PRODUCT REVIEW: PAULA'S CHOICE CLINICAL 1% RETINOL TREATMENT - What Does Retinol Do to Your Skin? Should I Use Retinol Every Night? Should You Moisturize After Retinol?
PAULA’S CHOICE | CLINICAL 1% RETINOL TREATMENT
People often ask me what’s the best skincare brand? And, of course, which is my favorite. Even though I have a four-foot long medicine cabinet crammed with eight shelves of skincare, it’s actually not that difficult a question for me to answer.
Yes, you’ll find iconic products on those shelves. There are some of the best Vitamin C serums, including Drunk Elephant’s C-Firma Fresh Vitamin-C Day Serum and Sunday Riley’s C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum. I don’t get why I find the C.E.O. serum with Vitamin C so gratifying. But I do.
Naturally, I’ve got some of the best Niacinamide serums, too. If I were stranded on a desert island and could only have three products with me, a well-formulated Niacinamide serum would be one of them. My top picks include The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% Oil Control Serum and Glow Recipe’s Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops – one of the most pleasurable skincare products I’ve ever come across. (Psst…the other two products I’d want with me on a desert island are a facial cleanser and a mineral sunscreen moisturizer!)
Of course, I have quite the collection of the best mineral sunscreens for face and even a few chemical sunscreens that I can’t resist. Two faves are the Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40 PA+++ and the Solara Suncare Mineral Defense SPORT Ceramide Sunscreen Stick SPF 30 — the 2022 Skincarma Product of the Year. Catch my review of it on the blog here.
PRODUCT REVIEW: SOLARA SUNCARE GO! MINERAL DEFENSE SPORT CERAMIDE SUNSCREEN STICK SPF 30
Admittedly, while all of these are products I love and wouldn’t want to be without, Paula’s Choice is the single brand that I trust most with the health of my skin day after day. I think I’ve tried just about every product from Paula’s Choice and many of them are go-to’s in my daily skincare regimens – both AM and PM.
Among the Paula’s Choice products I use every single day are the Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant and the brand’s 10% Niacinamide Booster. In fact, I consider the Paula’s Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster to be the best anti-aging serum on Earth. I literally go through two bottles of it a month!
You can find product reviews of both of these iconic Paula’s Choice products among my picks of the best Paula’s Choice products on the blog here.
ALLURE MAGAZINE’S
The 28 Best Skincare Brands of 2023
Discover the skincare brands that Allure considers the best of the year here.
PRODUCT REVIEW: PAULA’S CHOICE SKIN PERFECTING 2% BHA LIQUID EXFOLIANT
Surprisingly, Paula’s Choice doesn’t introduce more than a handful of products each year. As a die-hard #pcfanboy, I am nearly always among the first to try anything the brand comes out with.
Last year, the brand’s new innovations included the Paula’s Choice C5 Super Boost Moisturizer – a really cool brightening face cream with a texture that feels like liquid velvet on application. As I said in my review of it here, I can honestly say the C5 Super Boost Moisturizer was the best facial skincare product introduced by Paula’s Choice in 2022.
It’s such a smart face cream, intended as a Vitamin C moisturizer for sensitive skin, dry skin, even oily skin. In fact, it’s suitable for all skin types, except perhaps acne-prone skin.
What makes it so universal? It’s because the Paula’s Choice C5 Super Boost Moisturizer is powered by 5% Ascorbyl Glucoside – among the most well-tolerated and potent forms of Vitamin C.
PRODUCT REVIEW: PAULA’S CHOICE C5 SUPER BOOST MOISTURIZER - BEST VITAMIN C FACE CREAM
By keeping the concentration of Vitamin C lower and by formulating with the more tolerable Ascorbyl Glucoside molecule, the brand assured their new brightening moisturizer could be used by far more people — especially those with a sensitivity to Vitamin C. If you’re one of those people, you have to try the new C5 Super Boost Moisturizer. It’s $45 and worth every drop. You can catch my Paula’s Choice C5 Super Boost Moisturizer product review on the blog here.
While I’m a die-hard Paula’s Choice fan and have experienced the vast majority of the brand’s products, there are several Paula’s Choice skincare innovations that I’ve oddly never reviewed on the blog. Most notable among them is the Paula’s Choice CLINICAL 1% Retinol Treatment.
And, yes, I know why…
The CLINICAL 1% Retinol Treatment was the first retinol face cream I’d ever tried. In fact, it was literally my first-ever experience with retinoids in any form. I first got my hands on it back in 2016 and nearly burned my face off. Admittedly, I was an inexperienced Retinol user and had no idea what I was doing. So that’s kinda par for the coarse.
Not coincidentally, my early experiences with both Retinol and Glycolic Acid were less than pleasurable and deterred me from using both of these potent actives for many years. I’ve since made up for lost time!
Sure, I was new to Retinol and my skin hadn’t yet learned to tolerate the best anti-aging ingredient ever invented. All these years later, I still hesitate when applying many Retinol face creams or serums with Retinol before bed. Because of that hesitancy, I often opt for a more tolerable and, arguably, equally effective alternative from Paula’s Choice – the brand’s CLINICAL 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment.
The Paula’s Choice 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment combines a moderate, or mid-level strength concentration of Retinol with antioxidant Bakuchiol, the plant extract that’s touted as the “Retinol alternative”. I’m not sure “alternative” is the correct term.
PRODUCT REVIEW: PAULA’S CHOICE 0.3% RETINOL + 2% BAKUCHIOL TREATMENT
The experts on the Paula’s Choice research team describe Bakuchiol this way: “Research shows that bakuchiol and retinol work even better together. Plant-derived bakuchiol is one of a few ingredients that can stabilize retinol, allowing it to work more effectively and for longer, even at a lower concentration.”
If you are leery of using a Retinol treatment, consider giving the Paula’s Choice CLINICAL 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment a try. Catch my review of it here.
It took me years to get over my fear of Retinol and the Paula’s Choice CLINICAL 1% Retinol Treatment is today one of my go-to Retinol creams. IMO it’s one of the best prescription strength retinol creams. Let’s take a closer look at what makes it unique, why I believe it to be among the best Retinol moisturizers – and why I finally came around…
Paula’s Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment
As I’ve shared, the Paula’s Choice CLINICAL 1% Retinol Treatment is the first Retinol face cream I’d ever tried. I had no idea what I was doing. I joke that I nearly burned my face off, but that’s only a slight exaggeration. My skin was inflamed, red, and peeled for days. I’m sure I applied too much at once and probably used it as a moisturizer, slathering it all over my face. Funny, seven years later I can still remember my neck hurting when I turned my head!
But that lesson taught me about the importance of building tolerance to Retinol as a beginner. If you’re a new user to Retinol, there’s some great information on the benefits of Retinol and how to build your skin’s tolerance for Retinol on the ZO Skin Health website here. The brand is a leader in the anti-aging active with multiple Retinol face creams of varying strengths. I love how ZO Skin Health approaches Retinol usage and the importance of sunscreen.
Today, I use Retinol multiple a week, alternating between products new and old. My skin rarely overreacts, rarely shows signs of sensitization; unless, that is, I’m trying out a poorly formulated Retinol treatment.
Before I get into more specifics of the Paula’s Choice CLINICAL 1% Retinol Treatment formula, I wanted to explore the benefits of Retinol and what makes Retinol the best anti-aging ingredient. If you’ve ever asked yourself the question, What really works for aging skin? the answer has to include Retinol. In fact, I’d respond with sunscreen, Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Glycolic Acid and Retinol. Each is mandatory in my daily skincare regimen.
As I’ve done now for several weeks now, I posed a few questions to the AI at my favorite search engine you.com. Unlike Google’s dated search technology, the artificial intelligence at you.com is powered by OpenAI’s Chat GPT. Here’s how the new technology responded to a few specific questions I asked it about Retinol:
What is retinol and what does retinol do for skin?
Retinol is a type of retinoid, which is a form of vitamin A that is found in skin creams, lotions, and serums. It has anti-aging effects and can help clear acne [1], reduce the buildup of skin cells, block inflammation pathways in the skin [2], fade age and sunspots, and help reduce wrinkles in problem areas on the face and neck [3]. It is available over the counter and gives skin a rosy appearance.
1. Retinol: Cream, Serum, What it is, Benefits, How to Use; 2. What Is Retinol? Uses, Side Effects, Products, and More; 3. What Is Retinol? Understanding the Basics
Why does retinol cause irritation?
Retinol can cause irritation because it is a form of Vitamin A that increases cell turnover, which can make the skin more sensitive and dry. Additionally, retinol can reduce the skin’s natural moisture barrier, making it more susceptible to environmental irritants such as UV rays and pollution. In some cases, retinol can also cause an inflammatory reaction known as contact dermatitis, which can cause redness and itching.
Retinol Burn: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, and Prevention; Avoid Retinol Burn and Irritation With This Buffering Trick | Glamour; Retinoids activate the irritant receptor TRPV1 and produce sensory…
How to use retinol and vitamin c?
It is possible to use both retinol and vitamin C in your skin care routine. However, it is recommended that you use them at different times of the day. Vitamin C should be used in the morning, while retinol should be used at night. This is because they have different pH levels and work best at different times. Additionally, you should start with a low concentration of both and gradually increase the concentration as your skin gets used to them. It is also important to wear sunscreen during the day when using vitamin C, as it can make your skin more sensitive to the sun's rays.
How to Use Retinol and Vitamin C Together According to Experts 2023; Can You Use Retinol and Vitamin C Together? Pros Weigh In; How to Use Retinol and Vitamin C Together
Best Paula’s Choice Products
In the years since I first experienced the Paula’s Choice CLINICAL 1% Retinol Treatment, I’ve come to understand just how invaluable Retinol can be in a pro-skin health regimen that’s effective at addressing signs of skin aging.
I use a Retinol treatment of some kind nearly every night. It can be a straight up Retinol face cream or a moisturizer with Retinol like the Paula’s Choice Barrier Repair Moisturizer, which contains a low-strength 0.01% concentration of Retinol. If you’re serious about maintaining your skin’s youthful qualities, you should find your way to daily Retinol use, too.
While Retinol’s anti-aging benefits are undisputed, even Retinol’s ability to correct signs of aging doesn’t compare to a facial sunscreen’s ability to prevent them in the first place. And the CLINICAL 1% Retinol Treatment is the ideal piece to your anti-aging puzzle.
With its 1% concentration of Retinol, the CLINICAL 1% Retinol Treatment is considered a high-strength Retinol cream. It’s not for beginners, as I was the first time I used it in 2016. It’s for advanced users, people whose skin is accustomed to Retinol. If you’re a beginner, you should start with about a 0.25% concentration. The Paula’s Choice CLINICAL 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment is a great way to begin your own Retinol journey.
SKINCARMA ON TIKTOK
Catch my first impression of it!
What makes the Paula’s Choice CLINICAL 1% Retinol Treatment such a solid Retinol cream for more advanced users? Well, it kind of does it all. In addition to its high concentration of anti-aging Retinol, it’s loaded with skin soothers, antioxidants and other anti-aging actives, including multiple peptides that supplement Retinol’s firming properties.
There are numerous humectants and emollients in the formula, too, that help to prevent drying trans-epidermal water loss – the enemy of healthy skin. In fact, six ingredients in the top ten are humectants and emollients. Because of this, you may not need to apply an additional face cream over it; but only you know what your skin needs each day.
Paula’s Choice included several skin-soothing actives proven to help ameliorate the irritation that’s common to high potency Retinol. Among these are Licorice Root Extract, Oat Kernel Extract, and Willow Bark Extract. There’s even a smattering, about a one percent concentration, of Vitamin C in the form of Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate to help brighten your complexion.
The CLINICAL 1% Retinol Treatment has that characteristic deep yellow hue and bitter Retinol smell. Until the day I die, I’ll recognize that smell! It’s perfect for layering over a Niacinamide serum and before a moisturizer, if needed, that can help to further buffer your skin against irritation. Among my personal faves is the Skinfix Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Peptide Face Cream which you can find on the blog here.
What I like about it: The Paula’s Choice CLINICAL 1% Retinol Treatment is one of the best anti-aging creams I’ve come across. In the seven years since I first discovered it, it’s become a weekly staple in my skincare routine – despite my early traumatic experience with it. I love its blend of proven anti-aging ingredients and easy “layerability.” At $62, it’s also quite affordable among Retinol face creams of equal strength; and it’s an exceedingly better formula. Unless your skin is super dry or you need an additional buffer against irritation, you likely won’t need to use a moisturizer over it. Again, it’s the complete package!
What I don’t like about it: I like everything about it.
Who it’s for: All skin types except acne prone. If your skin is prone to acne breakouts, I would consider the brand Curology. They’re experts in retinoids to treat acne-prone skin.
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Paula’s Choice CLINICAL 1% Retinol Treatment for $62 here.
The Ingredient List of the Paula’s Choice CLINICAL 1% Retinol Treatment:
sii|h 0 0, Butylene Glycol h|solv 0 1, Isononyl Isononanoate emo, Castor Isostearate Succinate, Glyceryl Stearate emo|emu 0 1-2, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate emo|amic, Dimethicone Crosspolymer vc, PEG-33 h|solv, Polysorbate 20 emu|surf 0 0, Behenyl Alcohol emo|vc, Retinol cci, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate 
aox|sb, Ceramide 2 sii, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide cci, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 cci, Sodium Hyaluronate sii|h 0 0, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate so|h, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract so|sb, Avena Sativa (Avena) Kernel Extract aox|so|emo|abrasive/scrub, Arctium Lappa (Burdock) Root Extract aox|so, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract so, Glycine Soja Sterols emo, Lecithin emo|emu, Allantoin so 0 0, Tocopheryl Acetate aox 0 0, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein h, Sorbitan Laurate emu 1-2 1-2, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester cci|so, Disodium EDTA chel, Hydroxyethylcellulose vc, Sodium Hydroxide buff, Tribehenin emo, Caprylyl Glycol h|emo, Ethylhexylglycerin pres, Pentylene Glycol solv|h, PEG-100 Stearate surf|emu 0 0, PEG-75 Shea Butter Glycerides emu|surf, PPG-12/Smdi Copolymer emo, PEG-10 Phytosterol emu, PEG-8 Dimethicone emo, PEG-14 h|solv, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate emo|emu|surf 0 2, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate vc 0 0, Arachidyl Glucoside emu|surf, Sclerotium Gum vc, Arachidyl Alcohol emo|vc, Benzoic Acid pres, Sodium Carbomer vc, Phenoxyethanol pres
MY TOP VITAMIN C PICKS FW21: NEW VITAMIN C SERUMS I’M CRUSHING ON FROM ALGENIST, NATURIUM AND MORE
WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW
THE BEST NIACINAMIDE SERUMS FOR CLOGGED PORES AND A BRIGHTER COMPLEXION
ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE
WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW OF
SKINCARE HACKS: GLYCOLIC ACID IS THE NATURAL DEODORANT THAT WORKS!
ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE
WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW OF
MY FAVORITE HUMECTANT SERUMS FROM PAULA'S CHOICE, THE INKEY LIST, GHOST DEMOCRACY AND MORE
ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE
WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW
COOL CLEAN FACIAL SUNSCREENS TO KEEP US SAFE AND SMILING IN THE SUN!
ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE
WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW
THE OPULUS BEAUTY LABS RETINOL SYSTEM – THE COOLEST RETINOL INNOVATION I’VE EVER SEEN
ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE
WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW
MY 2021 VITAMIN C PICKS + THE BEST VITAMIN C SERUMS TO BRIGHTEN UP THE COMPLEXION!
ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE
WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW OF
MY WINTER SKIN SAVIOR: SKINFIX BARRIER+ LIPID REPLENISHING SKINCARE
ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE
WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW
A COMPLETE K-BEAUTY ROUTINE WITH THE BEST FACIAL SKINCARE FROM PURITO, COSRX, MISSHA & MORE!
ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE
WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW
THE YEAR’S BEST VITAMIN C SERUMS WITH PAULA'S CHOICE, SUNDAY RILEY, THE INKEY LIST AND MORE!
ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE
WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW OF
A SELFCARE SUNDAY NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART – WITH THE PAULA’S CHOICE 25% AHA PEEL!
ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE
