The discovery of retinol has changed my skin. I’m not talking about the strong prescription-only stuff as I don’t think I need those; it’s the over-the-counter stuff that has made a vast difference on my skin. To think I took so long to finally give retinol a go. I actually thought it was going to burn my skin off!

I’ve used several retinol products over the course of 2 years and found that the higher the concentration of retinol in the product, the better my skin turns out. I’ve only used one 1% retinol prior to this but as I had to have it shipped over from the US, I thought I’d give the Paula’s Choice one a go instead, which I can get from the Australian online store. The RESIST 1% Retinol Booster also, as its name goes, contains 1% retinol. That percentage has proven good results on my skin and I expected the same of Paula’s Choice’s as well.

Alas, it’s not really my cup of tea. At least, not physically.

Ingredients:
Water (Aqua), Glycereth-7 Triacetate (skin-conditioning agent), Glycerin (skin-repairing ingredient), Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Oleosomes (anti-inflammatory plant-based fatty acids), Isopentyldiol (penetration enhancer/solvent), Polyglyceryl-10 Behenate/Eicosadioate (emulsifier), Butylene Glycol (slip agent), Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract (antioxidant plant extract), Polysorbate 20 (emulsifier), Retinol (cell-communicating ingredient), Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract (plant-derived anti-irritant), Ceramide 3 (skin-repairing ingredient), Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 (cell-communicating ingredient), Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Arctium Lappa Root Extract, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Allantoin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate (anti-irritants), Caprylyl Glycol (emollient), Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate (emulsifier), Dipentaerythrityl Tri-Polyhydroxystearate (film-forming agent/emollient), Ethylhexyl Methoxycrylene (skin-conditioning agent), Hydrogenated Lecithin (cell-communicating ingredient), Bis-Glyceryl Ascorbate (antioxidant), Disodium EDTA (stabiliser), Sorbic Acid (preservative), Xanthan Gum (thickener), Phenoxyethanol (preservative).

The RESIST 1% Retinol Booster is a serum. It has a very watery consistency that leaves a slightly tacky feeling on the skin upon application. It absorbs quickly onto the skin. I can’t put my finger on the type of scent that it has but suffice it to say, I don’t like it. It has a sour scent that’s not pleasant.

As the serum is very watery and absorbs so quickly, I often felt as though I needed to use a lot of it on my skin when I’m applying it. The directions on the bottle mentioned dispensing 2-3 drops and adding it to your favourite moisturiser or serum. It can also be used alone. I tried mixing it with my moisturiser; unfortunately the product split making the moisturiser rather iffy to apply. Adding it to serum works better but to be honest, I much prefer using this on its own, even if I had to use 7 pumps all over my face, neck and decolletage.

The results, however, were good. I got exactly what I wanted from the retinol serum: smoother and softer skin. Skin doesn’t appear dull. The fine lines on my face appear softened. My skin feels firmer. I can’t fault the serum at all for this.

It’s more of the physical aspect of the serum that I’m not keen on. I’m not a fan of the sour scent nor the texture of the watery serum when I’m applying it on my skin. It felt sticky and sometimes gritty on the skin. I don’t know how else to describe the latter. There isn’t much slip in the consistency even though it’s so watery.

Would I still recommend this to you? To be honest, for a 1% retinol serum, this really isn’t bad at all. It did give me good results even though I didn’t really enjoy the application process. If sour scents don’t bother you, it’s worth giving a go.

Stay tuned to BA next month as I review a TWO percent retinol that I discovered that is seriously the bomb. 😉

Paula’s Choice’s RESIST 1% Retinol Booster retails at AU$72.00 for 15ml and is available on the Paula’s Choice Australia website. Personally, I found this pricey. Serums usually come in 30ml, which means that this would be AU$144.00 for a typical 30ml bottle. An alternative solution would be Cosmetic Skin Solutions’ Retinol 1.0 Creme. It’s cheaper, works just as well and is easier to apply on the skin.

What I like about it: Gave me skin good results (firmer, softer, smoother and brighter skin).

What I do not like about it: Disagreeable scent, the product doesn’t contain enough slip for my liking.

Have you tried this retinol by Paula’s Choice? Are you a fan of retinol too? If you are, do you use prescription-only retinol or the lower-grade ones that you can buy at beauty counters?