Paula's Choice CLINICAL 1% Retinol Treatment Cream with Peptides, Vitamin C & Licorice Extract, Anti-Aging & Wrinkles

I was introduced to this product by a friend who has similar skin/complexion. She looks fabulous so I decided to give it a whirl.Things you should know:1. My beauty routine consisted of occasionally washing my face. And by occasional— I mean rarely.2. I was always fortunate to have ‘good’ skin it didn’t break out or have big pores BUT it was super sensitive.3. I’m lazy and will not do anything that requires a lot of work.4. I’m 50. The pictures are in order of progress — blue top was day of first application —the next 3 are from the first 10 days and the last one is as of tonight.With all that said — I was instructed in detail about using the product.1. Start slow — every other night2. Keep it away from your eyes.3. Use sunscreen and be very careful going out in the sun after a treatment.I started slow (2 applications following the instructions) and did not put it ‘near’ my eyes. I stop at my brow and just below my darks circles. It burned my skin off as if I was in Chernobyl when it exploded. It was AWFUL and it took 10 days to heal. (See pics)What I realized was with my sensitive skin I really should have put more time between applications. So once I healed — I then waited 6 days between applications as I had some dryness and a little sensitivity on my cheeks.I’ve been using the product now for a little over 3 weeks only had 4 applications and I’m already seeing marked improvement.My “11s” are much less obvious (see pics). My skin looks brighter and healthier. Lastly it’s a smooth as a baby’s rump — I suspect that has a lot to do with burning off the top 4 layers of skin, but I digress.This product is intense but effective. It will burn if you don’t ease into using it. Also — when they say don’t put it on your eyes — what they mean is anywhere near your eyes. Give a wide birth or else you risk having your face look like mine did. My eyelids were literally burned and I never touched them with the product that’s how strong it is. Now I keep it focused on my cheeks and a very tiny amount on the side of my eye for those dreaded crows feet.Other things of note: this is part of a very simple routine.Morning1. Wash face2. Use hyaluronic acid serum3. Use Vitamin C serumEvening1. Wash face2. Use Retinol (slow at first - then work up to the right cadence for you)3. Use moisturizerI use Beauty Counter products for the serums I use in the morning.I use Verse for my sunscreen and moisturizer.Obviously, PC’s retinolCerave Moisturizing Face WashI purchased everything except the Beauty Counter products through Amazon.I love all of the products and will continue using them.Hope this helps you make good decisions.

This is the only retinol that doesn’t not dry my skin out. I am extremely oily and when I’ve used other brands it would still irritate my skin and peel it even when used 1-2 times a week. This stuff is amazing! No problems since the first application. I love it. I have never had any issues with this brand. I use it for all my skincare now.

I have not used it consistently to give a great review. I will say it has not made me break out when I have used it. It does not make my skin dry. I have oily skin but I have noticed less product of oil. I will keep using it.

PROS: great product! I have large pores, I’m prone to blackheads in my T-zone area, and also have always had horrible redness in my T-zone and within a week of using I noticed a slight difference in the appearance of my pores, my blackheads have gotten a tad better and my redness was almost completely gone. My face looked noticeably brighter and less dull. My husband said my skin was glowing! It’s light on your skin which is great because I have extremely oily skin and most products make me so oily I end up having to wash it off. This however did not which I loved.CONS: The bottle is sooo small. By the time you start noticing a change it’s empty. I realize there is a bigger bottle but I can’t always afford that one as they are quite pricey.Overall, I do really enjoy this product. I had no reaction to it and it was my first time using any kind of retinol. FYI, I did put a light moisturizer on right before I applied to create a barrier for the first week or so, after that I started applying without and had no issues. I will continue to use this product as I am pleased with the results but I will branch out and try similar products that may be less expensive 🙂

I love this! I love this skin line. I have everything from toner to face wash to moisturizer. My face looks fabulous!! Worth the money for sure