Review: Paula's Choice RESIST Daily Smoothing Treatment with 5% AHA

 

The next Paula's Choice product I tried out, the RESIST Daily Smoothing Treatment with 5% AHA, seemed like a logical next step after such a great result from her 2% BHA (reviewed here).  Even though there was a stronger 10% AHA available I decided to buy the lower concentration and ease myself into using this second type of exfoliating product.  BHA is supposed to help with acne but AHA can target wrinkles and hyperpigmentation more effectively so having a two-step acid treatment in my skincare routine seemed like a good plan.  I didn't want to overdo it and cause my skin to peel off so went for a daily AHA treatment rather than the stronger, once-a-week 10% AHA.  There are different types of AHAs available out there but I picked a glycolic acid because of its smaller molecular size and superior penetration compared to the other popular lactic acid.

Once again, like with Paula's other RESIST acne treatment (BHA 9), I skipped the trial size and went straight to the full-sized version, something I regret doing because of the mixed results I had.


The packaging was a hard plastic and opaque pump bottle that made it tough to estimate how much product was left over.  The pump was great for being hygienic but sometimes needed several tries to get going.  There was no particular smell and the orange lotion had a creamy and easily spread texture.

Unfortunately, the thickness of this product meant I had to wait a very long time for absorption, too much time in my opinion because I'm usually running late in the morning trying to get out of the house.  Even though I had more time in the evenings I still felt slightly resentful that this lotion was thicker than expected and really sat on my face for ages before absorbing.  I applied this AHA after my BHA treatment and before hydrating toner.  Due to the numerous additional layers left to go in my skincare routine I probably wouldn't have repurchased this product based on its poor absorption.  However, its mediocre performance really sealed the deal and I now have another Paula's Choice product in my drawer of other skincare rejects.

The claims that AHA improves wrinkles is hard for me to judge because I don't have any at this point in my life.  However, the supposed improvement in even skin tone definitely didn't happen for me.  My hyperpigmentation marks did not fade any faster than usual even though I used this lotion 1-2x every day for over a month.  I'm surprised I was able to patiently stick with this poorly-absorbing product for so long because I'm pretty unmotivated at times.  The price tag I paid likely spurred me on because I didn't want to feel like I wasted $ and lasting the 4-6 weeks for complete cell turnover would mean I gave it an honest shot.  Too bad it didn't do anything for me!

I gave this lotion to my mom because she's in the age group that does worry about wrinkles, but she only used it once and couldn't make herself motivated to continue.  Like mother, like daughter!

Summary

• Packaging:     3/5 (hygienic; so-so pump; opaque)
• Smell:              5/5 (no discernible smell/fragrance)
• Performance:  1/5 (bad at fading scars; unsure about wrinkles; meh absorption)
• Value/Price:   2/5 ($20-$30 for 1.7oz depending on sales/codes; long-lasting)
• Recommend? No (I need a more liquid form of AHA for better absorption)
• Repurchase?  No (I wouldn't use it even if it was given to me for free!)