Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant vs Thayers Witch Hazel Toner, Alcohol-Free Original
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant is the lower-concern pick, scoring 17 points higher on the PlainScore rubric.
Score, factor by factor
Concern55 / 5544 / 55
How much genuine, cited concern the ingredients carry, weighted by how much of each is likely present and whether the product stays on or rinses off. Commonly feared but low-concern ingredients cost nothing.
Transparency20 / 2012 / 20
Whether the full ingredient list, and any fragrance, are actually disclosed. An undisclosed "fragrance/parfum" blend hides its allergens and costs points.
Formulation restraint17 / 2519 / 25
Needless irritant or allergen load for the product type. A clean, purposeful formula scores well without any "free-from" theater.
PlainScore92 / 10075 / 100
The three factors summed: concern out of 55, transparency out of 20, formulation restraint out of 25. Higher is lower concern.
Left column: Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant. Right: Thayers Witch Hazel Toner, Alcohol-Free Original. The bold number wins the factor.
What carries concern in each
Only ingredients with genuine, cited concern or known allergen flags. Commonly feared but low-concern ingredients never count against a score.
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant
Thayers Witch Hazel Toner, Alcohol-Free Original
- FragranceWatch if sensitive
- Undisclosed “fragrance/parfum” blend: its allergens are hidden.
The two labels share 1 ingredient
Scored against the PlainScore method; every flag is evidence-graded and cited on its ingredient page. Cosmetic information for general education, not medical advice.