From peel pads to scrubs to washes, exfoliation can be a tricky skill to master. Finding a good balance between removal of dead skin cells and unclogging pores while not irritating the skin is no easy feat, and many of us have experimented with dozens of exfoliating products in search of our perfect match. In the pursuit of exfoliation mastery, though, one brand’s liquid exfoliant has stolen the hearts of TikTok users and celebrities like Olivia Culpo and Kaia Gerber alike: Paula’s Choice.
Both Culpo and Gerber have sung the praises of Paula’s Choice BHA Liquid Exfoliant ($35)—the viral liquid exfoliant known to transform the skin and tackle tricky uneven tone, texture and even wrinkles. Culpo told The Skincare Edit that she “swears it has changed [her] skin,” and Gerber raved to Vogue that she “really likes” the product and how it showed her you can “exfoliate gently with toners.”
But now, with the newest launch from Paula’s Choice just this month, the brand’s iconic BHA product has a new AHA sister, and the product’s leave-on formula is bound to win the hearts of skin-care lovers and A-listers everywhere.
Paula’s Choice AHA Liquid Exfoliant:
Paula’s Choice new 6% Mandelic Acid + 2% Lactic Acid Liquid Exfoliant ($37) is the latest addition to the brand’s tried-and-true Skin Perfecting line, jam-packed with gently exfoliating AHAs mandelic and lactic acid. The new, leave-on AHA exfoliant is gentle on the skin, yet proven to reduce the appearance of sun damage and fine lines while reversing the impacts of a compromised skin barrier and renewing the skin from below the surface to improve cell turnover.
While many people associate a compromised skin barrier with a big “no no” when it comes to exfoliation, the brand’s new gentle exfoliant features yarrow extract, a fermented antioxidant blend of cherry blossom, chocolate vine and bayberry, all of which support the skin’s microbiome and barrier, while sloughing off dead skin cells and working beneath the surface to boost cell turnover and create healthier-looking, more radiant skin.
First-Hand Testimony
I was lucky enough to attend the launch event for Paula’s Choice new AHA Liquid Exfoliant, and I can safely say my experience with the product so far has nothing but positive. I’ve used the BHA Liquid Exfoliant before, and the new AHA variation is definitely gentler, making it perfect for sensitive skin. With just a couple uses, I feel like my dull, cold-weather skin has regained life, and my uneven tone looks more even.
My favorite part of the product, though, is how weightlessly it sits on the skin. Being a leave-on product with active ingredients, I was worried it would leave my skin feeling either tight or filmy, but it does neither. After applying, the product soaks perfectly into the skin, and is so easily layered with other products or left on its own.
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