I’ve been using Paula‘s 2% BHA for years now. It’s an essential part of my skincare routine that keeps my skin clear and my poor small. I apply it every night after the shower and I can notice the difference whenever I don’t use it. This item is a skincare must for me and I order it every couple months to make sure I don’t run out! I recommend this product to everyone that asked about my skin care, it’s an essential!

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.

I have struggled for a long time with very oily skin. I have tried Proactiv and many other popular named brands, nothing ever helped and honestly made my skin situation worse by just drying out my face entirely and leaving me flaky, then making me more oily the next day.

I saw many people on forums and articles suggest salicylic acid, from specifically the brand Paula’s Choice. I eventually caved in and decided to try. This product surprised me, I saw a noticeable difference in how my skin appeared, no longer did my oily pores look like blackheads and it didn’t dry out my face either. My skin felt silky smooth and looked overall better. If anyone deals with the same symptoms of their skin acting like mine, I definitely recommend trying this brand or anything with salicylic acid, it is a game-changer.