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Paula's Choice

CLINICAL 1% Retinol Treatment.

Paula's Choice CLINICAL 1% Retinol Treatment
Retinoids

About this product

A 1% retinol treatment designed for intermediate users to address fine lines and skin firmness, formulated with peptides and vitamin C.

Best for

Mature skin
Retinoids

The Guru Index verdict

70%

Approved

✓Approved · 70%
8Reviewers
6Approved
1Mixed
1Skip
#7 in Best Retinoids

What the gurus are saying

Gurus widely praise the formula's gentleness and efficacy, particularly for intermediate retinol users, with many noting minimal irritation and appreciation for the peptides and vitamin C inclusion. The main tension is price: several reviewers feel the cost has risen significantly and no longer justifies the value, while one prefers their 0.3% formula for better tolerance. A thin consistency compared to other retinol products is cited as a minor drawback by some.
Synthesized from 8 expert reviews

Key actives & flags

Vitamin CRetinoidHyaluronic acidVitamin ECeramidesPeptidesFragrance-freeAlcohol-free

Full ingredients

Aqua, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Isononyl Isononanoate, Castor Isostearate Succinate, Glyceryl Stearate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, PEG-33, Polysorbate 20, Behenyl Alcohol, Retinol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Ceramide 2, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Sodium Hyaluronate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Avena Sativa (Avena) Kernel Extract, Arctium Lappa (Burdock) Root Extract, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Glycine Soja Sterols, Lecithin, Allantoin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Sorbitan Laurate, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Hydroxide, Tribehenin, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Pentylene Glycol, PEG-100 Stearate

Where to buy

Every take, in full

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 Approved only Skip only Mixed only Hide sponsored
James Welsh
James Welsh
1.58M subs · 122k devotees
~Mixed
"They actually launched a lot of their more popular products including their Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment. However, prices were significantly increased after the investment and Paula's Choice kind of started to lose their reputation of being well priced for the amazing formula you were getting."
Doctorly
Doctorly
3.55M subs · 99k devotees
✓Approved
"They have a 1% retinol that's going to be your intermediate, somebody who's a little bit used to it, wants something that's gentle but still effective."
All 2 takes from Doctorly
Products We LOVE and HATE From Paula's Choice | Doctorly Reviews
"They have a 1% retinol that's going to be your intermediate, somebody who's a little bit used to it, wants something that's gentle but still effective."
Saturday Skincare Live!
"Paula's Choice retinol, that's a great one too."
Dr. Shereene Idriss
Dr. Shereene Idriss
1.71M subs · 51k devotees
✓Approved
"Like Paula's Choice or any sort of retinol, try to use it on those areas. If you're nervous, put a moisturizer first and then apply it. Only do it at night and don't try to do it twice a day."
Dr. Vanita Rattan
Dr. Vanita Rattan
1.22M subs · 10k devotees
✓Approved
"The ingredients here are water, squalene, glycerin, and a combination of retinol plus retinaldehyde at 0.1%. They don't tell you the exact split, but some sources say it's 0.5% and 0.5%, so half and half. This one I'd say is more for intermediate users. To be honest, I just don't think it's worth the price tag. It's a thinner formula than we've seen today, and retinol works better in a fattier formula just because it can be very irritating and the oil can help to mitigate that."
Sincerely Miss Ash
Sincerely Miss Ash
194k subs · 3k devotees
✓Approved
"The one product that I am literally the most consistent with is the 1% retinol treatment. This product is really nice because it has that 1% retinol so of course this is going to soften fine lines, it's going to firm up the skin. This can be used on your face and I have used this many times on my face but I strictly keep this for my neck. I bring it down my chest and I will occasionally use it on the tops of my hands before I go to bed. This also has peptides which of course firm the skin."
All 2 takes from Sincerely Miss Ash
IF I COULD ONLY PICK 1 PRODUCT FROM MY FAVORITE SKINCARE BRANDS | THIS WAS REALLY HARD!
"The one product that I am literally the most consistent with is the 1% retinol treatment. This product is really nice because it has that 1% retinol so of course this is going to soften fine lines, it's going to firm up the skin. This can be used on your face and I have used this many times on my face but I strictly keep this for my neck. I bring it down my chest and I will occasionally use it on the tops of my hands before I go to bed. This also has peptides which of course firm the skin."
IS IT OVER FOR TRETINOIN? WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON? SHARING ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS TO USE INSTEAD!
"I really like the one from Paula's Choice, the 1% retinol treatment. I like it because it's moisturizing, it's quite gentle, but it also contains peptides and vitamin C. I like using it on my neck and my chest, but I've also used it many times on my face as well, and I really love that formulation."
Darnell Cox | 50+ Healthy Aging Expert
Darnell Cox | 50+ Healthy Aging Expert
54k subs · 616 devotees
✓Approved
"I love the Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment. Over-the-counter retinols are the most easily tolerated on our skin because there is less irritation."
Mad About Skin
Mad About Skin
720k subs · 10k devotees
✕Skip
"Paula's Choice Clinical which is a one percent strength... was definitely high potency you get some great results but you also got a lot of irritation with it. I actually prefer their retinol 0.3 plus the couture 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."
Nadine Baggott
Nadine Baggott
165k subs
✓Approved
"The one percent Paula's Choice is the one that most people would need probably to build up to. I absolutely love it. I've had zero irritation in all the time I've ever used this. It has peptides and it has vitamin C, it's basically beautifully formulated, it's really lovely. It's unfragranced, it's the smell of retinol which I really love, and I've had zero problems with it."
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