The 13 Best Paula’s Choice Products to Add to Your Skincare Routine (2024)

Read Full Review: This Liquid Exfoliant Smoothed the Texture of My Skin in a Week

This is the brand’s number one product worldwide, and if we absolutely had to choose, ours too. Why, you ask? It’s a unique leave-on exfoliator, made with a 2% concentration of salicylic acid, to unclog pores and clear your complexion and it really, really works. Still, it’s gentle enough that it can be used twice daily and also absorbs super quickly thanks to a lightweight, lotion texture.

Type: Liquid | Active Ingredients: Salicylic acid | Size: 1 ounce, 4 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Read Full Review: This Vitamin C Serum Hydrated, Brightened, and Smoothed Our Sensitive Skin

Given the quality of Paula's Choice products, we say that the Paula’s Choice C15 Super Booster lives up to its gold standard in how it hydrates and brightens skin. And there’s no denying that vitamin C gets an A+ in the skincare world, offering everything from antioxidant protection to collagen-boosting properties to spot-fading abilities. Here, you get it in an impressive 15% concentration, but of a stabilized vitamin C that will remain active (the vitamin is notoriously unstable and tricky to formulate with as a result).

And it doesn’t stop there; it’s blended with ferulic acid, another potent antioxidant that works synergistically with vitamin C to up the benefits even further. Also nice: You can use this on its own, or mix a few drops in with your moisturizer or serum.

Benefits: Boosts radiance, evens out skin tone, hydrates, protects from environmental damage | Skin Type: All | Dosage: 2 to 3 drops | Size: 0.67 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This product hits the perfect balance of effectively and efficiently exfoliating—all without ever stressing out your complexion. Its formula, which contains a combo of salicylic acid, a beta-hydroxy acid, and four alpha-hydroxy acids (glycolic, lactic, malic, and tartaric, to be exact), is designed to dissolve dead cells that leave your skin looking lackluster and uneven. At the same time, the product, which features other ingredients such as allantoin, oat extract, and licorice, keeps irritation at bay.

Type: Liquid | Active Ingredients: Lactic acid, glycolic acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, salicylic acid | Size: 1 ounce | Cruelty-Free: Yes

You’ll be hard-pressed to determine what you like most about this multi-tasker. Is it the silky texture that creates the perfect canvas for foundation? The built-in SPF 30? The protective antioxidants it contains? Happily, there’s no need to choose, since you get all three. It’s a morning routine must-use, whether or not you’re applying makeup over it.

Active Ingredients: Avobenzone, hom*osalate, octinoxate, octisalate, green tea, coffee seed, chamomile | Skin Type: All | Dosage: Pea-sized amount | Size: 0.33 fluid ounces, 1 fluid ounce | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Niacinamide gets major points for its laundry list of benefits, including but not limited to: evening skin tone, combatting redness, improving the look of stretched-out pores, and more. Not to mention that, unlike many other powerful ingredients, it is generally very well-tolerated by most. This newbie touts the highest concentration to date of the superstar, in a featherweight serum that’s choice for helping to improve both the texture and tone of your skin.

Benefits: Minimizes pores, calms redness, fades hyperpigmentation, boosts radiance | Skin Type: All | Dosage: 2 to 3 drops | Size: 0.67 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Another top-seller, this serum is a great universal pick, particularly for anyone dealing with dryness. Rich in Omega 3, 6, and 9 oils for extra hydration, it also touts ceramides, an essential ingredient for maintaining a healthy skin barrier. It’s moisturizing enough to use alone, though lightweight enough to layer under a moisturizer as well (try doing the former in the summer, the latter in the winter).

Benefits: Protects against environmental damage, hydrates, reduces fine lines and wrinkles | Skin Type: All | Dosage: 1 to 2 pumps | Size: 1.7 fluid ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Anyone who knows their skincare stuff will tell you that the name of this product sounds oxymoronic; retinol and barrier repair usually don’t go hand-in-hand. Yet somehow in this formulation they do. You get the proven wrinkle-smoothing benefits of retinol, but without the likelihood of irksome side effects (thinkredness and flaking), thanks to hydrating, barrier-protecting ingredients such as shea butter and ceramides.

Active Ingredients: Retinol, potent antioxidant blend | Skin Type: Balanced, dry | Size: 0.33 fluid ounces, 1.7 fluid ounces | SPF: None | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Oh yeah, did we forget to mention that Paula’s Choice has some awesome body products, too? To take care of the skin below your chin, we especially like this lotion. Like the 2% BHA treatment for face, this also has salicylic acid. Here, it helps to remove dead, dry skin and leave it silky soft. It’s a great pick for anyone, including those trying to get rid of keratosis pilaris aka KP aka those bumps that can pop up on the backs of your arms.

Active Ingredients: Salicylic acid, chamomile, green tea, vitamin E | Skin Type: All | Size: 2 fluid ounces, 7 fluid ounces | SPF: None | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Say peace out to parched skin. Formulated with, you guessed it, hyaluronic acid, one of the best moisturizing ingredients out there, this almost instantly hydrates skin. Dab on the gel solo, or mix a few drops into any moisturizer or serum to up the hydrating benefits. And here’s the really nice thing: Hyaluronic acid also has an immediate plumping effect, so this is great for using to help quickly fill in fine lines and wrinkles, like crows’ feet around your eyes.

Benefits: Hydrates, reduces fine lines and wrinkles | Skin Type: All | Dosage: 2 to 3 drops | Size: 0.5 fluid ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes

No matter whether you’re dealing with a condition such as eczema or rosacea, or are just having a temporary redness flare-up, reach for this skin savior. Made with an effective combo of both hydrating and soothing ingredients (lots of antioxidant-rich plant extracts), this option goes to town to quickly tamp down ruddiness and soothe stressed skin. For the best results, use it twice a day, pre-moisturizer.

Benefits: Reduces fine lines and wrinkles, hydrates, calms redness | Skin Type: All | Dosage: A few drops | Size: 1 fluid ounce | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If you're a niacinamide lover like us, don't sleep on this product—the fan-favorite ingredient stars alongside hyaluronic acid, chamomile, burdock root extract, and ceramide in this powerhouse formula. And when we tested the hydrating, lightweight product on combination skin, we found that once-daily application caused zero irritation (which is saying a lot for a toner). Even better: Our active breakouts started to calm down, hyperpigmentation evened, and the appearance of pores minimized.

This impressive product is great at balancing oils and hydrating to diminish dry, flaky patches of skin. And it should work for most skin types, not just combination skin. Honestly, it's an all-around win-win-win product.

Benefits: Eliminates oil, minimizes pores, hydrates | Skin Type: All | Dosage: A few drops | Size: 6.4 fluid ounce | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Alleviating sun damage, smoothing textured skin, and clearing enlarged, clogged pores sound like a multi-product job—but Paula's Choice Daily Pore-Refining Treatment With 2% BHA has it covered in one fell swoop. And we can speak from experience. Yes, we put this product to the test and aren't exaggerating when we say we noticed results after just one use. Right away, we saw a change in pore size and an added glazed-donut-like glow to our skin. After a while, we didn't experience irritation (speaking from the POV of combination skin), and we experienced smoother skin texture.

We could really sing this product's praises all day, but just make sure to check with your dermatologists before giving it a try yourself. Chemical exfoliants aren't for everyone, so just check to see if you fall under that category before pressing purchase.

Benefits: Evens texture, reduces pore size, plumps fine lines, targets hyperpigmentation | Skin Type: All | Dosage: A few drops | Size: 3 fluid ounce | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If you can't take your dry, flaky skin anymore, Paula's Choice Moisture Renewal Oil Booster may be the holy grail you've been looking for. You can use it alone, or easily pair it with your favorite products—like the moisturizer or serum you refuse to leave on the sidelines—to help hydrate and soothe your skin.

We put the product to the test and love how its lightweight formula absorbs into the skin quickly. After repeated use, we noticed how well this booster calms redness and flakiness. Our tip: a little goes a long way. Apply a few drops to freshly-cleansed skin to protect your skin barrier from everyday drying agents.

Benefits: Hydrates, soothes irritation, revitalizes dullness, protects skin barrier | Skin Type: Dry | Dosage: A few drops | Size: 0.67 fluid ounce | Cruelty-Free: Yes

FAQ

• Is Paula's Choice dermatologist-approved?

  Paula’s Choice is dermatologist approved, being recommended for many years by skin experts and beauty editors alike. The effective, science-backed ingredients used in Paula’s Choice products have helped create a reputable, positive view of the brand.

• What is Paula's Choice good for?

  Paula’s Choice is good for all skin types. The wide range of highly effective products can serve everyone in all parts of a skincare routine. Paula’s Choice products can even skin tone, protect against free-radical damage, cleanse, exfoliate, hydrate, boost radiance, and smooth.