PRODUCT REVIEW
PAULA’S CHOICE
Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel
By Danielle Hadley
T
here are very few brands that achieve
‘cult favourite’ status, selling out thou-
sands of units in a matter of minutes,
while still managing to avoid falling into the
trap of hype over substance. One such brand
that has managed to remain both heavily hyped
yet truly effective and well-loved by its cus-
tomers is Paula’s Choice, which is the exact
reason why I added it to my must-try list a few
years back.
After agonising over which one of their in-de-
mand formulas to try, I settled on the sister
product to their best-selling liquid exfoliant:
the Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel. Their Skin
Perfecting 2% BHA formula comes in many
guises, from a liquid toner to a light lotion, but
the one that has truly captured my attention is
the gel. I’m a big fan of exfoliators and have
always relied on the AHA family to deliver the
high standards I have come to expect from a
cell-sloughing formula; opting to save Salicylic
Acid (the BHA in question here) for battling
blemishes. However, this facial gel has flipped
this notion on its head and introduced me to a
whole new way of exfoliating the skin.
Salicylic Acid is best known for its ability to
penetrate oil-packed pores to help prevent and
minimise blackheads and pimples, but it is also
an excellent exfoliator in the more traditional
sense as it can both soften and loosen dead cells
that are lingering on the surface of the skin
without causing irritation, essentially giving
you a deeper and more effective resurfacing
treatment than any AHA ever could.
What grabbed me initially about this gel is that
it doesn’t really feel like any other Salicylic Acid-
based gel I’ve ever used. It’s incredibly
lightweight – almost water-like – and doesn’t
feel sticky on the skin. In fact, it sinks in almost
immediately so you never have to hang around
waiting for it to dry before you can apply your
moisturiser. It doesn’t sting, even (in my expe-
rience) on active breakouts, and doesn’t smell
too strongly of anything offensive. I’ve varied
the ways I use it too: once a day, sometimes twice
a day, all over my face, only in the most prob-
lematic areas, and every time it does something
positive. Despite the unavoidable hormonal
breakout, it has kept my skin beautifully clear
and not just of blemishes. Of redness, uneven
tone and dryness, some-
thing I would never
have associated with a
BHA treatment before
using this.
So thank you Paula’s
Choice. You’ve
opened my eyes and
changed my skin.
If you fancy trying
some Paula’s Choice
products for your-
self, check out page
38 for details on
how to win their
new 10% Azelaic
Acid Booster.
ISSUE #10 | 2019 | SkinHealthMagazine.com 36