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Paula's Choice
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There is something vaguely magical in the language surrounding skincare products that can sometimes feel too good to be true—“full repair” and “anti-aging” sound great, but can products actually deliver on these promises? The truth is that a skincare product that works miracles for you may not work for someone else. We all have different skin types and skincare routines, and we go through trial-and-error to find the products that leave the best results on our bodies.
We can’t tell you which products are guaranteed to improve your skin, but we can tell you which products people swear by—and one brand beauty enthusiasts love is Paula’s Choice. This skincare company sells an array of products highly-rated by their users, from sunscreens to moisturizers. They also have really great samples available on their site, so you can test out the products you want before committing to a full-sized purchase.
Here are 20 of the highest-rated items you can shop from Paula’s Choice:
1. An anti-aging retinol treatment reviewers adore
Thus begins our love letter to retinol.
Retinol is one of the biggest ingredients in the modern quest for immortality. It claims to prevent fine lines and is renowned as an anti-aging agent. This 1% retinol treatment with peptides and vitamin C is intended to provide hydration and reduce pore size and wrinkles. Paula’s Choice recommends starting using the 1% Retinol Treatment up to three times a week and increasing your usage depending on your skin’s reaction to the treatment.
Reviewers recommend pairing this product with a moisturizer in case of redness or flaking, and taking care to monitor your skin’s condition and adjusting usage accordingly.
Get the CLINICAL 1% Retinol Treatment from Paula’s Choice for $58
2. An intense skin cream to revive you overnight
The skin equivalent of a Hail Mary.
Formulated to improve skin texture and hydration, the RESIST Intensive Repair Cream claims to help maintain your skin’s youthful glow. Paula’s Choice recommends using the cream as the last step in your evening skin regimen, and reviewers love how thick and moisturizing this cream is.
Get the RESIST Intensive Repair Cream from Paula's Choice for $33
3. A gentle toner to add into the routine immediately
Lightweight and perfect for a low maintenance routine.
This gentle toner may give your skin the post-cleanse boost it needs. Reviewers love this product for sensitive skin and recommend it for those who have dry skin or need a gentler post-cleanse solution to add a buffer between their skin and other agents.
Get the RESIST Advanced Replenishing Toner from Paula's Choice for $24
4. A twice-daily antioxidant serum
Antioxidants are good for everything, okay.
Full of antioxidants and built to restore your moisture barrier, this serum (which contains a low concentration of retinol) is intended to revive very dry skin and claims to be safe for use on skin with eczema.
Reviewers recommend using this serum to repair dry, aging skin and some recommended using with a vitamin C booster.
Get the SKIN RECOVERY Antioxidant Serum with Retinol from Paula's Choice for $36
5. A multi-application skin solution
Here, there, and everywhere.
This balm is intended to be a skin treatment that you can put anywhere you please. Paula’s Choice recommends using this emollient-rich balm on lips, heels, elbows, and even your nail cuticles. Reviewers love using this product to heal their skin when they have a cold and several recommend putting it on overnight for results the next day.
Get the LIP & BODY Treatment Balm from Paula's Choice for $15
6. A lightweight body treatment to vanquish dry skin
En garde, bumps and blemishes.
People are obsessed with this body treatment, with 500 reviewers leaving it an average 4.3-star rating. It features 2% BHA and salicylic acid, which may soften skin; the product claims to promote smooth skin wherever it’s applied, and may also be used to treat keratosis pilaris, a condition that causes rough bumps on the skin. Reviewers recommend using it to banish pesky bumps on the back of arms and legs, and many bought the product again and again.
Get the Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA from Paula's Choice for $22.40
7. A solution for redness (literally)
Replace that red glow with a healthy, clear skin.
More salicylic acid! This anti-redness exfoliating solution is formulated to be nonirritating and to help clear acne, blackheads, and bumps by unclogging pores after cleansing.
Reviewers use this product to treat pimples and acne, as well as lingering blemishes, and love that it leaves skin feeling refreshed rather than dried out.
8. A hydrating face mask
Face mask lovers unite!
This refreshing face mask may help those who are struggling to overcome the dry air from prolonged winter weather. Boosted with plant oils and antioxidants, this mask can be used for a minimum of 20 minutes and is intended to repair and hydrate your skin. Reviewers love how dewy and supple their skin feels after using the mask and recommend applying it a while before sleeping for overnight use.
Get the SKIN RECOVERY Hydrating Treatment Mask from Paula's Choice for $24
9. A staple cleanser to stabilize pores
It’s never too late to find a new favorite.
Having and using the right cleanser can make or break your skincare routine. And those in need of a cleanser that won’t introduce new oils will love this.
Reviewers recommend using this product if you struggle with acne or blackheads and many use it as a daily part of their regimen. Some saw an improvement in overall skin texture and oiliness.
Get the CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser from Paula's Choice for $13.00
10. An antioxidant-rich serum that goes on featherlight
Brighten and bolster with this serum.
Firm and brighten your skin with this rich, intensive serum. Ingredients like grape-derived resveratrol and hyaluronic acid work together to hydrate skin—reviewers cited this as their favorite product left and right and said it was the boost their skin needed.
Get the RESIST Ultra-Light Super Antioxidant from Paula's Choice for $39
11. A body butter that will take you right back to your “I bought every product in The Body Shop” days
Perfect for today’s handwashing climate.
There’s nothing quite so luxurious as a heavy body butter to help dry skin in the winter. Use this soothing body butter for immediate relief on uncomfortable, dehydrated skin. People love using this moisturizer all over, especially on dry hands. Most reviewers wish that the tube came in a larger size, which, as complaints go, is pretty net-positive.
Get the CLINICAL Ultra-Rich Soothing Body Butter from Paula's Choice for $19
12. Remove oil and stay smooth with this foaming cleanser
Foam is the most fun skincare texture, tell me I’m wrong.
This product is almost the opposite of the Ultra-Rich Soothing Body Butter, but not all skin is the same! Some of us have oil that needs taken care of—look no further than this oil-reducing cleanser.
Lightweight enough to keep your skin free of irritation and gently foaming for smooth application, this cleanser is a fan favorite for how well it cleanses skin without drying it out.
Get the SKIN BALANCING Oil-Reducing Cleanser from Paula's Choice for $18
13. An electrolyte and mineral-heavy moisturizer to keep your skin healthy
It’s like Gatorade for your skin!
This product is in it for the long haul. Intended to improve your skin gradually with consistent use, the mineral formula of this moisturizer adheres to the natural factors that keep your moisture barrier intact.
Some reviewers recommend this product for combination skin, and most agree that the application and whipped texture made them fall in love with the product.
Get the Water-Infusing Electrolyte Moisturizer from Paula's Choice for $35
14. An azelaic acid booster to even your skin tone
Less redness? Sign me up.
Never heard of azelaic acid? You’re not alone. It’s a powerful acid that is derived from grain and claims to lessen skin sensitivity, bumps, and irritation. Some reviewers used this product to treat their rosacea and acne scarring.
Get the Azelaic Acid Booster from Paula's Choice for $36
15. A spray-on acne solution for the whole body
There’s nothing easier than a product you can use everywhere.
Here's a new approach to acne—a spray. This salicylic acid-based body spray can be used to treat spots that have frequent acne all over your body, and reviewers love using this spritzing this to clear breakouts and reduce acne overall.
Get the CLEAR Acne Body Spray for $25
16. A retinol moisturizer designed with smoothing in mind
Beyond this (skin) barricade there is… mostly blood and a skull, probably.
Man the barrier! Shore up your skin’s natural resistance and moisture with this retinol moisturizer. Retinol, as you now know, is a great thing for your skin, so we’ll keep on singing its praises. This product will soften your skin over time and is intended to be used as the last step in your routine.
Reviewers love that this product visibly improved their skin and said it was perfect for combination and oily skin alike.
Get the RESIST Barrier Repair Moisturizer from Paula's Choice for $33
17. A berry powerful serum to help you achieve a healthy glow
And it’s pretty in pink, too.
This is a newer product from Paula’s Choice that’s already racking up some stellar reviews. The serum is 95% natural and combines antioxidant-heavy berries together to lend your skin a natural glow.
Reviewers love how lightweight this product is (the consistency is almost gel-like) and how it cooled down the redness in their skin.
Get the EARTH SOURCED Power Berry Serum from Paula's Choice for $31
18. A restorative moisturizer
Any "Doctor Who" fans need a bit of moisturizer?
One last moisturizer for you! Offering supreme hydration and flawless skin repair, this hydrating cream boasts a heavy-hitting formula and a lightweight texture upon application. Reviewers have sworn by this moisture cream for many years and love how soft and glowy their skin feels and looks after use.
Get the MOISTURE BOOST Hydrating Treatment Cream from Paula's Choice for $29
19. An anti-aging skin treatment for your health
We. Love. Retinol.
This retinol treatment claims to alleviate dry skin and give you a healthy glow. The concentrated lotion should be applied to clean skin and is intended to hydrate and firm skin for an overall healthier look. Reviewers love this product as an anti-aging solution and recommend using it all over on your dry problem spots.
Get the Retinol Skin-Smoothing Body Treatment from Paula's Choice for $29
20. Some sunscreen to top it all off
Your skin will thank you!
We decided to follow Paula’s Choice’s lead on this one. With every skincare product they produce they recommend applying it with or in relation to a minimum of SPF 30 sunscreen, so we figured we’d end this lineup with an SPF product just to really hammer it home. This is one of the most-reviewed products we found at Paula’s Choice—reviewers love using this product as their daily SPF and say it works well with makeup and other products you use throughout your day. Accessible and highly applicable—just how sunscreen should be.
Get the RESIST Super-Light Wrinkle Defense SPF 30 from Paula's Choice for $33