Paula’s Choice RESIST 1% Retinol Booster: Review

I’ve been testing retinols for the last year or so, starting with night retinol serums. Then I saw some companies were releasing a retinol booster. Add a few drops to your favorite night serum to get the benefits of retinol. I love the idea of getting retinol benefits while still using your favorite serum. Paulas’s Choice RESIST 1% Retinol Booster was the first I tried. Details per Paula’s Choice:

This concentrated, light, fluid lotion booster with 1% retinol gives skin the best formula possible for helping to even skin tone, renew radiance, brighten skin, improve the appearance of wrinkles, and create a smooth complexion. 
  • Anti-Aging, Wrinkles
  • For All Skin Types
  • Pure form of retinol in a slow-release delivery system
  • Renews radiance & uneven skin tone & visibly improves loss of firmness
  • Peptides restore skin’s youthful appearance in a light lotion texture
  • Use alone or add to your moisturizer after cleansing, toning, and exfoliating

The texture is a thin fluid with a light yellow color. It’s not greasy, absorbs quickly. The plastic pump dispenser houses the product well for function, no air exposure or contamination. I started with one drop then went up to 3 drops per night. The product retails for $52 and lasted maybe 3 months or so. I didn’t get any real irritation form using this retinol booster. No dryness or major side effects. It was pretty mild. That said, being a mild retinol means you get less anti-aging effects.

This is prefect for anyone who wants to continue to use their favorite serum, add mild retinol benefits without the irritation. This would be good for more sensitive skin. This is a good formula, however I prefer a bit more oomph. More to come on that in the next retinol booster I write about. Stay tuned.

Product Ingredients

Water (Aqua), Glycereth-7 Triacetate (emollient/texture-enhancing), Glycerin (hydration/skin replenishing), Carthamus Tinctorius Oleosomes (emollient/skin-soothing), Isopentyldiol (hydration), Polyglyceryl-10 Behenate/Eicosadioate (texture-enhancing), Butylene Glycol (hydration), Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract (apple extract/antioxidant), Polysorbate 20 (texture-enhancing), Retinol (skin-restoring), Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract (licorice extract/skin-soothing), Ceramide 3 (hydration/skin replenishing), Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 (skin-restoring), Avena Sativa Kernel Extract (oat extract/skin-soothing), Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract (fireweed extract/skin-soothing), Arctium Lappa Root Extract (burdock root extract/skin-soothing), Salix Alba Bark Extract (willow bark extract/skin-soothing), Allantoin (skin-soothing), Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate (skin-soothing), Caprylyl Glycol (emollient), Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate (texture-enhancing), Dipentaerythrityl Tri-Polyhydroxystearate (texture-enhancing/emollient), Ethylhexyl Methoxycrylene (texture-enhancing), Hydrogenated Lecithin (skin-restoring), Bis-Glyceryl Ascorbate (antioxidant), Disodium EDTA (stabilizer), Sorbic Acid (preservative), Xanthan Gum (texture-enhancing), Phenoxyethanol (preservative).

2 Comments

  1. The retinol booster doesn’t contain less Retinol, nor does it have “less anti-agent benefits” unless your comparing to Tret, which Retinol has already been shown to have the exact same results only over a longer period of time.

    1. So in this really old blog post I was talking more about mixing these booster drops into another serum which diluted it from the 1%. If you’re only adding 2 drops you’re not going to get the full effects of a 1% retinol serum as if you apply it neat & directly on the skin. I was a much worse writer then but that’s what I was trying to communicate. Thanks for jumping on and commenting though

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