Paula’s Choice SKIN PERFECTING 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant, Salicylic Acid Exfoliant-Facial Exfoliator for Enlarged Pores, Wrinkles & Fine Lines, Suitable for Blackhead-Prone Skin, Fragrance-Free

If you actually understand how to use it, it’s amazing.
My skin type:- Very Dry, easily dehydrated- Oily nose- Prone to stubborn acne and closed comedones- Redness on chin and cheeks (not rosacea)I already use a nightly Tretinoin cream (.04% concentration) to help with my acne and premature signs of aging but decided with my derm that incorporating a BHA would be a good idea to help with my seriously stubborn closed comedones and some irritating textural issues. It was between this and the Cerave SA lotion and I ultimately decided on this due to the higher concentration of salicylic acid.It’s moisturizing, and feels sticky for the first 5-10 minutes after application but seems to sinks in to something of a satin finish on me and I can no longer feel it on my skin. You just have to be a little patient. My skin feels well hydrated and plump after it settles and looks really smooth and my pores aren’t as obvious. It sits just fine under makeup for me but I’m not a new user to chemical exfoliants so I don’t have lots of dead skin pilling up or sloughing off when I use it, my skin is, for the most part, already very smooth outside the acne and CCs. Occasionally I’ll apply it further down my neck/decolletage than usual and WOW do I old skin just ball up and peel right away – it’s so gross but also satisfying. So those that don’t exfoliate often or are new to BHA/AHAs will likely have issues with foundation until their skin adjusts (but it will adjust). My advice in those cases is to either use this at night for the first few weeks or just accept going barefaced for a little while if you can.I’d strongly suggest not applying this product over anything that you feel does not dry down fully, the times I’ve attempted to use it after serums or heavier products it takes forever to sink in and sometimes never fully does. I save all my serums and essences for after this has absorbed and it’s far easier to work with it as a result. My steps go like this most days: ACWell Licorice toner — PC 2% BHA — 10% Niacinamide serum — TO Matryxil serum — Secret Key Black Snail cream or Syn-ake cream w/ 3 drops Stratia Fortify oil — Sunscreen.It works fairly quickly IMO, on my neck where I typically don’t apply my Tret at night I noticed the peeling and balling of dead skin on day one and on my face where I have a patch of really awful CCs I noticed them getting smaller and smoother by around day 3-4. I’m going on about 8 days now and they’re barely visible unless I’m right up in the mirror and feel as if they’re almost gone when I touch my fingers to that area. I do have some slight peeling of the skin around my mouth and nose but it’s not terrible (likely because I already exfoliate the heck out of my skin with the tret).Some tips and things keep in mind:1)DO NOT RINSE IT OFF. I don’t understand some of the top reviews advising people to do that, it says on the bottle not to rinse and nearly all chemical exfoliators are meant to be left on until the next cleansing specifically so they can do their job. If you rinse it off you’re either going to prevent it from properly exfoliating or end up irritating the hell out of your skin. If you have oily skin and feel this might be heavy on you than you can probably just use this on bare skin and then sunscreen if you use in the AM or a lightweight lotion/cream and be done with it, but you need to leave it on your skin.2)You have got to use sunscreen while you’re using this product! Any BHA or AHA exfoliant causes increased sun sensitivity and you have to address that in your routine. You should already use sunscreen daily but it becomes a must when you incorporate a chemical exfoliator or you risk sun damage.3)Less is more! Don’t slop this on your face or soak a cotton pad in it, a little goes a long way and you’ll be kicking yourself if you apply way too much and have to wait 20+ minutes for it to sink in. Use a shake or two and add more if needed but go easy.4)Expect some irritation initially. Chemical exfoliants can be harsh and rough even on sturdy skin and you have to give yourself time to adjust. Over-exfoliation is a possibility but sometimes just introducing a BHA or AHA into your routine can cause some sensitivity. Don’t panic and just be gentle to your skin. Use ceramides (like Cerave Skin Renewing cream) or fatty oils to soothe your face if needed and try to stay away from any harsh products or acids like Vitamin C right after applying this to avoid really burning your face.

Very nice!
This is one of those products I bought without expecting too much, but I ended up actually looking forward to using it every time. My skin isn’t overly dry or oily — just… needy. A little dull if I skip hydration, a little uneven in tone, and I’ve started seeing some fine lines around my eyes and mouth that weren’t there before. I’m not new to skincare, but I’m also not someone who throws 8 steps at my face daily either — I just want products that work and don’t cause more problems.The first thing I noticed is how balanced this formula feels. It doesn’t leave that stripped feeling some exfoliants do, but it also doesn’t feel greasy or filmy either. There’s no “tingle” — which I honestly appreciate, because I don’t want to feel like I’m burning off my skin barrier just to get results.I’ve been using it at night about 3x a week. After cleansing, I apply it directly to dry skin, no cotton pad — just clean hands. I wait a few minutes, then I follow up with a light niacinamide serum and a ceramide-rich cream. I haven’t had any irritation, peeling, or redness. No breakouts either, which was my fear because some products that are meant to exfoliate end up clogging me even more (weird, I know).The biggest difference I’ve seen is in texture. I had this slightly bumpy area between my brows and along my jawline that always looked rough under makeup. Within 5–6 days of using this, those areas felt smoother, and my skin just looked more even in general — less patchy, less tired.Also worth noting: it plays well under makeup. Some treatments make foundation pill or slide off, but this just kind of disappears into the skin once it dries down. There’s no sticky layer left behind. I use it at night mostly, but I tried it in the morning once before sunscreen and it still behaved.I don’t use a lot — maybe a dime-sized amount for my whole face. It doesn’t smell like much (no added fragrance, which is good for me). I always wait at least 10 minutes before layering anything on top, which seems to help it absorb fully. If your skin is sensitive or dry, I’d go slow at first — maybe 1–2x a week and work your way up. And yes, wear sunscreen every day — that’s just basic skincare at this point, but especially important with exfoliants.I’ll update after a month or two if anything changes, but so far, this has been a solid addition to my routine. If you’re dealing with early signs of aging or just want to smooth out some roughness without nuking your skin, this is worth a shot. It’s one of those rare products that feels gentle but still does something.

As someone who is a bit of a skin care addict I highly recommend this product! Especially if you have troublesome acne prone skin like me. I use this every other night in between using Paula’s choice retinol cream. It is also fantastic when you get a spot and need it to be gone ASAP! Just dab some on the affected area (I normally like to drench the area in it) and it will be gone or hugely reduced in a few days. If you can carefully remove any of the whitehead from the spot it will be gone even quicker. This product helps to bring everything out. It also doesn’t aggravate my skin like some anti-spot lotions can.Although I use this especially against spots, it does also help to make the skin smoother and more refined. By using Paula’s choice retinol and the BHA lotion on alternate nights, I’ve noticed an improvement in my over all skin tone. It looks supple, smoother, clearer and dewy.

Love this , it really works, skin became much prettier! Will buy again 👍

I am 72 and over the years I have tried so many different beauty products and usually disappointed as products very rarely live up to their claims. I am delighted to say after using for less than a week my skin is softer, makeup goes on smoother, looks clearer. I cannot believe it is sooooo good. Bought the small size just to try it but this is going to be a staple from now on, thankyou for this wonderful product.