Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment

I bought the travel size first, used it and loved it so I bought the full size
Well the formula must be different because it burned the crap out of my face. Also caused a breakout and I rarely break out. It felt greasy on my skin and this morning my face is beet red and burning. Be careful using this stuff, it’s no joke

Here's why this retinol stands out:
-It's strong, at 1%. If your wrinkles can still be combated, this will do the trick.
-Its sealed very securely
-You can totally control how much comes out via the pump (unlike PTR's amazing product, which is in an annoying dropper where you waste)
-It's thick, so it spreads properly and lightly. Not overly watery or greasy.

I feel that within the last couple years she has changed the formulation. It used to dry out my skin a bit at first, with slight irritation, but then my skin would get used to it and look great. It was like it was peeling my skin and I would get a nice cell turn over and it would look clear and brighter.

However, this does feel as powerful as it used to. I thought maybe I was just used to it and it stopped being effective. But I didn't use this for 6 months and repurchased it and it didn't do anything, no slight irritation which to me is a result that its working. It was sooooo greasy, didn't feel like it was working, felt like it was clogging my pores, and actually would make my skin more congested. I know she did something different with the formula-- and it sucks.

Paula's Begoun is a lady who always strikes me as knowing her ingredients. Her brand has some pretty impressive formulations. She doesn't rely on telling tall stories that revolve around magnetic soundwaves that can make a formula more potent, nor a flower that never fades and scientists spending a decade trying to understand why. Everything about her products and brand has always struck me as being honest and down to earth. I don't share her love of Mineral oil and silicones but on those I have to just respectfully agree to disagree.


I've had the good fortune of trying quite a number of sample packs and trial sizes that she lists on the PC website. Having previously used Skinceuticals 0.5% I was ready to up the ante and try something stronger. This formula with the addition of Licorice (good for brightening) struck me as a good choice.


First of all this is quite hydrating. If you have dry to normal skin this will suit you just fine. For myself being oily I had to use it very lightly so as not to over-hydrate my skin. The packaging - although good for keeping the ingredients stable was quite annoying as I always found it dispensed either too little or too much with each pump. As with other retinol formulations I did notice a difference in both pore size and skin texture and in a fairly short amount of time. Additionally there was also a very slight difference to fine lines which I can only put down to the impressive choice of ingredients in here. I had been expecting to peel or notice redness but luckily that did not happen.


The downside is the silicone content. I could only use this once or twice a week at most without experiencing a breakout. In itself it is a great product provided you are ok with silicones. For those like myself who are not, the hunt for the perfect retinol product goes on...

(used this product in October 2017)


Selena x



~ My HG list ~

(I've sampled 100s of skin, hair and m/u products over the last decade and a half, as I'm constantly trying out new stuff all the time - usually sample/trial sizes from e-bay, also plenty courtesy of a friend who works at Sephora. Thought it might be useful to share my top 10 must-have products, subject to change if and when I come across something more effective)


1. Hair Loss Treatment: ‘Divine Herbal’ - Hair Oil
2. Lip Balm: Jack Black - Intense Therapy
3. Pigmentation/Anti-Ageing: ‘Divine Herbal’ - Facial Treatment Serum
4. Cleanser: 'Aveda' - Purifying Gel Cleanser
5. Concealer: ‘Mac’ - Studio Finish Concealer
6. Lash Growth Serum: ‘Divine Herbal’ - Divinelash
7. Foundation/SPF: ‘Juice Beauty’ - Stem Cellular Repair (warm glow)
8. Face Scrub: ‘Sisley' - Botanical Gentle Buffing Cream
9. Moisturizer: ‘Antipodes' - Rejoice Light Day Cream
10. Hand Cream: 'Origins' - Make A Difference Rejuvenating Hand Treatment

I dont get any dryness or redness or peeling as retinol side effect used to. I use it everynight, daily. I previously use obagi retinol 1.0 and its an amazing product and has mild irritation. PC retinol 1% did make my skin appear smoother, brighter maybe because of the vitamin c in it. But for pores and evening my skintone, it did nothing, maybe just slighty even but not as any other retinol used to. Its not powerful at all for me, and it doesn’t control oilliness, it feels greasy after applying the product. It didnt break me out, but because it doesnt control my oil, so it has a chance to make me breakout or clogged my pores and won’t prevent future breakouts either as it didnt do much at controlling my oilliness. it’s quite expensive too. Not for me

Great but expensive.

You get this from The Ordinary at a fraction of the price!

This product does everything it says, and I haven't had a problem with skin irritation or flaking in spite of using it every night. I deducted one lippie for my one gripe - the fragrance bothers me and tends to linger for several hours. Other than that it's a solid product, and I'll continue to repurchase.

Very overpriced and did nothing for my complexion. I got the travel size, to try it out for a few weeks. It did not sting, it smelled strange, and made my face very sticky. I saw no results other than the moisturizing effects. I switched to a different brand and saw results overnight, for a much cheaper price. Don't waste your money, folks! It gets two stars for great packaging though, and a trustworthy (non irritating) formulation.

this product is the bomb!
it did help with open pores ,fine lines and gave my skin an overall luminous finish and healthy glow
dont over use it or it will cause irritation ( i use it three times a week)
for the price it delivers better than some 350 pounds serums
love it
i also wrote a review on my blog www.alexinwonderland.net