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Paula's Choice · Body lotion

Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA

$32·210 ml·Leave-on
92
Low concern

Why this score

Concern55 / 55
  • No ingredients carry meaningful, evidence-backed concern.

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.

Transparency20 / 20
  • No hidden fragrance blend.

Whether the full ingredient list, and any fragrance, are actually disclosed.

Formulation restraint17 / 25
  • 1 known irritant or fragrance-allergen ingredient: Salicylic Acid.

Needless irritant or allergen load for the product type. A clean, purposeful formula scores well without any "free-from" theater.

Scored by PlainBody Editorial against the PlainScore method · Label checked July 2026

What’s inside

WaterGenerally safe

The base most products are built on. It carries the other ingredients and has no safety concern.

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Butylene GlycolCommonly feared, low concern

A lightweight humectant and solvent similar in role to propylene glycol, used to carry actives and give lotions a lighter feel. CIR has reviewed it and considers it safe as used in cosmetics.

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Salicylic AcidGenerally safe

A beta hydroxy acid used to smooth texture and clear pores. Safe at cosmetic levels; can be mildly irritating if overused.

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DimethiconeCommonly feared, low concern

A silicone that gives a smooth, soft feel and helps hold water in the skin. Inert and well studied.

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CyclopentasiloxaneCommonly feared, low concern

A lightweight, volatile silicone that gives serums and primers their silky slip and quick-evaporating finish. Human safety data are reassuring; the EU restriction on this ingredient in rinse-off products is about environmental persistence in waterways, not skin safety.

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Cetyl AlcoholCommonly feared, low concern

A fatty alcohol used to soften skin and stabilize creams. Despite the name, it does not dry the skin.

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PEG-100 StearateCommonly feared, low concern

A PEG-based emulsifier that blends oils and water in formulas. It is a workhorse ingredient in stable emulsions and is approved for cosmetic use. Well tolerated.

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Sodium HydroxideGenerally safe

A strong alkali used in tiny amounts to adjust the pH of cosmetics to safe, skin-friendly levels. At the pH found in finished products, sodium hydroxide is neutralized and well tolerated.

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AllantoinGenerally safe

A soothing, skin-conditioning compound (also found in comfrey root) commonly added to calm and hydrate irritated or sensitive skin. It has a long history of safe use with very low irritation potential.

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BisabololGenerally safe

Bisabolol is a botanically derived (or synthetically nature-identical) compound used for its calming, anti-irritant reputation in sensitive-skin formulas. Safety reviews and long clinical use have found it well tolerated with a low rate of reported reactions.

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Tocopheryl AcetateCommonly feared, low concern

A more stable, esterified form of vitamin E used as an antioxidant and skin-conditioning ingredient. It is a different substance from the vitamin E acetate implicated in vaping-related lung injury, which involved inhaling the oil, not applying it topically to skin.

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Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideGenerally safe

A lightweight, odorless emollient made by combining coconut or palm-derived fatty acids with glycerin. It spreads easily, feels non-greasy, and has a long history of use in skin and hair products with no meaningful irritation or sensitization signal.

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Caprylyl GlycolGenerally safe

Caprylyl glycol is a plant-derived humectant that also has mild antimicrobial properties, so it is commonly paired with other preservatives to allow lower overall preservative levels. Available data do not point to meaningful irritation or sensitization concerns at typical use levels.

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Hexylene GlycolGenerally safe

This small glycol is used to thin out formulas and help preservatives work better, similar in role to propylene glycol and butylene glycol already in wide use. Industry and EU safety reviewers have set purity and concentration conditions for its use rather than restricting it outright, and no consumer-relevant hazard has been established at typical cosmetic levels.

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PhenoxyethanolCommonly feared, low concern

A widely used preservative, safe at the legal limit of 1% or less. Often the "paraben-free" replacement.

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EthylhexylglycerinGenerally safe

A glycerin derivative used as a skin conditioner and preservative booster, often paired with phenoxyethanol to allow lower total preservative levels. It has a low irritation and sensitization profile in safety reviews.

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Disodium EDTACommonly feared, low concern

A chelating agent that binds trace metal ions to keep formulas stable and preservatives working properly. It is not a functional skincare "active" and only a very small amount is used, with minimal skin penetration expected.

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DimethiconolGenerally safe

Dimethiconol is a silicone emollient closely related to dimethicone, used to add slip and a smooth finish to creams and serums. It shares dimethicone's long-standing safety record and is considered non-sensitizing and non-comedogenic in typical use.

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Lower-concern alternatives

Same category, higher PlainScore.

Cosmetic information for general education, not medical advice. Concern ratings are evidence-graded and cited on each ingredient page. See how we score.