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Paula's Choice

Retinol Skin Smoothing Body Treatment.

Paula's Choice Retinol Skin Smoothing Body Treatment
Body & Tan

About this product

A retinol-based body treatment lotion designed to smooth texture, even skin tone, and improve firmness on the body using 0.1% retinol combined with shea butter, evening primrose oil, and antioxidants.

Full ingredients

Guru Score

85%

Yay

6 experts · Strong agreement
Guru Certified
Broad expert consensus
6Gurus
6Yay
0Mixed
0Nay

What they liked

  • Silky smooth texture absorbs without dryness
  • Targets uneven skin tone and texture
  • No irritation or stinging reported

What they flagged

  • 118ml bottle goes quickly with full-body use

What the gurus are saying

This retinol treatment earns consistent praise for visibly smoothing rough texture and evening out discoloration on the chest, hands, and body, without causing the dryness or irritation people often fear from retinoids. Dermatologists and skincare experts highlight the 0.1% retinol concentration paired with hydrating shea butter and evening primrose oil as a gentle yet effective option for keratosis pilaris, uneven tone, and fine lines. The one thing to keep in mind: the 118ml bottle depletes fairly quickly if you're treating your whole body, so many gurus suggest focusing on your most troubled areas for longer-lasting results.
Synthesized from 6 expert reviews · most recent take June 2026

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
Yay
"You can also use a retinol body lotion like the one from Paula's Choice, also 30% off, another good option for firming."
All 7 takes from The Budget Dermatologist
BUDGET Skincare Swaps! | The Budget Dermatologist
"Paula's Choice body Retinol for $29 it's an amazing product great for the body to smooth the skin surface repair it kind of fade those dark spots fine lines and wrinkles all of that."
BEST OF AMAZON PRIME DAY SKINCARE 2026! | THE BUDGET DERM REVIEWS
"You can also use a retinol body lotion like the one from Paula's Choice, also 30% off, another good option for firming."
Affordable Anti-Aging Gift Guide! | Not Sponsored | The Budget Dermatologist's Top Picks
"This Retinol Skin Smoothing Body Treatment is in a very moisturizing base, so it is quite hydrating on the skin. It has 0.1 percent retinol in it, which will smooth the skin and treat uneven skin tone. This is a fabulous addition to your routine for younger looking legs and arms."
Does Retinol Actually Work? Over-the-counter vs. Prescription Match-up! | Anti-aging Tips
"Second Paula's Choice Retinol Skin Smoothing Body Treatment. I love the Paula's Choice brand overall and this product really lived up to the hype as well."
Anti-aging Body Skincare Tip | Spend vs. Save Top Product Recommendation for Body Retinol
"This is a long-standing favorite of mine. I love the pump bottle because it keeps things so neat. The texture is very thick and very moisturizing, and it rubs in pretty well. It has shea butter and several different oils to help hydrate the skin and it has a 0.1 retinol complex in it. This is a really good choice overall."
My Holy Grails From Paula’s Choice! | The Budget Derm Approved Products
"Retinol for the body is going to help smooth the skin texture, can help with little fine bumps, help brighten the skin, tighten it up a little bit. Of course it's not going to be magic, but it's a really interesting anti-aging product to incorporate into your body skincare routine. This one is a pretty lightweight easy to rub in moisturizer for the body. I think it rubs in a little bit more nicely than the comparable Versed product, though I think that's personal preference. If you're looking for another Paula's Choice Holy Grail, this one is it."
My 2023 Skincare Resolutions! | The Budget Dermatologist
"I have been gravitating towards the Paula's Choice Body Retinol because it absorbs into the skin more nicely and a little more quickly, and I use it a couple times a week."
Yay
"Paula's Choice Retinol Skin Smoothing Body Treatment encourages faster skin renewal, improving rough texture. It will target those stubborn KP areas while also hydrating the skin a little bit and contains retinol, shea butter, and evening primrose oil. In my experience in clinic, there has really been nothing to add topically besides maybe topical tretinoin when treating the bumps of KP."
All 2 takes from Dr. Aleksandra Brown
How to Get Rid of Keratosis Pilaris (KP) | Chicken Skin Causes & Treatments Explained
"Paula's Choice Retinol Skin Smoothing Body Treatment encourages faster skin renewal, improving rough texture. It will target those stubborn KP areas while also hydrating the skin a little bit and contains retinol, shea butter, and evening primrose oil. In my experience in clinic, there has really been nothing to add topically besides maybe topical tretinoin when treating the bumps of KP."
Skincare in Your 50s & 60s: Anti-Aging Ingredients, Devices & Dermatologist Tips
"Paula's Choice Retinol Skin Smoothing Body Treatment is an advanced moisturizing body lotion that gently gives the skin transforming power of pure retinol to help diminish the appearance of uneven skin tone and rejuvenate the feeling of softer, firmer skin. The key ingredients of this one are retinol at 0.1%, shea butter, evening primrose oil, and antioxidants such as C and E."
Yay
"Paula's Choice has a Retinol Skin Smoothing Body Treatment that is a really nice one. It contains pure 0.1% retinol concentration along with shea butter and evening primrose oil along with some antioxidants. This is a great one with antioxidants and it's got a really nice silky smooth texture that really helps to improve your skin tone and texture. It's a great one for helping with brightening your skin, but also I love it for the anti-aging benefits if you want to use that for your body too."
All 2 takes from Dr. Jenny Liu
Tips for getting rid of body hyperpigmentation | Dermatologist Dr. Jenny Liu
"Paula's Choice has a Retinol Skin Smoothing Body Treatment that is a really nice one. It contains pure 0.1% retinol concentration along with shea butter and evening primrose oil along with some antioxidants. This is a great one with antioxidants and it's got a really nice silky smooth texture that really helps to improve your skin tone and texture. It's a great one for helping with brightening your skin, but also I love it for the anti-aging benefits if you want to use that for your body too."
Dermatologist's top picks for body anti-aging products | Dr. Jenny Liu
"Paula's Choice Skin Smoothing Body Treatment is more for advanced body retinol users. It still hydrates your skin and gives your skin a smooth silky finish. Ingredient-wise it contains 0.1% retinol concentration, so it's going to be a little bit higher. If you have really sensitive skin I probably don't recommend starting out with this one. But this one is going to be more for advanced users and also contains shea butter, evening primrose oil that's rich in lipids and helps nourish the skin, along with antioxidants including vitamin E and C. These ingredients are going to work together with retinol to also improve uneven skin tone, so if you struggle not only with texture, crepiness, fine lines but also hyperpigmentation or dullness on the body, I think this would be a better option to use."
Yay
"Paula's Choice also has a retinol body treatment"
Yay
"This is Paula's Choice, this is one of my favorite for the body. It's a skin smoothing retinol body treatment with antioxidants that diminishes appearance of uneven skin tone, helps provide firmer skin, hydrates and softens. Retinoids are the best ingredient because they hit all three different phases of hyperpigmentation: the production, the transfer to the skin, and then the treatment afterwards. [...] You can use this for the whole body."
Yay
"This is the skin smoothing retinol body treatment and I've been loving this on my chest and the backs of my hands. This is fabulous for those that have uneven skin tone, discoloration on your chest, your hands or anywhere else in your body, texture, and fine lines. This is going to be a great product to treat all of these concerns. This contains retinol but it also has a vitamin C derivative so I do feel like this is quite brightening as well when you're consistent with it. It contains shea butter and evening primrose so it's also very moisturizing. I've never had an issue with irritation with this, I've never had an issue with dryness. It actually performs well and it just keeps my skin feeling nice and comfortable but it's also treating my skin at the same time. I like to be consistent with this every night before I go to bed and it does a very good job to keep everything super soft and texture free. I would recommend just to use this on your most troubled areas since this contains 118 mils of product and you will go through this pretty quickly if you use it all over your body."

What the evidence says.

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

Retinoids

Retinoids are among the best studied ingredients in dermatology, with solid evidence for acne and for the fine lines and rough texture that come from sun exposure. Dryness and flaking in the first few weeks are common and usually settle.

Source: DermNet

Vitamin C

Topical vitamin C is an antioxidant with reasonable evidence for dullness and uneven tone. It breaks down in light and air, so how a product is formulated and packaged matters as much as the percentage on the front.

Source: DermNet

Humectants and emollients

Ingredients like these draw water into the surface layers and slow how fast it leaves. The evidence is for comfort, softness and hydration rather than for changing the structure of the skin.

Source: DermNet

Frequently asked.

What is Paula's Choice Retinol Skin Smoothing Body Treatment?

A retinol-based body treatment lotion designed to smooth texture, even skin tone, and improve firmness on the body using 0.1% retinol combined with shea butter, evening primrose oil, and antioxidants.

Is Paula's Choice Retinol Skin Smoothing Body Treatment worth it?

Yes. All 6 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 85%.

What is Paula's Choice Retinol Skin Smoothing Body Treatment's Guru Score?

Paula's Choice Retinol Skin Smoothing Body Treatment holds a Guru Score of 85%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 6 expert reviewers we have collected. It is also Guru Certified, our mark for products that hold broad approval across many expert reviewers.

Who is Paula's Choice Retinol Skin Smoothing Body Treatment best for?

Paula's Choice Retinol Skin Smoothing Body Treatment is generally suited to dry skin and mature skin.

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