Putting retinol on in the morning is like wearing a cashmere sweater to the beach. Pointless and damaging.
Sunlight deactivates it on contact—you get all the irritation with zero of the cell-renewing benefits. Total waste.
This is Paula’s Choice 1% Retinol Treatment. $68. I tried it because they promise stability—most retinols oxidize in the bottle before you even use them.
Encapsulated Retinol
Releases slowly to cut down on the classic retinol sting.
Peptide Complex
Tells your skin to pump out collagen while you sleep.
Licorice Root
Calms redness before it even starts.
Photo: Olga Thelavart / Unsplash
It’s not just retinol floating in goop. The formula is built to deliver the ingredient and then soothe the fallout. Smart.
- Retinol: The gold standard for speeding up cell turnover
- Bisabolol: From chamomile, it’s a legit anti-irritant
- Vitamin C Derivative: A gentle antioxidant that plays nice with retinol
- Ceramides: Reinforces your skin barrier so you don’t peel like a snake
Feels like a silky moisturizer—absorbs in 20 seconds, no greasy film. Smells like nothing, which I love.
Week 2: The purge was real. Three new tiny pimples that vanished in days. Annoying, but a sign it was working.
After a month, my foundation sits smoother. Pore shadows look softer. Zero change on deep wrinkles—be real, that takes 6+ months.
This is a serious night treatment. Use it then, or don’t use it at all. My skin looks more even-toned and tight—what more do you want from a bottle?