2 bha liquid exfoliant before and after

5.0 out of 5 stars MIRACLE IN A BOTTLE
Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2019

I have every skin issue you can think of. Rosacea, acne (hormonal, cycstic, Whiteheads, blackheads), dehydration, excessive oiliness, redness, all of it. I’ve spent probably thousands on a multitude of different products, trying to find one that would at least make a dent. I’ve had many procedures, many trips to the dermatologist. Nothing I’ve ever used, nothing I’ve ever done, has made such a profound difference in the appearance of my skin. Having rosacea, my face often felt hot, bumpy, and burned. While my conplexion is naturally fair and pink, this has seriously covered all my bases in a gentle and effective way. I’ve been trying to turn my skin around for YEARS!! this was the product that did it. If I could give it 100 stars i would. It has seriously changed my life!!! Also sorry for the nasty pictures haha

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Top reviews from the United States

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Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2020

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.

Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2022

I will continue to buy this product until the day I die. I'll be buried with this product. And no, this is not a paid ad.
I spent a year and half trying to find the source of my adult acne. I stopped drinking milk. Figured it was the dairy. Gave up soy. Gave up almond milk. Gave up cashew milk. Gave up gluten. Stopped taking birth control. I even made excuses for nearly 6 months, telling myself "oh the body just has to get used to these changes. The hormones have to work their way out".
I finally realized nothing was making a difference.
So I bought this on a whim. I really don't do "skincare". I wash my face, apply my cerave pm lotion like the rest of the world does, and that's about it. I don't like the hassle of having a routine and a hundred products.
So I bought this because i liked the idea of not having to remember to use it *every single day*. I apply it maybe twice a week after I shower but before bed. I'm not religious about it, I just do it when I remember it. And it's works wonders.
It's been about a month. My breakouts are gone. I still have some redness, but I expect that'll get better now that the active breakouts are gone.

A word of caution though, it makes you VERY sensitive to the sun. I made the mistake of applying it one morning instead of evening, and it was a beautiful Saturday. I didn't even spend much time outside, mostly just walking back and forth from the house to the car, or car to the garage, and I got a decent little sun burn on my face. So definitely use it at night, or apply a sunscreen over top.
Also, even though I apply face lotion about an hour after putting it on, my face was decently dry the first time I used it. The second time it was fine, but the first time it was dry and a little flaky. I was still able to wear makeup the next day, it wasn't bad enough for others to notice the dryness, but I noticed it. But again, that only seemed to happen the very first time I used it.

tl;dr: it works, Ive stopped breaking out. Don't go in the sun, makes you very sun sensitive. May be a little drying for the first use

Top reviews from other countries

4.0 out of 5 stars Nothing great !

Reviewed in India on July 11, 2020

I have oily skin with pores especially around nose chin and cheek area and I have been using this product once every night for 2 weeks now. I don’t see any change in my pores or skin. It’s like an oily layer after you apply. Not sure if I will re buy the product but the quatity sure is good. Will update after few weeks again in case there is any change in my skin texture.

Update : been using it quite regularly for more than a month now. I don’t see much change.. but maybe the pore size on my nose have shrunk a bit. Will update again after a month.

Update on 28th Sept _ the product is actually good. Although I have not been regular , I have stopped pricking my whiteheads and my sebaceous filaments on my chin are finally gone. I will continue to use this product l. Now understand the hype. Moving the rating to 4 stars and will come back again after 2 months.

Final update: I love this product, I have been extremely irregular with the product but it’s worked on my pores and sebaceous filaments very well. It reduces my break out by 60% over night. I will continue to use it and understood finally why it’s a cult favourite for a reason. Please be patient and surely you will see the results.

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth buying all star to BHA

Reviewed in India on August 1, 2020

My skin type : oily n sensitive, Hormonal acne breakouts during period
Age : 22
Product : at first my skin was glowy, dewy, n plumped. I m amazed n I m surely gonna repurchase this product from paula choice.

AM Routine : double cleanse (innisfree, kheils)
Toner: plum
Exfloliater : Paula's choice (leave-in)
Moisturizer after 30 min : Clinique moisture surge
Suncreen : La sheild

Cons : it purged my skin after using which is good signs towards a brighter n newer skin cells.

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth buying all star to BHA
Reviewed in India on August 1, 2020

My skin type : oily n sensitive, Hormonal acne breakouts during period
Age : 22
Product : at first my skin was glowy, dewy, n plumped. I m amazed n I m surely gonna repurchase this product from paula choice.

AM Routine : double cleanse (innisfree, kheils)
Toner: plum
Exfloliater : Paula's choice (leave-in)
Moisturizer after 30 min : Clinique moisture surge
Suncreen : La sheild

Cons : it purged my skin after using which is good signs towards a brighter n newer skin cells.

Images in this review

4.0 out of 5 stars Quantity

Reviewed in India on June 2, 2020

The reviews are actually funny because who doesn't check the size,it clearly said in the bottle, 30ml, go around your house and see any liquid of such,see the ml,from therr u will be able to know,a normal person will know thay 30 ml will be of a small size,also why it's costly is because it is imported,all the shipping has added to the high price. The product in my opinion is not much of the hype,but if you have the money to try it, go ahead , product is not bad but not that good

1.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely atrocious

Reviewed in Canada on August 25, 2019

Terrible. Item is smaller than my thumb! DO NOT purchase this from amazon as it looks nothing like image shown.

1.0 out of 5 stars Unsatisfied with the cost

Reviewed in Canada on February 15, 2020

I just received my order and I guess I didn’t read what I was purchasing very well, I payed over $30 for a travel size product that cost $10 on the website, needless to say I will be returning it,. Totally disappointed.

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