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Clean & Clear lemon… vs Paula's Choice 2% BH… — Which Is Better? | Gracie

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/Paula's Choice 2% BHA Body Smoothing Spot Exfoliant

Clean & Clear lemon zesty scrub vs Paula's Choice 2% BHA Body Smoothing Spot Exfoliant

Head to head

Clean & Clear

lemon zesty scrub

exfoliant

6.0

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Ingredients

Niacinamide
Retinol
Hyaluronic Acid
Salicylic Acid

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Honest skincare intel. No jargon, no gatekeeping — just the ingredients decoded.

Paula's Choice

2% BHA Body Smoothing Spot Exfoliant

exfoliant

7.2

Buy at Amazon

Score comparison

Paula's Choice 2% BHA Body Smoothing Spot Exfoliant takes this one, winning 5 of 5 attributes.

Clean & Clear wins 0

Paula's Choice wins 5

6.0Clean & Clear

+1.2vs

7.2Paula's Choice

Attribute battle

Hydration Efficacy

Paula's Choice WINS

4.7

5.8

Clean & Clear

Paula's Choice

Irritation Risk

Paula's Choice WINS

7.4

9.5

Clean & Clear

Paula's Choice

Active Ingredient Strength

Paula's Choice WINS

2.0

3.4

Clean & Clear

Paula's Choice

Ingredient Transparency

Paula's Choice WINS

8.5

8.8

Clean & Clear

Paula's Choice

Formulation Safety

Paula's Choice WINS

8.0

9.0

Clean & Clear

Paula's Choice

Ingredient face-off

13% overlap

25Clean & Clear

4Shared

32Paula's Choice

Only in Clean & Clear lemon zesty scrub

21 unique

Water (Eau)Glycerin Sodium Laureth Sulfate Cellulose Lauryl Glucoside Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer Microcrystalline Cellulose Cera Microcristallina Parfum Methylparaben+11 more

Shared ingredients

4 in common

Phenoxyethanol Sodium Hydroxide Disodium Edta Tocopheryl Acetate

Only in Paula's Choice 2% BHA Body Smoothing Spot Exfoliant

28 unique

Aqua Butylene Glycol Cetyl Alcohol Ppg-14 Butyl Ether Salicylic Acid Dimethicone Chamomilla Recutita (Matrucaria) Flower Extract+18 more

Why Paula's Choice 2% BHA Body Smoothing Spot Exfoliant comes out ahead

Where Paula's Choice 2% BHA Body Smoothing Spot Exfoliant really shines is irritation risk, scoring 9.5 compared to Clean & Clear lemon zesty scrub's 7.4. Clean & Clear lemon zesty scrub includes fragrance ingredients like Parfum, which can be a concern for reactive skin.

Active Ingredient Strength is another area of separation. Paula's Choice 2% BHA Body Smoothing Spot Exfoliant scores 3.4 here versus 2.0 for Clean & Clear lemon zesty scrub. That difference comes down to how each formula is built — the ingredient list tells the story.

Paula's Choice 2% BHA Body Smoothing Spot Exfoliant brings Salicylic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, and Chamomilla Recutita (Matrucaria) Flower Extract as actives, while clean & Clear lemon zesty scrub relies on Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract and Tocopheryl Acetate. Both approaches have merit, but the positioning and supporting ingredients make the difference.

Best for your skin type

Clean & Clear lemon zesty scrub is better if you have

Sensitive skin — the low-irritation formula keeps things gentle
Anyone who prefers clean, well-vetted formulations

Paula's Choice 2% BHA Body Smoothing Spot Exfoliant is better if you have

Sensitive skin — the low-irritation formula keeps things gentle
Anyone who prefers clean, well-vetted formulations

Our verdict

✶ Our verdict

+1.2 lead

Paula's Choice 2% BHA Body Smoothing Spot Exfoliant wins this comparison with a meaningfully stronger ingredient profile and overall score.

6.0Clean & Clear

7.2Paula's Choice

Frequently asked questions

Which is better: Clean & Clear lemon zesty scrub or Paula's Choice 2% BHA Body Smoothing Spot Exfoliant?

Based on ingredient analysis, Paula's Choice 2% BHA Body Smoothing Spot Exfoliant scores higher overall. See the full score breakdown above for details on each attribute.

Do Clean & Clear lemon zesty scrub and Paula's Choice 2% BHA Body Smoothing Spot Exfoliant share ingredients?

Yes, they share common ingredients. Check the ingredient face-off section above for a detailed comparison.

What's the main difference between Clean & Clear lemon zesty scrub and Paula's Choice 2% BHA Body Smoothing Spot Exfoliant?

The key differences are in their active ingredients and formulation approach. Check the attribute battle above for a detailed breakdown.

Full analysis: Clean & Clear lemon zesty scrub→Full analysis: Paula's Choice 2% BHA Body Smoothing Spot Exfoliant→

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