TikTok Trials: Paula’s Choice BHA liquid exfoliant is taking over TikTok, but what does it actually do?

The search term ‘Paula’s Choice BHA’ has racked up a huge 2.5 million views on TikTok, so it’s safe to say this is the latest product on a long list of those that have become famous thanks to the social media platform.

Beauty buffs may already be familiar with the brand, which is known for “telling the truth” when it comes to the power of products. Founder Paula Begoun was actually fired from her cosmetic counter job back in 1975 for doing just this – refusing to sell customers a dream and being honest about just how much ingredients really can help the skin, which is refreshing to see in an industry known for exaggerating the impact of its products and photoshopping pictures.

Since founding Paula’s Choice in 1995, the brand has gone from strength to strength, but TikTok has taken its success to a whole new level. Interestingly, the product the platform has picked to spotlight, the 2 per cent BHA liquid exfoliant, has actually been around since 2000, meaning it’s certainly not a new addition to the Paula’s Choice collection.

Why do TikTok content creators love it so much? Because of its gentle exfoliation that works to remove blackheads and reduce the appearance of pores. And our current obsession with chemical exfoliation is showing no signs of slowing down just yet.

Everyone from dermatologists to beauty buffs and skincare fanatics have joined in with sharing their love for the product, all noting an improvement in their skin texture and a reduction in oiliness, clogged pores, blackheads and whiteheads. So, we put it to the test as part of our TikTok Trails to see just how well it really works and answer all your burning questions, including why it might not be working for you.

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How we tested

Our tester is no stranger to bouts of hormonal acne, blackheads, whiteheads and oily skin, so their skin was perfectly suited to this Paula’s Choice BHA liquid exfoliant. As it is an exfoliant, we ignored the brand’s recommendations of using it once or twice a day and eased ourselves in, using it around three times a week in the evenings, which we’ll explain more about further down.

To see real results, this is a slow-working product that needs time to show what it can really do. One popular TikTok video, in particular, trialled it over a 21-day period, and although some signs of improvement did come through, they did stress even longer would’ve made even more of a noticeable difference.

We used it over a 30-day period and did see visible signs of blackhead, oil and pore-size reduction, but would also say continued use would yield better results.

The method and products used

Although the TikTok beauty buffs have a lot of good things to say about this product, the one issue that does crop up is how often the brand recommends you use it: once to twice a day. As it works as a chemical exfoliant, some people have found that using it this much can cause dryness and irritation, and this can even lead to damage of the skin barrier, which is only going to worsen acne, redness and flakiness.

So, what we, and the skincare gurus of TikTok, would recommend is to use this only twice to three times a week when first finding your feet with this product, especially if you are new to using a chemical exfoliant. And be sure to avoid using it alongside other active exfoliants, such as retinol, AHA, benzoyl peroxide and tretinoin, and layer up with an SPF every day.

We applied the product after cleansing with a hydrating face wash, such as the Omorovicza cashmere cleanser (£16.20, Lookincredible.co.uk) and applied it to the face using the Face Halo make-up remover pad original 3s (£18, Boots.com), named best reusable make-up remover pads in our guide. After that, we applied a gentle night cream, such as the No7 protect and perfect intense advanced night cream (£20.49, Amazon.co.uk), to help hydrate the skin and lock in moisture.

The results

As we’ve already stressed, this is a long-term results-driven product, so don’t expect to wake up overnight to clear skin. After around 30 days, you should start to see signs of it working, as our tester did, and these results are only going to improve as you keep using it.

After around the two-day mark, our tester did start to see a notable difference in their skin texture, which became smoother, with pores across the nose and the cheeks less visible, and hormonal acne around the chin and mouth did reduce in its amount, although it is yet to disappear altogether.

Our tester hasn’t started using it more than three times a week, as they found this was the right amount to keep the results yet not lead to any skin irritation or purging – when redness and acne flare up.

The key ingredients working to deliver these results are the 2 per cent salicylic acid, which aids the skin in shedding dead cells, green tea extract, which soothes the skin and provides antioxidants to fight free radicals and methylpropanediol which hydrates, leaving a dewy finish on the skin while allowing the salicylic acid to absorb even deeper into the dermis.

The verdict: Paula’s Choice BHA liquid exfoliant

If you’re looking to test out this TikTok-hyped product for yourself, we strongly encourage you to do so, but please learn from other people’s mistakes and proceed with caution. If this is your first time using a chemical exfoliant, start off by using it twice a week and apply a small amount of the product to a cotton pad to gently sweep across the face, and stick to using an SPF every day too.

Our tester loved how easy it was to use, how well it slipped into their everyday skincare routine, and the amount of information about the product, thanks to TikTok, means you can really research how best to use it for your skin type before giving it a go.

So, we can safely say the Paula’s Choice 2 per cent BHA liquid exfoliant has passed our TikTok trial, and we’re sure to be keeping this one on our bathroom shelves. Just treat it as you would any other chemical exfoliant, and don’t slather it on without thinking about the side effects.

Buy now £34, Cultbeauty.co.uk

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