Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant dupes
Paula's ChoiceSkin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant$37
Lowest price per oz
CeraVeBHA Exfoliating Facial Toner with Salicylic Acid & Niacinamide$16.97 $19.99
| Fact | Paula's Choice | CeraVe |
|---|---|---|
| Type | ✓ BHA exfoliant, both | |
| Key ingredients | ✓ 2% salicylic acid | ✓ 2% salicylic acid, Ceramides, Niacinamide |
| Size | 118 ml | 236 ml |
| Per ounce | $9.27 / fl oz | $2.13 / fl oz |
| Amazon rank | #1 in Facial Polishes | #77 in Facial Toners & Astringents |
| Sold by | Paula's Choice Skincare | Amazon.com |
What matches
The same active at the same strength, 2% salicylic acid in a leave-on liquid you sweep on with a cotton pad, in a base of water and butylene glycol with sodium hydroxide to set the pH.
The trade-off
CeraVe adds three ceramides, niacinamide, glycerin and a second, oil-loving salicylic acid (capryloyl salicylic acid) in a light gel, where Paula's Choice keeps to methylpropanediol and green tea.
15% off#77 in Facial Toners & Astringents on Amazon
Or pick by
Leave-on liquid exfoliant for clogged pores and blackheads. Apply with a cotton pad after cleansing, starting every other evening.
2 more 2% BHA dupes
Best seller on Amazon
PanOxyl Clarifying Exfoliant with 2% Salicylic Acid
$11.99−68% per oz
The same 2% salicylic acid in a thin water-and-butylene-glycol liquid you leave on, doing the same work on clogged pores and blackheads.
What it does worse: PanOxyl leaves out the green tea and adds glycerin and betaine to offset dryness, plus chamomile, which people allergic to ragweed can react to.
Anua BHA 2% Gentle Exfoliating Toner
$18−62% per oz
The same 2% salicylic acid in a thin leave-on liquid of water and a glycol, with a solubilizer to keep the acid dissolved: polysorbate 20 in Paula's Choice, two ethoxylated ones in Anua.
What it does worse: Paula's Choice keeps its list to green tea; Anua adds tea tree, willow bark and centella extracts, ceramides and several hyaluronic acids, and says to use it two or three times a week where Paula's Choice works up to daily.
2% BHA dupes on Reddit
No dupe stands out: COSRX's BHA Blackhead Power Liquid comes up most, in 6 of the last 108 comments, and it exfoliates with betaine salicylate, not salicylic acid. The busiest thread is about CeraVe's new 2% salicylic acid toner, now one of ours.
- COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid · turned down: betaine salicylate, not salicylic acid6 of 108
- Naturium BHA2 of 108
- Stridex pads1 of 108
- PanOxyl Clarifying Exfoliant · one of our picks1 of 108
- Anua BHA toner · one of our picks1 of 108
Sold as 2% BHA dupes, and left out
- COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid. Its exfoliant is 4% betaine salicylate, a salt of salicylic acid, in willow bark water with niacinamide, not salicylic acid itself. The Korean pick with Paula's Choice's own acid at the same 2% is Anua's BHA toner.
Questions
What is the best dupe for Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant?
CeraVe BHA Exfoliating Facial Toner with Salicylic Acid & Niacinamide, at about $16.97, of the 3 dupes compared on this page.
How much cheaper is CeraVe BHA Exfoliating Facial Toner with Salicylic Acid & Niacinamide than Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant?
Roughly 77% less per ounce: $2.13 / fl oz against $9.27 / fl oz.
Is Paula's Choice 2% BHA worth it?
Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant costs about $37 for 118 ml, about 4.4 times as much per ounce as CeraVe BHA Exfoliating Facial Toner with Salicylic Acid & Niacinamide. If what CeraVe does worse, set out in the comparison on this page, doesn't matter to you, the original isn't worth the extra $29.
Which 2% BHA dupe does Reddit recommend?
Counted in the 108 most recent Reddit comments that mention Paula's Choice BHA with "dupe": COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid, 6; Naturium BHA, 2; Stridex pads, 1.
Is COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid a dupe for Paula's Choice 2% BHA?
Not by our rules. Its exfoliant is 4% betaine salicylate, a salt of salicylic acid, in willow bark water with niacinamide, not salicylic acid itself. The Korean pick with Paula's Choice's own acid at the same 2% is Anua's BHA toner. Checked 7 October 2026.
