Paula's Choice SKIN PERFECTING 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant with Salicylic Acid, Facial Polish for Pores, Wrinkles & Fine Lines, Suitable for Blackhead-Prone Skin, Fragrance-Free

Update: My face is so soft and smooth, it’s insane. No dry flaky skin on my nose as usual, seriously decreased sebaceous filaments, small blackheads. Skin feels tighter, pores smaller, tone evened out so much brighter, my skin feels super clean. I also use it on my neck and chest. My daughter’s KP has improved immensely. This stuff is pure magic. Update: My daughter has KP on her face, so I tried this since exfoliating keeps her bumps from getting worse. Wow. Instantly smoothed her skin with first use, noticeably reduced appearance of bumps. Second application, her skin is even smoother, redness of some bumps reduced. Amazing. I’m 48, oily skin and noticing my pores. I’ve seen this, so tried it out. Pricey for me, but I got it anyway. Wow. First use. Immediately noticed very smooth skin texture. Pores already look a bit smaller, not so open to junk to fill them up. I ignored the directions and used it a second time at night. Same result. My face is so soft, smooth. I’ve used scrubs, masks, insanely priced lotions. A splash of this produced immediate smoothing results. No flaky parts left for makeup to gravitate to. No greasy after feeling. No burning, irritation. No redness.

My skin type: - Very Dry, easily dehydrated - Oily nose - Prone to stubborn acne and closed comedones - Redness on chin and cheeks (not rosacea) I already use a nightly Tretinoin cream (.04% concentration) to help with my acne and premature signs of aging but decided with my derm that incorporating a BHA would be a good idea to help with my seriously stubborn closed comedones and some irritating textural issues. It was between this and the Cerave SA lotion and I ultimately decided on this due to the higher concentration of salicylic acid. It's moisturizing, and feels sticky for the first 5-10 minutes after application but seems to sinks in to something of a satin finish on me and I can no longer feel it on my skin. You just have to be a little patient. My skin feels well hydrated and plump after it settles and looks really smooth and my pores aren't as obvious. It sits just fine under makeup for me but I'm not a new user to chemical exfoliants so I don't have lots of dead skin pilling up or sloughing off when I use it, my skin is, for the most part, already very smooth outside the acne and CCs. Occasionally I'll apply it further down my neck/decolletage than usual and WOW do I old skin just ball up and peel right away - it's so gross but also satisfying. So those that don't exfoliate often or are new to BHA/AHAs will likely have issues with foundation until their skin adjusts (but it will adjust). My advice in those cases is to either use this at night for the first few weeks or just accept going barefaced for a little while if you can. I'd strongly suggest not applying this product over anything that you feel does not dry down fully, the times I've attempted to use it after serums or heavier products it takes forever to sink in and sometimes never fully does. I save all my serums and essences for after this has absorbed and it's far easier to work with it as a result. My steps go like this most days: ACWell Licorice toner --- PC 2% BHA --- 10% Niacinamide serum --- TO Matryxil serum --- Secret Key Black Snail cream or Syn-ake cream w/ 3 drops Stratia Fortify oil --- Sunscreen. It works fairly quickly IMO, on my neck where I typically don't apply my Tret at night I noticed the peeling and balling of dead skin on day one and on my face where I have a patch of really awful CCs I noticed them getting smaller and smoother by around day 3-4. I'm going on about 8 days now and they're barely visible unless I'm right up in the mirror and feel as if they're almost gone when I touch my fingers to that area. I do have some slight peeling of the skin around my mouth and nose but it's not terrible (likely because I already exfoliate the heck out of my skin with the tret). Some tips and things keep in mind: 1) DO NOT RINSE IT OFF. I don't understand some of the top reviews advising people to do that, it says on the bottle not to rinse and nearly all chemical exfoliators are meant to be left on until the next cleansing specifically so they can do their job. If you rinse it off you're either going to prevent it from properly exfoliating or end up irritating the hell out of your skin. If you have oily skin and feel this might be heavy on you than you can probably just use this on bare skin and then sunscreen if you use in the AM or a lightweight lotion/cream and be done with it, but you need to leave it on your skin. 2) You have got to use sunscreen while you're using this product! Any BHA or AHA exfoliant causes increased sun sensitivity and you have to address that in your routine. You should already use sunscreen daily but it becomes a must when you incorporate a chemical exfoliator or you risk sun damage. 3) Less is more! Don't slop this on your face or soak a cotton pad in it, a little goes a long way and you'll be kicking yourself if you apply way too much and have to wait 20+ minutes for it to sink in. Use a shake or two and add more if needed but go easy. 4) Expect some irritation initially. Chemical exfoliants can be harsh and rough even on sturdy skin and you have to give yourself time to adjust. Over-exfoliation is a possibility but sometimes just introducing a BHA or AHA into your routine can cause some sensitivity. Don't panic and just be gentle to your skin. Use ceramides (like Cerave Skin Renewing cream) or fatty oils to soothe your face if needed and try to stay away from any harsh products or acids like Vitamin C right after applying this to avoid really burning your face.

I decided to try this on a whim after reading all the positive reviews and I am so glad that I did. This product is definitely worth 5 stars to me. I was hesitant about chemical exfoliation but I wanted something that would be less abrasive than physical exfoliation. This product delivered that. It has evened out my skin tone, improved the size of my pores and did not irritate my acne in the process. Another plus that I was not expecting is that where my T-Zone would be oily halfway through my workday it has become much less so after using this product. I know the chemical names and percents can be a little off-putting so I will explain BHAs in a more basic way: BHA is an acronym for Beta Hydroxy acid. It works by penetrating the pore and essentially "degunking." This purging process can be a little grueling as the gunk in your face gets pushed out before you see improvements in your skin. The purging process lasted around 2 weeks for me before I noticed a considerable improvement. It could take more time for you,or less. My skincare routine for my combination skin goes as follows: A.M. Wash hands with anti-bacterial soap Cleanse: Splash face with lukewarm water, pat dry with a clean towel Exfoliation: BHA, wait 10-20 minutes for it to dry Moisturize: Clinique dramatically different moisturizing gel (Miracle moisturizer for my combination skin. Can't get enough of this stuff!) Sun screen: Neutrogena Ultra sheer sun screen (Can't stress how important sun screen is for you. Please, please use it) P.M. After shower so I don't wash my hands Cleanse: CereVe Hydrating facial cleanser, pat dry with clean towel Exfoliation: Apply BHA lightly with a clean cotton ball. Wait 10-20 minutes to dry Moisturize: Clinique dramatically different moisturizing gel Spot treatment: Body Shop tea tree oil spot treatment for any acne Important things to remember: 1. When introducing any new product ALWAYS do a patch test and only introduce 1 new product into your routine at a time so that way if you do have a reaction you will know what is causing it. Here is a good way to patch test a new product: Where to test: To see if you're allergic---- Behind your ear To check for irritation---The area where you're most sensitive. For me this is around my mouth To check for clogs or acne----The area in which you experience this the most. For me this was around my hair line and cheeks If you are allergic to a product you would know pretty instantaneously. Irritation and clogged pores can sometime take up to a month. You know your skin best so always do your patch test and follow your instincts. You can always stop use if need be. 2. Everyone has different skin and don't be discouraged if this product does not work for you. If BHA does not work for you try AHA. It is great for dry skin. 3. I experienced some dryness in the beginning and fixed that by cutting back on the amount of product used. Same results minus dryness. 4. The purging can be frustrating because it is almost as if your skin gets worse before it gets better. If you do your patch test, start using this product and after a few days notice NEW break outs in area you never had them before I would discontinue use immediately. That is not part of the purging process and it is clogging your pores which will invariably lead to more breakouts. 5. One practice that improved my acne ten fold is washing my hands with an antibacterial soap before touching my face and using a clean towel to dry my face each time. I also sleep in a clean shirt each night and wash my sheets once a week. The "towels" I use are Kleenex brand single use hand towels. They are not super soft but I just pat my skin dry with them versus rubbing. If you don't like the idea of wasting so many hand towels invest in washable face towels so you have a clean one each time. Overall, I have recommended this product to close friends and my sister which is why I am comfortable giving it 5 stars. Once this bottle is empty I will most definitely be ordering it again.

Llevo años usando este producto porque me ayuda a controlar mis espinillas ocasionales. Mantiene los poros limpios y se notan menos. No podría estar sin él

I love this exfoliator! It’s great for when my skin feels congested after a few days of wearing makeup, I use it around 2 times a week and over time it’s really helped my skin feel smoother and have less blemishes. I bought a mini one to take when I travel or stay at my partners, this is really useful!

Amazing product! The progress with this takes a few months ...but please be patient! At 33 years old I never thought I’d be free from breakouts and scarring from cystic hormonal type acne. Started using once a day on a cotton pad at night. Skin will sting a tad & be slightly flaky to start after a few days. Skin may “purge” spots as pores are unclogged but this will calm down - trust me! Once skin becomes flaky I then reduced to use all over my face every 3 days, but everyday along my jawline and neck. I follow with a light oil free moisturiser. Honestly, I have used around 2 bottles in 8 months and I get minimal spots now, and they heal very quickly. Any inflammation comes up and I pop a dab of this on! Skin also feels so smooth too. This is a real review!!! It could change your life!!

Really good

This product is amazing, it truly changed my skin in the span of 2 weeks. I have never tried something that has helped my skin and cleared it so much. Recommended!!!