Cheryl Shops

The Sephora Beauty Insider Sale starts today for Rouge (VIBs and Insiders get to shop 11/5–11/11), so instead of rehashing my usual content (PSA: you can see all of my Sephora recommendations here), I decided to do a deep dive on one of my favorite skincare brands, Paula's Choice, which is of course sold at Sephora as well as on Amazon and a bunch of other sites. I've been using Paula's Choice for years and while not everything has been a success for me, I am incredibly loyal to several of their products. Thankfully, the appreciation is mutual and Paula's Choice keeps sending me new stuff to try. While I received all of the products pictured here for free, the following is a completely honest and unbiased review of Paula's Choice skincare. 

But first, who is Paula?

Yes, Paula is a real person; she used to work at a makeup counter but was fired for being honest to customers (e.g. telling them what products could and couldn't do). She then wrote a tell-all book about the beauty industry and launched Paula's Choice skincare in the '90s(!). I first became aware of her because of the ingredient dictionary, which was revolutionary for transparently addressing what ingredients do (and do not) do for your skin—seriously, this has completely transformed the skincare industry and how they market their products. In fact, so many brands have copied the straightforward way Paula's Choice categorizes their products (and some even down to the packaging) but there's only one original. Diving into the skincare collections is a good way to start, as they're categorized by the issue you want to address. Of course you can mix and match—I certainly do! Read on for my favorite products from each. 

I tend to use these when I travel, hence why the bottles are a little schmutzy.

CALM for redness and sensitive skin 

Whenever anyone asks me what skincare they should be using, I always say the same thing: You need a cleanser to clean your skin, a moisturizer to hydrate, and SPF to protect it. That's the bare minimum, and for a lot of people, it's enough. I recommend seeking out gentle ingredients, especially if you have reactive skin, which I do to some extent—my skin tolerates certain ingredients but not others, and figuring this out is usually a matter of trial and error, which you may or may not have time for. So the CALM line is a great place to start for gentle yet effective products—the Intensive Moisturizer, Barrier Protect Mineral Sunscreen, and Gentle Cleanser (not pictured because I used it up a long time ago) are all solid. If you want to take things a step further, the Sensitive Skin Exfoliant manages to smooth and soothe skin at the same time, and I like to layer on the Repairing Serum, because my skin is always dehydrated AF. 

C+ for advanced brightening 

If you want to step things up a bit, my next recommendation is Vitamin C, which is an active ingredient (e.g. it's more specialized) for brightening and evening out your skin tone. A lot of people find Vitamin C to be irritating, so I recommend easing into it gently. The Super Boost Moisturizer (not pictured, but I've gone through an entire bottle and can enthusiastically recommend) is a great place to start, and I am also a big fan of the Eye Cream for brightening dark circles. You can also try layering on the SPF50 Sheer Moisturizer, which, like the regular moisturizer, only has 5% Vitamin C. I am really a fan of this one because it has a slight tint to it, so it doesn't leave a white cast on your face. If you still want more brightening after all of this, Paula's Choice just introduced a clinical-grade 25% (!!!) Vitamin C + Glutathione Serum. Full transparency: this is too intense for my skin and made my cheeks red and irritated, so proceed with caution if you have sensitive skin. 

CLINICAL for advanced aging 

If Vitamin C is going well and you want to layer in more active ingredients to address signs of aging, the CLINICAL line is your next stop, and you most likely want a retinoid, which is considered the gold standard for targeing fine lines and wrinkles. The PRO Retinaldeyhde Dual-Retinoid Treatment is about as close as you can get to a prescription-strength retinoid (e.g. tretinoin, or retinol) without a prescription. And unlike tretinoin, this one did not irritate my skin from the get-go. I have also tried the 20% Niacinamide Treatment; people tend to either love or hate niacinamide and unfortunately I'm in the latter category—it irritates the hell of of my skin. For any of these clinical-strength products, you want to layer a moisturizer on top, and I recommend using only at night as they can make your skin photosensitive. 

Boosters to amplify results 

This is also a category of products with active ingredients, and if I haven't explained actives enough, basically they are ingredients that are scientifically proven to target a specific skincare concern. (Note that I didn't say they correct it—that's a medical claim, which only prescription-strength formulas can do. Skincare companies have all manner of ways to talk around this, hence words like "target" and "address," which, yes, I just used.)  Anyway, these are some of my all-time favorite Paula's Choice products. I like to mix the C15 Super Booster (what I like to call the poor woman's CE Ferulic) with the Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster, which is just an amazing all-around serum for plumping, smoothing, and firming. I've also been using the 10% Azelaic Acid Booster on my pores, which need all the help they can get, and I think it does make a difference in helping keep them less clogged. 

Exfoliators

Ok, if you only buy one Paula's Choice product, you should make it the 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant. I have gone through god knows how many bottles of this, and whenever I stop using it, I notice an immediate difference in my skin. It's technically for acne-prone skin, which I don't have, but the effect is has for me is a smooth, clear, radiant skin tone. My skin rarely breaks out, and I think using this has something to do with it. I tried the 6% Mandelic Acid + 2% Lactic Acid formula, which has AHA acids versus BHA, and while the description would lead you to believe that it would be better for skin like mine (sensitive, discolored, finely wrinkled) it just didn't produce as dramatic results as the BHA formula. So keep in mind that your mileage may vary. 

RESIST for anti-aging 

This last category is a little complicated for two reasons. First of all, the term "anti-aging" is problematic because aging is inevitable and "anti" puts a negative spin on it, not to mention the impossible standards of youth and beauty that women are expected to meet even as we, yes, age. That said, no one has really come up with a better term yet, so we're stuck with it for the moment. The other reason this category is a little complicated is that the ingredients in some of the products start to get a little complicated and cocktail-y, with multiple active ingredients. In the case of the Triple Active Total Repair Serum, which has, yes, three actives—a retinoid, niacinamide, and hexylresorcinol—you could, in theory, have a reaction to it and not know exactly what is causing it. This one seems to be ok for me, even with the niacinamide, but I think my skin might be better off with something a little more mellow. I do, however, really like the ultra-thicc Barrier Repair Advanced Moisturizer, which doesn't have any actives (and that's fine) and the Youth Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF50, which has a really nice, lightweight feel—it's meant for oily skin (which mine is certainly not) but works for all types. All of which is to say, it's good to be open to trying things that you think may not work or be right for your skin type—you might not know it as well as you think you do! Thankfully, Paula's Choice helps to demystify skincare with its straightforward ingredient listings and explanations of what they do. Not all of their products are a home run for me, but when they hit, they slam. I highly recommend checking them out!