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I'm sure you know by now that I'm a huge fan of the brand Paula's Choice. If you don't know, you can read my reviews here of their C15 Super Booster, Clinical 1% Retinol Serum and 10% Niacinamide Booster. Well I haven't always liked their products. I remember trying the Clear Extra Strength 2% BHA Exfoliant a couple of years ago and not getting on with it at all. It's part of the range aimed at those with acne prone skin, which is why I went for it. I found the exfoliant felt really oily, almost like it left a film on my skin. It definitely wasn't my cup of tea. I know a lot of people rave over the original Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Exfoliant but I'd read a few reviews that it had an oily texture too, so I was loathe to try it. But the great thing about Paula's Choice is that they have a HUGE range of products, so if one doesn't work for you, chances are they have another that will!
I was determined to find a BHA toner exfoliant that would work for me. As I have acne, I need to use BHA aka Salicylic Acid in both my AM and PM routine to help keep my pores clear. Don't worry, my skin is used to using acids and tolerates this well. Obviously not everyone can use acids this way. If you're new to acids, take it slow and slowly increase usage until your skin builds up a tolerance. At the moment I use a combined AHA / BHA serum on alternate nights to a Retinol serum in my PM routine. I wanted a just BHA toner for my AM routine and to use on my Retinol nights. BHA is oil soluble which means it can get right into your pores to clear out any dead skin, which in turn helps prevent breakouts.
It was then that I came across the Resist Anti-Aging 2% BHA Exfoliant. It stood out to me straight away as it was described as weightless and ultra-light. The Resist range is aimed as those with combination / oily skin that also have anti-aging concerns. In other words, ME! Not only does it contain BHA to keep pores clear, it also contains Peptides for anti-aging and Liquorice root extract which is an antioxidant to protect skin from environmental stressors. Sounds amazing, right? Another brilliant thing about Paula's Choice, is that they sell travel sized mini's and samples of a lot of their products, so you can try before committing to a full sized product. So I ordered myself a travel sized bottle.
So onto the product itself... First up - it's not oily!! YAY! Obviously I was really pleased to find that it wasn't oily at all. It's a water consistency that disappears into skin straight away. There's no film or greasiness. I apply it using a cotton pad. I've been using this at least once a day since getting it, sometimes twice daily. I've found it to be gentle enough to use that way. I've not had any sensitivity or peeling from it. Although it's gentle, it is however very effective. It helps keep my pores from getting as congested. It doesn't completely stop me from getting blocked pores but nothing ever has! Bare in mind that my skin is very, very oily and my acne is just about under control now that I have monthly peel facials. My skin can be very temperamental and breaks out so easily. This definitely makes a difference to my pores though. I find the toner hydrating too which is great as sometimes exfoliants can be drying. This definitely isn't. I've been impressed enough to now buy it in full sized and will continue to use it daily in my routine. Another holy grail product from Paula's Choice!
Paula's Choice Resist Anti-Aging 2% BHA Exfoliant is available from a number of retailers including the following linked - Paula's Choice, Skin City and Look Fantastic. It's £13 for a travel sized bottle and £30 for full sized. As I always say, shop around, there's usually an offer on somewhere!
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