Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 25% AHA + 2% BHA Exfoliant Peel for oily skin
Aha Alpha Hydroxy Acid
Bha Beta Hydroxy Acid
Glycolic Acid- Salicylic Acid
Sodium Hyaluronate
Average
- SuperiorOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
Works for oily skin; other products fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily skin: shine, enlarged pores, blackheads, and blemishes. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Offers moderate exfoliation for your oily skin due to the presence of glycolic acid and salicylic acid, which help smooth texture and decongest pores.
- The formulation is excellent for oily skin, providing potent keratolytic and seboregulating actions.
- The product is safe for your skin, with soothing ingredients like Bisabolol and Allantoin preventing irritation.
How to apply
- Use this exfoliant product as part of your PM routine once a week. Start slowly and build up frequency only if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply the exfoliant after cleansing and toner, but right before your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the exfoliant into your skin and let it absorb fully. Avoid any harsh rubbing to keep your skin calm.
- Apply the exfoliant directly onto completely dry skin to get the best balance and results. Clean, dry skin helps the product work evenly.
- Always avoid the delicate eye area when applying. Be sure to use a broad-spectrum SPF 30+ daily while using exfoliating acids.
People Say
★4.4Overall rating based on 300+ reviewsUsers with dull, aging, or congested skin frequently report that this peel delivers a "glass-like" finish, significantly smoothing rough texture and minimizing pores.
Highlights
Smoother skin texture Mostly Mentioned
- “skin has never been so soft”
- “baby soft feel”
- “glass-like finish”
- “removed dry patches”
Instant glow Often Mentioned
- “instant glow”
- “skin looks brighter the next day”
- “radiant healthy look”
- “makeup looks airbrushed”
Gentle for a peel Sometimes Noted
- “didn't irritate at all”
- “no redness after use”
- “gentle despite high percentage”
- “no peeling or downtime”
Pore reduction Sometimes Noted
- “minimizes huge pores”
- “cleared blackheads”
- “unclogs congestion”
- “pores look tighter”
High price Sometimes Noted
- “tube is tiny”
- “wish it came in a larger size”
- “expensive for 1 oz”
- “pricey per use”
Unpleasant scent Sometimes Noted
- “smells like vinegar”
- “strong chemical smell”
- “medicinal scent”
- “mildly unpleasant odor”
Lack of results Rarely Noted
- “didn't notice a difference”
- “not that good”
- “expected more for the price”
- “no change in wrinkles”
Stinging or tingling Rarely Noted
- “stings slightly upon application”
- “tingling sensation”
- “sensitive skin screaming”
- “burned a little”
Sources: lovi.care, paulaschoice.com, paulaschoice-eu.com, dermstore.com, sephora.co.uk, cultbeauty.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Paula's Choice 25% AHA + 2% BHA Exfoliant Peel work for oily skin?
This exfoliant works well for your oily skin, smoothing texture and unclogging pores with glycolic and salicylic acids while soothing ingredients like bisabolol and allantoin help prevent irritation. To fit this skin even better, products of this type need effective ingredients like niacinamide to control excess oil and enhance radiance without irritation, combined with skin-soothing extracts and hydrators for comfortable daily use.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019BioMed Research International, 2020
Which ingredients make this exfoliant a good fit for oily skin?
This exfoliant is a good fit for oily skin because it contains glycolic acid and salicylic acid, which help smooth texture and clear out pores. To work best for oily skin of this type, a product also needs ingredients like niacinamide to control shine and keep the skin glowing without irritation.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
What does Alpha Hydroxy Acid do for oily skin?
Alpha Hydroxy Acid helps clear clogged pores and smooth oily skin while calming redness. This type of ingredient works best when it also includes soothing agents and barrier-strengthening ingredients to keep the skin balanced and comfortable.
What does Bha do for oily skin?
BHA helps clear pores and keeps oily skin balanced by reducing extra shine and calming breakouts. It works deep inside pores to sweep away oil and dead skin cells, which helps keep skin looking clear and smooth. This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation and may improve overall skin hydration while controlling excess oil.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2014
Where does this exfoliant go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This exfoliant treatment goes in the evening routine, after cleansing and before moisturizing. Because this is an average fit for oily skin, a product of this type needs exfoliating acids like glycolic and salicylic acid alongside soothing ingredients to help smooth texture and decongest pores without causing irritation.
Can I use this exfoliant with retinol, and in what order?
It is generally best to use this exfoliant on a different night than your retinol to help prevent excessive dryness or irritation. When your skin is oily, an exfoliant of this type needs soothing ingredients like bisabolol and allantoin to keep the skin calm while clearing pores.
How often should I use this exfoliant?
Start by using this exfoliant once a week in your evening routine, and if your oily skin handles it well, you may carefully use it more often. This type of product works best for oily skin when it combines strong exfoliating acids to clear pores with soothing ingredients to keep irritation at bay.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2003Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021
Can this exfoliant clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This exfoliant is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for oily skin because it contains salicylic acid and glycolic acid, which help clear out congestion and smooth texture. Soothing ingredients like bisabolol and allantoin also help keep irritation low.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019BioMed Research International, 2020
Is this exfoliant fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Glycolic acid, salicylic acid, gluconolactone, and licochalcone A combined with 0.1% adapalene showed no hindrance compared to adapalene monotherapy and provided benefits in reducing complications in 25 subjects with mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019A moisturizer containing licochalcone A, 1,2-decanediol, L-carnitine, and salicylic acid significantly reduced noninflammatory, inflammatory, and total acne lesion counts compared to a vehicle control in Thai patients during a 12-week maintenance phase.
BioMed Research International, 2020Twice daily application of a multitargeted dermocosmetic cream provided comparable efficacy to benzoyl peroxide 5% gel in reducing inflammatory, non-inflammatory, and total lesions in 150 Caucasian subjects with mild-to-moderate acne over 56 days, while demonstrating superior skin tolerability.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024The use of a salicylic acid-based dermocosmetic significantly reduces the needed quantity of benzoyl peroxide without impacting efficacy in mild to moderate acne, and as maintenance post-benzoyl peroxide allows a significant reduction of acne relapse compared to vehicle.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023Topical application of 1-1.5% glycolic acid suppresses UVB-induced inflammation by modulating NF-κB signaling pathways in human keratinocytes and mouse dorsal skin.
Journal of Dermatological Science, 2017Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen achieved a higher cure rate (39%) than salicylic acid (24%) and a wait-and-see approach (16%) for cutaneous warts at 13 weeks in primary care patients.
CMAJ, 2010Treatment with 2% supramolecular salicylic acid hydrogel resulted in a regression and markedly improvement rate of 51.01% compared to 43.10% for Adapaline gel in patients with mild to moderate facial acne vulgaris, showing no significant difference in efficacy.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Topical 5% benzoyl peroxide plus salicylic acid achieved the greatest lesion reduction at early 2 to 4 week time points compared to benzoyl peroxide, clindamycin, and combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin, while 5% benzoyl peroxide plus salicylic acid and combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin showed similar efficacy at 10 to 12 weeks in acne patients.
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2010Repeated short-contact 70% glycolic acid peels provided superior results in atrophic acne scars compared to daily low-strength glycolic acid cream or placebo in 58 women over 24 weeks.
International Journal of Dermatology, 2000Serial glycolic acid peels combined with a modified Kligman formula significantly reduced facial PIH severity in Indian patients compared to the modified Kligman formula alone.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2017Topical application of 0.1% hyaluronic acid formulations of different molecular weights led to significant improvements in skin hydration and elasticity, with low-molecular-weight formulations also significantly reducing wrinkle depth in seventy-six female subjects compared to a vehicle control.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011Topical application of hyaluronic acid in conjunction with free gingival graft significantly reduced donor site postoperative pain until day 7 compared to normal saline, with no significant differences in graft dimensions or patient satisfaction.
Clinical Oral Investigations, 2022Treatment with a hyaluronic acid-containing mouth rinse or topical gel led to significant lesion reduction, pain relief, and normalization of lesion color in adult patients with minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis, with the gel formulation showing an earlier healing onset at 3 days.
BMC Oral Health, 2019
Ingredients
Water, Aminomethyl Propanol, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Mandelic Acid, Isoamyl Laurate, Tartaric Acid, Propanediol, Salicylic Acid, Malic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Clitoria Ternatea Flower Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Glycerin, Tocopherol, Bisabolol, Allantoin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Xanthan Gum, Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Titanium Dioxide Ci 77891, Mica, Phenoxyethanol
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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