Paula's Choice 0.3% Retinol: a Guru Score of 84% from 6 experts

What the experts use it for.

The concerns the experts tie this product to, in their own words. Paid and founder takes don't count.

Calming retinoid irritation3 experts

“This is 0.3% Retinol, and it's non-irritating.”

Dr. Vanita Rattan, watch at 3:06

Dark spots and post-acne marks2 experts

“I love it for anti-aging and mild hyperpigmentation.”

Dr. Vanita Rattan, watch at 4:49

Excess oil and shine1 expert

“I would recommend this for oily to combination skin, and if you're dry I would recommend something a little thicker, but this is a fantastic one.”

Cassandra Bankson, watch at 4:47

Loss of firmness1 expert

“This is a great all-in-one product and it also contains peptides for extra firming of the skin.”

The Budget Dermatologist, watch at 19:56

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored

Dr. Vanita Rattan

1.23M subs

✓Yay

"This is a non-irritating form of retinol, it is encapsulated and it's an anti-inflammatory formula, so it's one that I highly recommend. I love this. If you want to upgrade to a stronger retinol, then this is the one that I love. This is 0.3% Retinol, and it's non-irritating. It's 0.3% plus she's actually added 2% bakuchiol, which I love as well. If you're pregnant, avoid retinol and you want to actually stick with bakuchiol on its own."

All 8 takes from Dr. Vanita Rattan

THE ORDINARY VS LUXURY SERUMS

"With Paula's Choice they put in 0.3% Retinol which I love, they put in bakuchiol which are actually a very effective ingredient it doesn't work the same way as Vitamin A but quite similar, in an Airless pump. So if I had to pick between The Ordinary and Paula's Choice, if you can afford it I'd go with Paula's Choice."

DOCTOR BEST SKINCARE BUYS

"So I always say go for your retinols that are 0.3 or 0.12 to 0.5 range. This is 0.3 retinol and you'll notice your retinol tend to come out. I really like that one. It's nice and fatty, it's not irritating, and it's at the correct percentage. It's an airless pump and it's in combination with other antioxidants, so that's what we're looking for."

Dr V's Ultimate Guide To Retinol: Everything You Need To Know

"It's a simple and effective formula. [...] I love it for anti-aging and mild hyperpigmentation."

RETINOL MISTAKES

"So I've gone for Paula's Choice, this one is yellow like Dr. B says, so you know it's your retinol. It's 0.3 percent. And Scott also got your vitamin C peptides, love peptides."

PAULA'S CHOICE ANTI-AGING, ANTI-PIGMENTATION ROUTINE

"On the days that you are not exfoliating I would be happy for you to use the 0.3 retinol because it's anti-aging and it's great for pigmentation too. It's also an antioxidant."

SHRINK PORES fast | Dr Vanita Rattan

"I love Paula's Choice, that's at 0.3%."

30s Haircare/Skincare Routines 2025

"This is a non-irritating form of retinol, it is encapsulated and it's an anti-inflammatory formula, so it's one that I highly recommend. I love this. If you want to upgrade to a stronger retinol, then this is the one that I love. This is 0.3% Retinol, and it's non-irritating. It's 0.3% plus she's actually added 2% bakuchiol, which I love as well. If you're pregnant, avoid retinol and you want to actually stick with bakuchiol on its own."

$3000 Luxury Skincare Vs Dupe that Works BETTER

"For intermediates, the product that I love is Paula's Choice 0.3% Retinol. The reason I love this particular product is it's at the right percentage. So 0.3% is again in a nape safe formula, so no DH alcohol, no fragrance, no essential oils. But it's something that you would use more advanced, so you might get a little bit of flaking, a little bit of sensitivity with it just because 0.3% is slightly higher than 0.25%. So I'd start with the 0.25% and then work your way up to the Paula's Choice."

Kelly Driscoll

91k subs

✓Yay

"Paula's Choice 0.3% Retinol Plus 2% of Peptide Treatment, these ingredients actually play super well together, making a really potent and stabilized retinol formula. That might be the way to go to kind of take it up a notch with your retinol routine: find a product with peptides added into it for some additional benefits because it can help keep your skin clear, can help keep your skin smooth and bright, then with retinol which can do a lot of those things plus more."

Mad About Skin

735k subs

✓Yay

"Paula's Choice have come up with a really great formula here which is going to deliver you that retinol hit, boost the efficacy of it with some [bakuchiol]. Now because [bakuchiol] is also anti-inflammatory, it's going to help to minimize any side effects you could get from that retinol itself. This I think is a standout product. I love it so much."

All 3 takes from Mad About Skin

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"You could of course reach for the Paula's Choice retinol 0.3 plus the couture. I actually prefer this to their clinical strength. You get a good dose of retinol and that couture dials up the results you're going to see without also dialing up the sensitivity that you can experience in the skin. It's actually a really good product."

Best OTC RETINOIDS 2023 - Ultimate Anti-Aging Serums

"Paula's Choice have come up with a really great formula here which is going to deliver you that retinol hit, boost the efficacy of it with some [bakuchiol]. Now because [bakuchiol] is also anti-inflammatory, it's going to help to minimize any side effects you could get from that retinol itself. This I think is a standout product. I love it so much."

NEXT LEVEL RETINOL - Maximum Anti-Aging (2X The Results)

"Paul's Choice also do one but that is quite a bit more expensive so this is usually the one I recommend"

Cassandra Bankson

2.46M subs

✓Yay

"If you're trying to buy this for a friend or a family member or as a gift, if you know someone who's like all about natural beauty, bakuchiol is a natural beauty friendly ingredient. [...] I love this if you do have hyperpigmentation or just discoloration in the skin or if you get those little leftover marks that stick behind after that pimple goes away, this is one of the best."

All 2 takes from Cassandra Bankson

Which Retinoid is Best for Your Skin Type?

"If you're trying to buy this for a friend or a family member or as a gift, if you know someone who's like all about natural beauty, bakuchiol is a natural beauty friendly ingredient. [...] I love this if you do have hyperpigmentation or just discoloration in the skin or if you get those little leftover marks that stick behind after that pimple goes away, this is one of the best."

Stop Wasting Time On Bad Bakuchiol!

"It's a really nice formula with a beautiful yellow color, [...] it soaks into the skin really well as a serum, [...] and the added bonus of those peptides and vitamin C makes this a really great option for anti-aging. I would recommend this for oily to combination skin, and if you're dry I would recommend something a little thicker, but this is a fantastic one."

The Budget Dermatologist

725k subs

✓Yay

"This night treatment option for anti-aging because it has retinol at point three percent and two percent bakuchiol in it. It's giving you even more of those anti-aging benefits but without the side effects. Two percent is a really good dose of bakuchiol but it doesn't go over the board with the retinol so this is great for sensitive skin types. It's actually hard to find good quality products that have both retinol and bakuchiol in it, so this is a unique one."

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Frequently asked.

What is Paula's Choice 0.3% Retinol?

A retinol treatment from Paula's Choice containing 0.3% retinol, designed for nighttime use as an anti-aging option.

Is Paula's Choice 0.3% Retinol worth it?

Yes. All 6 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 84%.

What is Paula's Choice 0.3% Retinol's Guru Score?

Paula's Choice 0.3% Retinol holds a Guru Score of 84%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 6 expert reviewers we have collected.

Who is Paula's Choice 0.3% Retinol best for?

Paula's Choice 0.3% Retinol is generally suited to mature skin.

What is Paula's Choice 0.3% Retinol good for, according to the experts?

In their reviews, experts say Paula's Choice 0.3% Retinol is good for calming retinoid irritation (3 experts), dark spots and post-acne marks (2 experts), excess oil and shine (1 expert) and loss of firmness (1 expert).