle product, there’s no one size fits all. Educate yourself, experiment (within reason) and good luck!

9. 

   solidBittern5

   Reply

   My first bha i ever used. Not drying, actually hydrating I would say. I immediately saw a differance in my skin. Clogged pores started unclogging. Verry effective. But did not get rid of the more stubborn clogged pores.

10. 

    peacefulBoars1

    Reply

    It’s hard to find a salicylic treatment with the proper pH to absorb well, packaged to protect the product, and affordable. There is one Smashbox primer available and a pHilosophy product — both significantly more expensive than this PC formulation. This brand also offers a one-percent solution as well as a product formulated with hydroquinone for uneven skin pigmentation, all with additional skin-beneficial ingredients.

    Ingredients: Active: Salicylic Acid 2% Inactive: Water (Aqua), Dipropylene Glycol (hydration), Pentylene Glycol (hydration), Polysorbate 20 (stabilizer), Butylene Glycol (hydration), Glycerin (skin replenishing), Sodium Hyaluronate (hydration/skin replenishing), Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate (skin-soothing), Allantoin (skin-soothing), Panthenol (hydration), PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer (texture-enhancing), Methyl Gluceth-20 (hydration), Glycereth-26 (texture-enhancing), Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane (hydration), Sodium Hydroxide (pH adjuster), Tetrasodium EDTA (stabilizer), Sodium Metabisulfite (stabilizer).