Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Review: Paula's Choice Resist Ultra-Light Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum

I'm not going to blog about all the Black Friday sales, even though they are great for being cheap. First, I don't want to know about all the good deals out there right now, because I am trying to avoid buying more things. If I listed sales here, I would almost certainly have to buy something. Or things. I own too much shit, and I need to stop. Second, it would be redundant, because Nouveau Cheap has you covered.

I am, however, going to take advantage of the 15% off + free shipping deal from Paula's Choice to replace a couple of things that I needed to buy anyway. I always wait for them to offer free shipping before I order anything, and even though 15% off isn't huge, it's a nice bonus. (The free shipping applies to both US and Canadian orders, by the way.) I need some more 2% BHA liquid (review here). I'm also tempted to try the 4% BHA foam, which had been out of stock for a while. It's back and has great reviews. I have a few days to decide, since the sale goes until the end of the week (it's a little unclear exactly how long, but they call it "cyber week"). There's no code. If it's your first time ordering from them, you can also get $10 off by signing up through my invite link (I also get $10). Ebates (referral link) also has 6% cash back, which I will definitely be using (more info on using Ebates here and here).

Paula's Choice Resist Ultra-Light Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum
Paula's Choice Resist Ultra-Light Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum (empty!)
This seems like a good time for a review of the Paula's Choice Resist Ultra-Light Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum, since I already had the photos on my phone waiting for me to scrounge up some free time. I have almost a week off! Amazing. I mean, I do have to write up and send out seven job applications and also try to plan the courses I'm teaching next semester, but I get to do most of that from home in while wearing yoga pants.

I just started my second tube of this serum. I've been using it 4-5 times a week in the mornings since September, so I think that's a pretty decent amount of time for it to last, even though the tube is small. I actually started it back in July, when I mentioned it here, but didn't start using it regularly until the fall. Back then I said I wouldn't be buying it again unless it did something "really impressive" . . . and here we are.

I don't actually know how to tell if it's having any long term results. That's true of most (all?) products I use. I guess if my skin stays looking about the same over time, then at least the big bad environment isn't damaging it too much, so maybe it's protected or whatever.

I absolutely love the immediate results that this serum gives me, though. I think the difference is that I'm now using it first thing in the morning, rather than before bed, and so I have a chance to observe its effects on my skin while I'm awake. I still find it moisturizing enough that I don't need an additional moisturizer, even though it's getting wintery and the furnace is running all the time. I use it after washing my face and applying BHA liquid with a glamorous piece of flannel. The antioxidant serum makes my skin feel really fucking nice. I never understood what people meant when they wrote in skin care reviews that their skin felt "plump" after using something. Swollen? Sounded weird to me. But I think this is it! It's softer and more cushiony, but definitely not tight. Like your face is a beauty blender that you ran under water once. Except without swelling. DOES THAT HELP? Sorry. Let me start over.

This shit makes my skin feel significantly smoother and softer after I apply it in the morning. So soft. So fucking soft. The other great thing is that it smoothes out dry, flaky patches. I usually have those on my chin and almost always around my nose. This cures those flakes in a way no moisturizer I've used has ever done, and it means I can put makeup over those parts of my face without it looking gross. It makes my face happy. Oh, and it has a really, um, appetizing appearance. This is about 5 drops, which is what I use on my face and neck each day.

Paula's Choice Resist Ultra-Light Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum
Paula's Choice Resist Ultra-Light Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum
I'm guessing it's the hyaluronic acid that's responsible for most of the effects I like. If you can find a cheaper product with that ingredient in it, you might want to try that instead. And let me know if it's wonderful? For now, since I really, really like this shit, I am not inclined to experiment and potentially spend even more money buying a bunch of other slightly less expensive stuff that may not work. At around $30 (or more) for 1 oz., I realize that it is definitely not cheap. Even breaking it down to $8-10 or slightly per month is kind of shockingly expensive. But if you're feeling fancy, this might also make your face feel fancy. I just want you to know that. Please don't yell at me. I'm still cheap. I swear.

On the other hand, the Skin Balancing Antioxidant Serum with Retinol is less pleasant. It has that thick, gelatinous-yet-siliconey texture that doesn't feel great to apply and doesn't have many immediately noticeable results. It does mattify, so they suggest that you can use it as a primer. There's that. Maybe it's doing something long term, but maybe my beloved Resist antioxidant serum is also doing something long term, and it's instantly goddamned miraculous.

7 comments:

  1. I use this hyaluronic acid lotion as a serum. It's got a nice texture and it's very moisturizing, and it's a huge bottle of which you use like two drops at a time.
    http://www.amazon.com/Hadalabo-Gokujun-Hyaluronic-Lotion-5-7floz/dp/B00BSNBO9O/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1417025601&sr=8-3&keywords=hada+labo

    It might also be the niacinamide. Olay Regenerist Regenerating serum is a really good mostly niacinamide serum that's pretty cheap. They make a fragrance free version as well.

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    1. Ah, yes, niacinamide too! There's lot of good stuff in there. Thanks for the recommendation!

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  2. "So fucking soft" sounds pretty good to me. I think I might have some packet samples of this from a previous order - will have to make an effort to dig them out and try it!

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    1. I realized I was petting my own face while eating breakfast, which was a clue that I liked it.

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  3. I just started using this stuff and my skin felt smoother after just one application. But it is so expensive here in the UK and we don't get anything like the offers and freebies that the US PC site does, so I'm deliberating over whether I should fork out again. Beautypedia really likes the Olay Regenerist serum too, actually. I'm a bit concerned about the Olay UK formulation as it contains DMDM Hydantoin and amines, about which even Beautypedia raises a 'cancer-causing' question: http://www.paulaschoice.com/cosmetic-ingredient-dictionary/definition/preservatives/formaldehyde-releasing-preservative. I wish people would stick to parabens, grrr.

    Thanks for your blog, I recently discovered it and like it a lot.

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    1. Thanks, I'm glad you like it! Wow, I hadn't even heard of those ingredients. People here in the US are so convinced that dangerous chemicals are only allowed here, while Europe bans everything "toxic". But yeah, as long as it doesn't say paraben on the label, must be good, right? Sigh.

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  4. The one available in the States has been reformulated without parabens and from the ingredients list it looks like there's more DMDM hydantoin in there than in the UK one but no amines. No idea why the formulae are different. There are lots of reviews from people saying they're getting reactions to the new US formula, but for what it's worth the PC ingredient dictionary says this type of preservative (formaldehyde-releasing) is generally well tolerated but it raised a theoretical cancer risk when they're combined with amines. Tbh, I don't normally follow up the links to the studies cited in the ingredients dictionary, so no idea if their interpretation of the evidence is sound.

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