PROS: No sticky film or greasy feeling after applying. Feels heavenly and light going on, but it moisturizes my very dry skin very well. Can easily wear this under makeup. NO fragrance. Retinol that is already making my dark spots a bit lighter, my wrinkles a bit less deep. Retinol will help firm skin by helping to build collagen, and I am starting to see that getting better. The retinol in this is quite gentle. I have very sensitive, mild rosacea, skin. But it is not bothered by this. The cost is reasonable for the quality of ingredients. Customer service with Paula's Choice is excellent.


CONS: There may not be enough of a film of moisture left for those who want that feeling. (This truly does moisturize deeply for me, even without a film, though. Just as an extra measure of moisture during the winter, I put this on and then my beloved jojoba oil over it at night.)

I've been using Paula's products for about 8 or 9 months and my skin is looking great overall: more even skin tone, smaller pores, plumper. But I accept that the benefits of good skin care show themselves over time, and there aren't miracles. I've never had a wrinkle or dark circles just disappear and stay away forever. I just don't think it's a fair or realistic to expect a product (not that brands don't set you up to expect miracles, but that's a whole other story) to wipe away years of sun exposure, smoking, poking, prodding, and other stupid things I've done to my skin in my 37 years. I always review skin care with that thought in mind.


For about 6 months I've been using PC's Skin Balancing Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum with Retinol at night with success and no irritation. Winter hit, the air got dry, and my formerly oily skin needed something slightly more emollient for nighttime. This worked great for providing more hydration with other great ingredients, and some nights I still used it with the serum, but not often as I was afraid of irritation. This moisturizer is very creamy in texture so I thought it was going to be greasy and just sit there with an oily film on my skin, but I just could not believe how it absorbed completely as soon as I applied it, and yet it still made my skin softer and more hydrated. I could not be happier.


Another reviewer mentioned that retinol is the 13th ingredient in this product. I moseyed over to the PC website just to double check and realized that he or she is 100% right. That's a very valid point and I'm grateful that the other reviewer pointed that out. Now I know why Paula's info packet suggests using a serum WITH this. I would now say that this is a fabulous moisturizer that happens to have excellent ingredients such as retinol, peptides, etc. But like me, you may still choose another product to act as your primary retinol product. Now I'm no so worried about using both products simultaneously. That's why we're responsible for reading ingredient lists, even if they are PC products! Much thanks to the other reviewer!

At first, I thought this product wouldn't be nearly moisturizing enough for my over 50, dry skin, especially since I live in a very dry climate. However, my skin is moisturized and fresh looking in the morning, without feeling like there's a lot of extra product sitting on top of my skin. After two weeks of daily use, my skin looks fabulous. I've been using five of the RESIST products for the past two weeks and I love the results. My skin is just plain good skin now, not greasy or sticky with product, not irritated from too much exfoliation, no breakouts, no redness, etc. Cannot say enough good things about this line, and I'm replacing my other products with RESIST products as they run out (using Youth Surge daily moisturizer SPF25 from Clinique, but will replace with the RESIST SPF moisturizer when I'm done). The products are a bit pricey, but they're full of high concentrations of proven, powerhouse ingredients, no bells and whistles, no fragrance, no extra fillers, etc. Every dime goes towards an ingredient that does what it's supposed to do. Love this line!

Im currently on a 3rd bottle of this product. Started to see positive results of reducing expression lines from my 2nd bottle. My skin can tolerate the rentinol in Barrier Repair and skinMedica 0.65 tri-rentinol , but badly irritated by so-called gentle Neutrogena's healthy skin night cream, weird. Love this product and will continue to repurchase. Hope Pc team can improve the packaging since the pump isn't great.

This is an updated post. I had a bottle of this and used it but got dry and irritated with continued use. I stopped and started this a few times. My pump became cracked and the product would not come out. I ordered a new one and the pump would not push down. When I called the PC Rep was amazing. We talked for a few and she sent me out two bottles. One to replace the one that I just ordered and one to replace the cracked older one. I mean is that amazing,or what. I have been using this for a couple of weeks. I no longer use it alone. I use two pumps of my L'Occitane Karite & Cotton Bio Shea & Organic Cotton Ultra comfort cream over this but I wait 10-15 mins for the Resist to sink in before I apply the cotton cream. This little nightly routine has seemed to do wonders for my skin. I am also using the Resist hand cream spf30 on my face daily. I do my Skinceuticals C&E then wait 5 mins and apply the resist hand cream. Works like a gem. I am happy with PCPs :0

**I did not realize they changed the ingredients, maybe that is why I am not getting dry and irritated? Not sure but still like this. continued >>

Beware that many of these reviews could be considered somewhat invalid because the product's ingredient list has changed. I had a bottle from appx. 2/11 that had retinol 9th on the list. Now, it is 13th. Some of the ingredients that used to be below the retinol are now above it. The company insists (in an email) that the percentage of retinol has not changed. Something has changed though because it used to leave a natural finish. Now, a somewhat shiny finish. And my pores don't seem to be as cleared out as they once were. Retinol can be drying to the skin, so maybe it is better for many, that it is more emollient now. You'll just have to give it a try. I will probably repurchase. I can't decide if I lke this or Neutrogena's , retinol containing, antiwrinkle cream better.

I was really hoping this product would be the perfect anti-aging cream for me.
But no, I've only used it 3 times (every second day), and my skin feels raw and burnt.I have also developed a few bumps.I think ill be returning this one.

I've read that a lot of people hate the bottle this comes in and they're planning on changing it. I wouldn't know about that because I just seem to order more free samples of this any time I order anything else from their website. I had been using Dermalogica's Barrier Repair but I think this works better. Using this along with a toner and a serum, my skin feels smoother and more hydrated than it probably ever has. I'm a huge fan, though I'm thinking of holding off on buying a bottle until they change they packaging or it goes on sale or something.

This moisturizer allows me to use a stronger cleanser and exfoliant than I would otherwise without flaking. It does not have silicones, which cause me to break out. (Dimethicone is a frequent culprit -- I even have to avoid it in hair products.)

I'm 27 so I can't comment too much on any anti-aging benefits, but my skin looks great. Previously I was using Retin-A to combat my occasional breakouts but my skin could not adapt to it. Perhaps as I get older, I'll consider a stronger retinol but I'm thrilled with this for now.

Surprisingly light and hydrating on my oily, rosacea-addled skin. Definitely a HG moisturiser.