Paula's Choice • Moisture Boost One Step Face Cleanser • Cleansers

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prettyparul on 4/12/2013 10:13:00 AM more reviews by prettyparul

Age: 36-43   Skin: Normal, Tan, Warm   Hair: Brown, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Black    

Love this cleanser! I use DHC Olive Oil to first remove makeup, sunscreen etc and follow it up with this one. I love the consistency, texture ant the fact that it's non foaming and is fragrance free. Bought it on a sale for 15SGD FOR A HUGE BOTTLE. Loving it!

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lucyem on 4/4/2013 6:09:00 PM more reviews by lucyem

Age: 36-43   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

I have been a long time Paula's Choice user. And I think my days are over. I had been using this Cleanser for a while in addition to PC's 2% BHA liquid and could not figure out why I was having so many blackhead issues not to mention white heads under the skin surface. I upped to the Resist line and broke out in nasty large acne. I spoke to PC and was told to go back to the moisture boost. Well the bad acne went away but my stubborn blackheads were there. It made no sense to me until I washed my face one morning, looked into a 12x magnifying mirror and my pores were totally clogged. I did some quick checking of reviews, ran out and bought a Neutrogeena cleanser that was well rated. Used it, looked in the mirror right after and bingo my pores were much cleaner. In other words the Moisture Boost does nothing. Obviously the BHA was not able to even keep up. Or perhaps my face would be even worse if it were not for the BHA. I don't know. Sticking with the neutrogeena for now. Moisture boost into the trash. Oh and I have combination sensitive skin.

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LucyLastName on 12/12/2012 7:22:00 PM more reviews by LucyLastName

Age: 30-35   Skin: Other, Fair-Medium   Hair: Red   Eyes: Blue    

This is my favourite cleanser. I have a combination skin prone to acne and my skin loves this product. It washes off makeup completely (even without washcloth). It leaves my skin feeling clean, but not tight. I love the texture of it because I do not like foaming. I also love that it's cruelty free and fragrance free. Overall, a good value for the money.

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Madwilso on 9/12/2012 12:53:00 PM more reviews by Madwilso

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Olive, Warm   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I have been a faithful Paula's Choice user for the last 6-7 years and I have used the Skin Recovery cleanser consistently over that time. I have acne-prone skin, but since I was using the AHA and BHA, I kept the cleanser simple.
I started using Retin-A cream 0.025/0.05 about 6 months ago in the spring time and continued to use the Skin Recovery until the warmer summer months. The Retin-A caused my skin to be both oily and dry (combination - Dur!), but I've always heard to use a very gentle cleanser. Queue the Moisture Boost cleanser! It is supposed to be lighter in texture, more of a gel like consistency, but still be gentle. I would agree that it's texture is not exactly creamy and it's not quite gel. It rinses a lot easier than the SR, but my skin doesn't feel as comfortable afterwards, it's a little tight. It's non-remarkable with the Mia, I agree with the previous poster that it doesn't feel like it stays on the skin when the wet brush occilates.
I have used it for a couple of months and I think I have to shelve it because my skin has become really dry. It's going to be fall/winter soon, and I just do not believe that this will provide nearly enough moisture, since it didn't even in the hot and humid months.
As far as make up removal goes, I totally suck as far as a reviewer on that regard. I usually wear a light powder and blush (not even mascara) and I use avocado oil to break down my sunscreen as a pre-cleanse. The Moisture Boost works well enough for that, at least.
Price - I got it on sale because they were getting rid of all the old stock/bottles and I got 2 for $8.50 each.
Packaging - It's fine, the opaque bottle with a flip lid. The cleanser will congeal around the opening if the lid isn't fully closed. Not a big deal until you try to get some out and it's plugged and then you apply too much pressure and too much squirts out everywhere. Just me?

I would not purchase this again. I switched to the Resist cleanser (only a couple of weeks ago) and it is much better already.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Endit on 8/28/2012 12:59:00 AM more reviews by Endit

Age: 19-24   Skin: Other, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

Pros: To be honest, I can't think of any.


CONS: I hate the consistency. It's just... inconsistent? It is described as a "water-soluble cleanser with the texture of a milky cleansing lotion". When I use this with my hands, that's about right. It's a lotiony, non foaming cleanser. The problem is when I attempt to use it with my Skinsonic. I discovered that it's really a foaming cleanser that was designed to resists foaming and is VERY easily rinsed away. Sometimes it foams up a lot, but most of the time it feels like it gets "stuck" in the brush, not transferring so off easily. This is made worse the by the fact that when attempting to add some water, it rinses away so quickly. Yet, using very little water, it doesn't have enough substance or glide over my skin, unless I use a lot more than I want to. Another thing is the name is misleading. I haven't experienced any moisture boosting. In fact, I've experienced the opposite. My skin isn't exactly drier, but when I apply products after using this, it feels like they are absorbed faster. It's actually a great thing since a lot of times it feels like products just sit on my skin. Also, I'm pretty sure this is not a coincidence, but I had some breakouts that didn't seem to go away along my chin while using this. I was using Paula's Choice 1% BHA lotion which helped in the past, but saw no real improvement. It was only until I went back to CeraVe foaming cleanser and they started disappearing. So I'm thinking this doesn't clean as well as it could either, despite having SLS as the second ingredient.


OTHER: This smells just like Phisoderm's cream cleanser.


OVERALL: Performance wise, it's a 2. The reason why I am giving this a 1 though is because I feel pretty let down. I hate the texture, it's more expensive than what I usually purchase, and it's only available online. However, Paulas Choice has excellent customer service though so I will continue to more things from the brand anyways. I also noticed that Paula's other dry skin cleanser got a packaging update first. I think that's probaby because it was better than this one. In addition, the moisture boost line looks to be the last line to get a packaging update and the cleanser is still marked down at the moment, even after the cleanser promotion ended. That tells me something.


UPDATE: I've figured out how to get it to foam more consistently. I'm letting my original verdict stand though since it is not moisture boosting and I expected a lot more.

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SaraAlzarouni on 8/7/2012 4:56:00 AM more reviews by SaraAlzarouni

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I have combination, acne prone and sensitive skin. The expert advised me to purchase this product along with moisture boost line. I was kinda hesitated to try this on due to shipping expense, but then i was surprised how well this cleanser felt good on my skin. It cleanse well and did not leave my skin dry or greasy ( on the t-zone). I highly recommend those with combination skin to get samples and try it.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Seattlemama on 7/6/2012 2:11:00 PM more reviews by Seattlemama

Age: 36-43   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond, Curly, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I think Paula's Choice offers some really nice, basic cleansers at good prices. I got this one for using after I had my first IPL laser treatment to treat rosacea, when I felt like I needed a basic, gentle, moisturizing cleanser. Pros: great value - low cost for a lot of product; removes makeup completely; does not cause breakouts; excellent customer service. Cons: this has a very strange slimy, viscous texture like no cleanser I've every tried before; slightly drying for my already-dry, flaky skin (made flakes worse); not quite gently enough for my rosacea. I will use this up but I won't repurchase. I'll try one of her other cleansers instead.

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*TOP REVIEWER* mariannepilgaard on 6/12/2012 3:25:00 AM more reviews by mariannepilgaard

Age: 36-43   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

I have previously used the RESIST optimal results cleanser and decided that I would try this instead as it is cheaper and you can get it in a larger bottle. This cleanser reminds me a lot of Cetaphil, which is much more economical. It cleanses but for instance mascara does not come off as well as with the RESIST cleanser (my wallet is so sad about this fact...). I will not repurchase because I prefer a cleanser that takes it all off in one go and the price difference to RESIST is not significant enough to deter me from buying that instead.

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mikiraa on 5/23/2012 4:21:00 PM more reviews by mikiraa

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

This is a good, standard cleanser that comes in a bottle with a flip-top cap. I have dry skin with some patches of flaking skin and this doesn't irritate my skin at all. The texture of this cleanser is similar to that of a lotion. It is also fragrance-free. I usually pour about a nickel-sized amount of this cleanser onto my hands and I work it in light circular motions on a wet face. This cleanser doesn't foam up a lot, but rather retains its lotion texture. After rinsing it off, my face feel smooth, clean, and lightly hydrated.

On days when I've been wearing heavier makeup, after using an oil-based makeup remover I put some of the PC Moisture Boost Cleanser onto my Clarisonic to clean my face. I don't use this to remove makeup (I used a oil-based makeup remover beforehand) so I can't attest to it's ability to do that. However, if my makeup remover missed a bit of waterproof mascara or eyeliner and I noticed some black smudging under my eye, while washing my face with this cleanser I'll use a washcloth to wipe off the smudges underneath my eye and they come right off.

For the price, the product is not a bad value, especially when you compare it with some other equally good cleansers that are much more expensive. I bought this when it was on sale ($17.96 for 16 oz.) from PC's website. I usually get my orders in exactly a week from the date that I place my order. If you live in Canada, there is a $5.00 brokerage fee you need to pay on top of shipping (if applicable) as well as applicable taxes for your province. That cost alone usually adds up to be an extra ~$10-$15 on top of your order! I cannot think of any comparable cleanser that can be found at drugstore within Canada that I have tried. However, I did find that the CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser was somewhat similar to this product (and at a similar/cheaper price point too), and can be found at drugstores in the US or online in Canada (I bought mine from Well.ca - they have free shipping). Alternatively, Beautypedia also has a list of good cleansers that to try out.

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momof3blonds on 2/6/2012 1:49:00 PM more reviews by momof3blonds

Age: 36-43   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I LOVE this product! I have been using Paula's Choice for at least 9 years. I have changed products as my skin has changed. I currently am using the Moisture Boost One Step. This is wonderful! It removes all of my makeup (eye makeup included) and leaves my skin smooth and clean. I have Dry/Combo skin that is prone to breakouts. This helps keep my skin clear. I also use the 2 %BHA liquid. My skin has had a lot fewer breakouts since switching to Paula's. I won't use any other cleanser on the market.

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*TOP REVIEWER* joy2uandme on 2/6/2012 10:19:00 AM more reviews by joy2uandme

Age: 44-55   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

Pros: This spreads easily.


Cons: Slimy texture. Bottle is not very big so no true bargain. Did not help breakouts or rosacea at all. Did not remove all of my makeup even with 2 washes so have to use a washcloth with this. Not in love with its natural smell--smells chemically. Did not add moisture to my face but wasn't drying either but certainly not worth an order for me when I can drive to the drugstore and buy cerave hydrating cleanser which is hydrating and non-pore clogging for less money and hassle.

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*TOP REVIEWER* ammasprajna on 1/31/2012 6:14:00 PM more reviews by ammasprajna

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

I called customer service to get a recommendation for a PC cleanser and toner for my sensitive, combination skin with occasional breakouts and seasonal dryness. I bought the Moisture Boost cleanser and toner, and I love them both. The cleanser rinses really clean, yet doesn't make my face feel tight, and it actually removes my eye makeup completely, without irritating my eyes at all. The toner is great, too! I have to say that every Paula's Choice product I've purchased has been great, and it's really worth picking up the phone and calling cust. service for recommendations. They ask all the right questions and have helped me put together an awesome routine that has given me my best skin ever. Also highly recommended are the 2% BHA gel and the new Resist Intensive Wrinkle Repair Retinol Serum.

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Dutchgirll on 12/19/2011 6:32:00 AM more reviews by Dutchgirll

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

I have combination/oily skin with some spots and blemishes and found this product to be great for my skin! I know this cleanser is for dry skin but most products for oily skin make my face red and irritated and leave my skin feeling dry. This product is perfect and makes my skin feel very soft. Sometimes it irritates slightly on some parts of my face but this stops once I have used the matching toner. Blemishes have gotten a lot less since I started using this products twice daily (in combination with the toner) so much that people I know have commented on it and asked me what I used. So thumbs up for this PC cleanser ;)
About the price: bought in the US it is cheap but the EU shop is a lot more expensive, nearly twice as much and when you try to order from the US shop the charge $50 for postage!

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alohahawaii on 11/19/2011 4:13:00 AM more reviews by alohahawaii

Age: 36-43   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

My Dermatologist just diagnosed me with Seborrheic Dermatitis and Eczema. I ran home and immediately placed an order for this facial cleanser. This was the only cleanser on my mind when my doctor told me this news. I had tried it once before and remembered feeling really pampered when I used it and my skin felt wonderful. I honestly really thought I could get by with other cleansers, but clearly that is not the case. I had to change everything to non-fragranced products and back to basics with everything. Of course this cleanser is on sale again so it was a better deal than the CeraVe Cleanser (Which is wonderful as well) The main reason I went with this particular cleanser is because I use everything else from Paula's Choice, why stop with cleanser?

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*TOP REVIEWER* georgia21 on 8/28/2011 1:07:00 PM more reviews by georgia21

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Red, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

This cleanser is creamy and spreads easily on my dry and sensitive skin. It doesn't rinse easily, though.

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