In this post
- Product details
- Ingredients & how to apply
- How I was lured away from my usual BHA
- The good and the bad
I’m reviewing this product with some hesitation, as I’m not the biggest fan of the company. However, questionable science demonstrations and inconsistent marketing aside, they do produce some impressive acids.
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Product details
Full product name: Paula’s Choice Resist Daily Pore-Refining Treatment With 2% BHA. Purpose: A daily-strength beta hydroxy acid chemical exfoliant designed to clear clogged pores, shed dead skin cells, and prevent new blockages. Scent: Unpleasant but hard to pinpoint. It’s not overly strong and thankfully doesn’t stick around. Texture: Water-like, which sets it apart from other versions they offer. Quantity: 3 oz Rating: 4/5, because it works without excessively drying my skin, but they lose a point for trying to claim that layering skincare doesn’t alter pH because their products don’t change when mixed with water. Science fail: that’s not how pH works. Where to get it: Paula’s Choice Website (you can get $10 off your first order with this referral code if needed.) | Amazon | eBay Repurchase: If they have a Black Friday sale or any discount that brings it below $30, then yes. I’ll donate the difference to a science education charity to ease my conscience.
Ingredients & how to apply
Interestingly, their website goes out of its way to explain the purpose of many ingredients, likely to counter the "if a grade-schooler can’t pronounce it, avoid it" anti-chemical marketing hype.
Product Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Dipropylene Glycol, Salicylic Acid (beta hydroxy acid exfoliating agent), Pentylene Glycol (hydration), Butylene Glycol (hydration), Polysorbate 20 (texture-enhancing), Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 (skin-restorings)[sic], Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate (skin-soothing), Nordihydroguaiaretic Acid (antioxidant), Oleanolic Acid (skin-soothing), Sodium Hyaluronate (hydration/skin replenishing), Allantoin (skin-soothing), Trehalose (hydration/skin replenishing), Panthenol (skin-conditioning agent), Glycerin (hydration/skin replenishing), PEG-60 Almond Glycerides (texture-enhancing), Sodium Metabisulfite (stabilizer), PEG/PPG-18/4 Copolymer (solvent), Methyl Gluceth-20, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane (hydration/texture-enhancing), Glycereth-26 (emollient texture-enhancing), Sodium Hydroxide (pH adjuster), Carbomer (gel-based texture-enhancing), Disodium EDTA (stabilizer), Caprylyl Glycol (skin-conditioning agent).
I’ve periodically pH-tested this exfoliant to see if it changed over time, and it’s remained consistently in the correct range just below pH 4. From what I’ve read, PC buffers their acids, making them more stable.
The site’s application directions are:
Apply once or twice daily after cleansing and toning. Lightly soak a cotton pad and apply over the entire face, including the eye area (avoid the lower lash line and eyelids). Do not rinse. For daytime, follow with a broad-spectrum sunscreen rated SPF 25 or greater.
I don’t follow them. (Oooo, rebellious!) At $33 a bottle, there’s no way I’m wasting it on soaking a cotton square. And a cotton pad, no less? Nope. Since it has a watery consistency, applying it with your hands can be messy without it running everywhere.
I splash a few drops into my cupped palm, then immediately press my cheek into it, spreading it over that side of my face with my palm and fingers. Then I repeat on the other side. I tend to apply it to each cheek and side of my face, then down my t-zone (forehead, nose, around my mouth, chin), giving extra attention (and sometimes extra product) to my nose and the stubborn sebaceous filaments that rule the pores there with a gritty grip.
I like to let it sit on my skin for a good 20 minutes, though it’s not strictly necessary, to get the maximum benefit. It tends to loosen debris from my pores, which I then wipe away with a toner-soaked cotton pad before moving on to my next skincare steps.
How I was lured away from my usual BHA
So how did I end up using a product from a company that had previously criticized Korean beauty? (Sadly, that page has been taken down, and PC has since launched several K-Beauty-inspired products.) After testing 11 BHAs in the name of science and skincare, fellow Snailcaster Tracy of Fanserviced-b sent me a birthday box of skincare featuring her favorite PC acids to try. As someone who snapchats chemical peels after a late night and has an acid routine that makes my pores cower, I trusted her recommendations, and I wasn’t disappointed.
Her package also included other interesting items, like this BHA body exfoliant and the AHA exfoliant I’m using as a spot treatment while dealing with breakouts. She also sent a bottle of their fancy Vitamin C serum so I could compare it to our mutual standby, the OST C20 Vitamin C serum—saving her the need to test it herself. Full review is pending, but spoilers: it felt gross, broke me out, and costs over 4x as much.
The good and the bad
Given the company’s questionable behavior, not to mention their sketchy appropriation of a study unrelated to topical skincare to support an anti-alcohol stance (but I digress—I’ll leave that tangent to cosmetic chemist Kind of Stephen‘s future post on that dodginess), you might wonder why I’m giving this product a favorable review. Also, it’s pricey. I’m not into expensive unless it’s packaged so beautifully that I have an eyegasm every time I reach for it on my counter. So why does it earn a good review? Frankly, it’s some good stuff.
| | | | | | | pH results right where they should be. |
For me, a good chemical exfoliant should:
- Be in the right pH range (under 4.2)
- Have the required BHA concentration to exfoliate (2% or more)
- Maintain a stable pH that doesn’t fluctuate widely over time
- Cause minimal irritation or dryness
- Effectively unclog pores and prevent new ones
- Feel cosmetically elegant on the skin
This product meets all those criteria. The watery texture might be a hassle to apply, but it feels weightless and extremely comfortable on the skin. (If I had very dry or sensitive skin, I’d stick with my old favorite, the Cosrx BHA Blackhead Power Liquid, available on: Amazon | eBay | Jolse | Bisou Beauty Bar | KoreaDepart | RoseRoseShop.) This product might be too drying for those with very dry skin, but for oily, combination, acne-prone, or clog-prone skin, this texture is a relief.
I’m also pleased that it’s available on Amazon for less than the official website, or at the same price on Prime. Here’s hoping for a Black Friday sale so I can grab my next bottle.
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**Disclaimer: All products I review on my blog are 100% purchased with my own money, with a single exception of a press sample I tested and reviewed in 2015 that swore me off them forever. Personal gifts from friends and family will also be identified, as in this post. This blog contains both affiliate and non-affiliate links, and clicking the former before shopping means this blog may receive a small commission to help support itself. Please see my Contact Info & Disclaimer policy for more information.
