
Paula's Choice
1 active ingredient identified. We flag active ingredients based on common cosmetic-use and formulation patterns. This is informational only and not medical advice.
No pricing data available yet for Paula's Choice BHA Liquid Exfoliant
Exact science-based dupes appear first. When a strict dupe is not available yet, we still show the closest active-match alternatives from the same product category.
The Inkey List · drugstore
Shares salicylic acid but succinic acid and sulfur are the lead actives here, meaning the exfoliation profile and skin feel are quite different from PC's straightforward 2% BHA formula.
No price
Dermalogica · drugstore
It contains salicylic acid and green tea like the source, but it's a rinse-off physical/enzyme scrub with papain and rice bran, not a leave-on liquid exfoliant, so the salicylic acid likely isn't at a comparable leave-on strength or contact time.
No price

the ordinary · mid-range
This is primarily a 30% glycolic acid (AHA) peel with only 2% salicylic acid as a minor player, so it's a much harsher, differently-focused exfoliant than the BHA-only Paula's Choice product.
No price

L'Oréal · drugstore
Salicylic acid is present but buried in a sulfate/surfactant-heavy cleansing scrub base with menthol and fragrance, so it functions more like a foaming face wash than a leave-on BHA exfoliant.
No price

st. ives · drugstore
Salicylic acid is present but this is a rinse-off walnut-shell physical scrub with fragrance and sulfates, a very different exfoliation mechanism and likely much lower BHA effectiveness than the leave-on source.
No price
We rank results with INCI-level analysis first, then fall back to the strongest active matches and closest alternatives so every product page still shows comparable options. Fallbacks stay within the same category as the source product, so cleansing balms only surface cleanser dupes instead of adjacent product types. Active Match % measures shared science-backed actives. Formula Similarity % measures total ingredient overlap when full INCI lists are available.