Skin Care Review: Paula's Choice RESIST Weekly Resurfacing Treatment with 10% AHA

Rating
Excellent

Benefits
Removes dead skin cells; leaves skin soft and smooth.

Drawbacks
Somewhat expensive @ $28.95 for 2 ounces; only available online or by phone.

Details
As a bit of a skin care nut, I've long been aware of the benefits of exfoliation and I consider it to be one of the most immediate and effective ways to improve skin's appearance. Unfortunately, I'm clog-prone and products like Alpha Hydrox's 10% Enhanced Lotion (which is a great AHA for the body) break me out facially. When I saw that Paula was offering a toner-like AHA treatment, I was immediately interested and ordered samples. Upon application (with a cotton pad), I experience some stinging. This is common with AHA's, but seems somehow more acute with Paula's. Whereas other AHA's smell of soured glue, Paula's feels and smells more medicinal. Though she would never include irritating ingredients that typically give a "medicinal" quality (like eucalyptus, camphor, or menthol) and the product list is full of anti-irritants, it's there, nonetheless. You can choose to leave this on, or rinse off after 10 minutes. I've done both, but prefer the latter (as I don't see the point of leaving it on longer). The rinse-off option is a huge selling point for my clog-prone self, as opposed to a leave-on product full of waxes and lipids that would only contribute to blackheads and breakouts. I can imagine that it would also be a plus for a treatment/topical heavy regimen. This AHA could very easily be incorporated without conflicting with other treatments. As for the effect? My skin is immediately smoothed. Any rough patches are eliminated and those pesky perpetually clogged pores on my nose are definitely diminished. As with my prior experiences with other AHA's, I can always expect to receive compliments on my complexion after use. I've since graduated from the samples to the full size. While I was somewhat shocked at the seemingly paltry size, it's lasted through several weekly treatments-and I've yet to finish the bottle.

Conclusions
In a nutshell: it's my go-to AHA facial product; highly recommended.

Price (paid by reviewer)
$28.95

Where to find it
Paula's Choice website