Cosmo’s Picky Editors Tested Every Paula’s Choice Product—12 Faves We’re Loving (2024)

Chances are, this exfoliant was the first Paulas Choice product to pop up on your feed. It went bonkers viral on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram as a gentle chemical exfoliant to help break down oils and reduce pimples and blackheads. How? It uses salicylic acid, a beta-hydroxy acid that has a small enough molecule size to get into your pores and help nix oils that can cause clogged pores. TBH, it’s pretty much the most universally loved Paula’s Choice product ever.

✨Editor review: “Okay, I finally get what all the hype is about. The Paula’s Choice BHA 2 percent Exfoliant actually works. It definitely doesn’t sting, but...I feel like I can feel it working? After just a couple of weeks, I could see my skin becoming noticeably brighter, and dare I say, my acne scars are a little lighter too from the gentle exfoliation. It’s also just so simple to use: a few shakes on a cotton swab, and I’m ready to take on the day.” —Hannah Chubb, lifestyle editor

• Key ingredients: Salicylic acid, green tea
• How often to use: Three to four days a week at night or in the morning (but also can be used daily for oily, acne-prone skin)
• How to use: After cleanser, before serums, on a cotton pad
• Skin type: All (yup, even sensitive)
  

Glowing customer review: “My skin gets oily overnight and tends to get clogged pores and whiteheads. This has been a lifesaver. I go through my routine at night and put this on right before my moisturizer. I worked my way up to be able to use it about three to four times a week. My skin feels smooth in the morning and no breakouts!”

FYI: The single best ingredient for anti-aging is retinol, according to every dermatologist I’ve interviewed over the years. This lightweight serum is packed with a whopping 1 percent retinol, which can boost cell turnover and collagen production to help with everything from smoothing fine lines and uneven skin texture, brighten dark spots, and plump and firm skin.

✨Editor review: “I have combination-dry skin with acne, so anytime I switch to a new product, I worry about breakouts. This retinol caused absolutely zero irritation on my skin. It’s so enjoyable to use because it doesn’t dry me out and has a smooth, liquid-y lotion texture that sinks into the skin without feeling heavy, like a retinol cream might—so I can pile on the moisturizer after without feeling like I’m doing too much.”
—Olivia Truffaut-Wong, editor

• Key ingredients: Retinol, willow bark extract, oat extract, peptides
• How often to use: Once a week at night for one week, then twice a week at night until your skin can tolerate three nights weekly
• How to use: After serum, before moisturizer and face oil
• Skin type: All, but might be too intense for very sensitive skin
  

Glowing customer review: “Got a mini version before the full size. And now, I’m switching to the full size. And that explains everything! I’m enjoying it for both wrinkles and large pore problems. I put a layer of eye cream on my under-eyes before this. And it doesn’t cause irritation or redness. My under-eye crepes are getting a lot lighter. Dark circles are getting a little lighter and lighter as well.”

Cosmo editors know a thing or two about the best acne products (ahem, we test hundreds of products a year for our Holy Grail Acne Awards). And multiple of us are big fans of this gentle, salicylic acid cleanser, which exfoliates and helps unclog pores. Rub the cleanser between your palms with some water, and it quickly foams up a bit as you massage it onto your skin, leaving your complexion feeling clean but not stripped.

✨Editor review: “I’ve been dealing with acne since I was in middle school. Now that I’m in my 30s, my skin is a lot clearer than it was when I was 13, but I still get a zit or three around my period or when I’m super stressed. Over the month I tested this cleanser, I was zit-free—I did feel a few threaten to bubble up, but a combo of this cleanser and the tretinoin my derm prescribed killed them before they fully emerged. RIP—or don’t, lol.” —Erika W. Smith, senior astrology editor

• Key ingredients: Salicylic acid, arginine, panthenol
• How often to use: Daily (in the morning and at night if you’re very oily)
• How to use: Massage onto your skin with a little water after removing makeup (avoid getting this in your eyes)
• Skin type: All

Glowing customer review: “This is the only face wash I will ever use again in my life. When I first started washing my face with this I had an acne purge for a month, but then I started to see real results! This stuff destroys acne better than any face wash I have ever tried. I am addicted to it and I have noticed so much improvement in my skin since I started using it six years ago.”

Hey, I get it: Sleep is for the weak! So if you also have the dark circles and under-eye bags to show for it, try this brightening eye cream. It uses vitamin C to help brighten and protect your under-eyes, all while flooding your skin with hella shea butter to make ’em bouncy and firm. Bonus: It’s got some peptides to help boost collagen under your eyes, which can potentially help firm the skin and make dark circles look less noticeable.

✨Editor review: “So, have my dark circles totally vanished? Not exactly, but asking the Super Boost Eye Cream to reverse years of late-night TikTok scrolling would be a lot, and in the past few weeks, I haven’t felt the need to pack on as much concealer in that area. This could be because the skin under my eyes feels much tighter, which I definitely appreciate. The pea-sized dose that I applied every morning absorbed into my skin so quickly, which is a major pro because nobody want to feel a product sitting on their face. All in all, I’m liking my results so far, and I plan to keep applying it daily!” —Annabel Iwegbue, assistant editor

• Key ingredients: Vitamin C, peptides, shea butter
• How often to use: Once daily in the morning
• How to use: Dab a pea-sized amount (see below) under each eye and press into your skin
• Skin type: Oily, acne-prone, dry, dull

Glowing customer review: “I really like this eye cream. I can see I noticeable difference in my eye discoloration within a few uses. Have recommended to friends!”

Using a blend of some of the best resurfacing acids (glycolic, lactic, malic, tartaric, mandelic, and salicylic), this peel seriously sloughs off all that dead skin on your face to reveal brighter, smoother skin. The gel texture dries on your skin and gets to werk, so you can just chill out and wait 10 minutes before rinsing it off. FYI: Just make sure to wear sunscreen during the day—which you should do always, but especially after using this peel, as it can make you a lil extra sensitive to UV.

✨Editor review: “Woah, I’m a full-blown convert for this at-home peel now. After one use, I noticed my skin felt a bit smoother. But after a few weeks, that’s when the magic really happened, as a few of my dark spots are very obviously fading. This is fully in my weekly rotation now.” —BG

• Key ingredients: Lactic acid, glycolic acid, mandelic acid, salicylic acid, malic acid, tartaric acid
• How often to use: Once a week, max
• How to use: Smooth over clean skin, then leave on for 10 minutes and wipe off with a wash cloth
• Skin type: All, but can be a bit too strong for very sensitive skin

Glowing customer review: “I use this product once a week on my acne-prone skin. I think it does a great job of smoothing away rough skin and acne blemishes. I don’t think it’s fading my spots very quickly, but I do think it helps to heal my face faster when I have a breakout.”

As fab as the OG 2 percent-BHA exfoliant from Paula’s Choice is, this formula is another great pick for acne-prone skin, especially those with lots of uneven skin texture. Mandelic and lactic acids are both ideal for sloughing away dry, dead skin, yet they’re on the gentler side compared to other, better known acids like glycolic.

✨Editor review: “I am new to liquid exfoliants, and I’m a big fan of this one by Paula’s Choice. Although the smell is a little funky, all I have to do is swab a little of the product over my skin after I cleanse. After it dries, I can moisturize and apply my SPF. In tandem with my retinol, it keeps my skin looking youthful and bright!” —Mia Lardiere, emerging platforms director

• Key ingredients: Mandelic acid, lactic acid, arginine
• How often to use: Daily (or every other day if you’re sensitive)
• How to use: Morning or night, swipe on your skin with a cotton pad after cleansing
• Skin type: All, but sensitive skin should start slow

Glowing customer review: “I was struggling so bad with inflammation of my skin, tons of texture, waking up with zits every day, rough and bumpy skin…this has completely helped! I use this at night and the BHA one during the day. Loveeee!”

This consistently ranks as one of Cosmo’s top vitamin C serums (and tbh, serums in general), because it’s filled with all of the best ingredients to boost your skin’s glow. For example, it’s got l-ascorbic acid, the purest and most potent form of vitamin C, which your skin <3s for brightening, firming, and protecting. But it also combines hydrating hyaluronic acid and vitamin E, anti-aging ferulic acid, and smoothing peptides.

✨Editor review: “I’ve tested over a hundred vitamin C serums in the last few years, and I consistently go back to this simple yet efficacious pick from Paula’s Choice. It feels lightweight on my skin, immediately adding a radiance to my complexion. And unlike many others I’ve tested, it doesn’t irritate or break out my acne-prone face. It’s just as good as the $$$ one you see all over your IG feed, IMO.” —BG

• Key ingredients: Vitamin C, vitamin E, ferulic acid, peptides, hyaluronic acid
• How often to use: Daily
• How to use: Pat onto clean skin in the morning, then follow with thicker serums and always SPF
• Skin type: All

Glowing customer review: “This serum is lightweight and rapidly absorbs into my skin. It doesn’t leave behind a residue or greasy layer and you can pretty much immediately move on to the next step in your skincare. Whether it reduces my hyperpigmentation or promotes a more even complexion, I don’t know, but I can say it makes my skin look radiant, and that’s enough for me. I’m really enjoying the appearance and texture of my skin.”

Want skin as soft as a bb’s butt? Welcome to my retinol body lotion soapbox, where I convince you that the best thing since sliced bread is this lightweight, smoothing body serum that’s packed with retinol to help reduce bumps, fade hyperpigmentation, and firm skin. Shea butter, panthenol, and grapeseed oil also make it fairly moisturizing on its own. FYI, though, our team agrees you should layer on a rich moisturizer after bed and SPF during the day to keep your skin hydrated and protected.

✨Editor review: “This bb is my tried-and-true retinol body lotion. It exfoliates my skin with retinol, but it’s also loaded with plant oils and body butters to soften at the same time.”
—Siena Gagliano, associate editor

• Key ingredients: Retinol, shea butter, grapeseed oil, evening primrose oil, panthenol
• How often to use: Once a week at night for one week, then twice a week until your skin can tolerate three nights weekly
• How to use: Smooth from neck to feet on dry, clean skin at night (and always, always, always wear sunscreen during the day)
• Skin type: All

Glowing customer review: “I’ve been using this for a decade and I keep coming back for more because it’s so good on my sensitive skin.”

Tinted mineral sunscreen is having a moment, but this one from Paula’s Choice remains a favorite for how light and easy it is to blend. It leaves skin with a natural, matte finish that acts like a primer to slightly blur skin under makeup, all while protecting with SPF 30. Keep in mind though: This is extremely sheer coverage (the tint is mostly just to counteract the white cast and only comes in one shade—boo!), so it def won’t replace your foundation. But it can help slightly counteract some discoloration and even your skin tone.

✨Editor review: “This girl is—*sent with slam effect*—silky. Tinted moisturizers can often feel a little heavier than I’d like them to, but this product is extremely lightweight and bendable. It’s great for everyday wear when I’m out and about running errands or sitting in front of my computer playing the Sims for too long.” —ML

• Key ingredients: Zinc oxide, willow bark extract, vitamin E, bisabolol
• How often to use: Every single day in the morning
• How to use: Slather all over your face and neck as the final step of your skincare routine before makeup
• Skin type: Combination, oily, dull

Glowing customer review: “I have oily skin and this product looks beautiful throughout the day. I also love that it wears perfectly under makeup. I don’t even need a primer. The texture is smooth and feels clean.”

One thing everyone needs? A rich moisturizer that hydrates and locks it all in, like this pick from Paula’s Choice. The formula’s ceramides and peptides are basically besties with your skin barrier, supporting and protecting it from water loss and inflammation. But this creamy formula also boasts heavyweights like shea butter and urea to lay on the moisture (aka why we’re big fans of this for nighttime when your skin needs a big glass of water).

✨Editor review: “I used this moisturizer at nighttime only and it was the perfect pre-bed final step, especially since the formula is breathable and not too heavy or thick. The bottle pump pushes out a juicy dollop that is the exact amount I need to slather on my face and neck (on days when I wanted a little extra oomph, I’d press another half out). My face loooved this and gobbled it up, leaving me with hydrated, glowy skin—even when I woke up!” —Christen A. Johnson, lifestyle editor

• Key ingredients: Peptides, ceramides, shea butter, urea, hyaluronic acid
• How often to use: Daily (can used twice a day for very dry skin)
• How to use: Coat your entire face and neck as the final step of your skincare routine
• Skin type: Dry, dull, sensitive

Glowing customer review: “New must-have for me in the dry, Chicago winters! Doesn’t seem super thick when applying, but it gets the job done and doesn’t irritate my sensitive skin.”

Niacinamide is truly the GOAT when it comes to making your skin look crystal clear and smooth, even on your body. So keratosis pilaris, body acne, eczema, and dry skin are basically its antithesis. This serum uses 5 percent niacinamide to seriously help smooth any bumps and even skin tone, while panthenol and prickly pear extract add featherweight hydration.

✨Editor review: “IMO, this is one of the unsung heroes of Paula’s Choice. It has an ultra-lightweight, thin consistency that sinks into my skin the second I rub it in, leaving behind zero residue whatsoever. After a few uses, my bumpy upper arms felt like butter and my keratosis pilaris was basically gone.” —BG

• Key ingredients: Niacinamide, panthenol, prickly pear extract
• How often to use: Three to four days a week, but can be used daily for nonsensitive skin types
• How to use: Smooth a thin layer from the neck down, then layer on moisturizer and/or SPF
• Skin type: All

Glowing customer review: “I’ve always had very dry and scaly skin and nothing seemed to make it go away no matter how much I moisturize. Tried this even though it’s a little expensive ,but my skin has never been so soft and smooth and no more dry scaly skin!”