- Paula's Choice SKIN PERFECTING 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant with Salicylic Acid, Facial Polish for Enlarged Pores, Wrinkles & Fine Lines, Suitable for Blackhead-Prone Skin, Fragrance-Free

This product works wonders on my skin! I am so happy I decided to bite the bullet (especially for the price) and try it. I was struggling with 1-2 cheek acne that would become super red and inflamed. I could NOT get rid of it, and it felt like it kept coming back whenever I got it calmed down. I also have super mild acne around my chin that comes around my time of the month. I was previously using the salicylic acid from the ordinary 3x/week and as spot treatment as needed, which I think was just completely drying out my skin, and causing the cheek acne (I also think stress plays a part in this too). I came across PC salicylic acid and wanted to give it a try because of the cleaner ingredients. I was a little worried though because my skin is sensitive and on the dryer side, especially during winter months. It definitely took a while for me to figure out how many times a week I should be using this, but once I figured it out, my skin loved it! My sweet spot is using this 2x/week (and as an additional spot treatment on the “off nights” if I really need it) at night after I shower, making sure my face is dry before I apply it with my fingers. Yes, the drops go a long way, so be mindful of how much you are shaking out. The texture when applying it feels like a slippery water texture, and there is a super faint smell, which I don’t mind. I have been using this product for over 5 months and my cheek acne has gone away, largely because I think I am not drying my face out like I used to, and I have been learning to manage stress. I have also noticed that from switching to PC, my scars fade faster, my face feels overall brighter, and it honestly keeps my acne away for the most part. Being honest, yes, I did break out for like 2 weeks while adjusting to this product. After that, it’s been pretty smooth sailing! Don’t be afraid to try it and make it work for you and your skin type!

I’ve been using Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant for several weeks now, and I finally understand the hype. This product actually delivers visible results without being harsh. My skin type: Combination, acne-prone, sensitive Main concerns: Clogged pores, texture, occasional breakout. What I love: Noticeably smoother skin within the first 1–2 weeks Helps unclog pores and reduces blackheads, especially on my nose and chin Very gentle for a chemical exfoliant — no burning or irritation when used correctly Lightweight, water-like texture that absorbs quickly and layers well under moisturizer If you struggle with clogged pores, texture, or stubborn breakouts, this exfoliant is 100% worth it. It’s one of those products that quietly improves your skin over time, and I’ll definitely be repurchasing. Highly recommend! 👏

Obsessed! Cleans out pores and any dead skin, great for leaving on over night. Love that it’s not sticky either! Definitely purchasing again!

This stuff actually does what it claims. After a few days my skin looked clearer and smoother, and it helped cut down the small bumps. It’s gentle, but you still feel it working. The only downside is the price for the size, but the results make it worth keeping in the routine

I rarely write reviews because I don’t come across a lot of products that I am blown away. But if you can tell by my comparison photo, I’ve made PRETTY DRASTIC improvements with my skin within a month! So I had to share my thoughts and experiences! I used the product every night before bed with a cotton ball for about a month now. To give you some background, I played college tennis 10 years ago. I was out in the sun all the time for practice. I have hyperpigmentation, large pores, oily face, fungal acne/bumps, and acne scars. Ive had it all. I also hated putting on sunscreen back then because I hate the oily texture of sunscreen with sweat mixed together so I was taking in UVA/UVB at full strength with beaming rays in warm SoCal sun for many many years. Fast forward 10 years, I’ve been pretty religious with skincare since graduating college because I realized that I’ve done huge damage to my skin. I made progress during those 10 years with consistency, but there were still some room for improvements as you can see in the photo. With age, I started seeing some wrinkles under my eyes and and on my forehead as well. I started getting all serious about skincare again a month ago by revisiting my usual selections to see what I can introduce into my routine. I found this product on YouTube, some blog post, and then Amazon. Decided to take a stab with the huge amount of reviews. BEST DECISION EVER! I saw changes within a few days of use! Skin started getting smoother and then pores looked somewhat smaller. After some improvements the first week, I did not see drastic improvements again till week 3. Started seeing changes in hyperpigmentation and smoothness of my skin. Also my wrinkles have somewhat faded under my eyes and forehead. Please note, I did try using it twice a day, but my skin started getting very flaky and sensitive. I think I broke out a little bit too so I had to go back to just once per day. I’d like to add, purging period is part of the process. Don't panic. Just be patient and you will see results. As they say, no pain no gain. I never thought I’d be here in a month with all of the pre-existing skin issues I had, but I can confidently say I am confident in my own skin at 33! This is probably the best skin I’ve ever had! I can finally feel confident makeup free. When I do put on makeup, I don’t have to put on multiple layers of makeup or strategically use concealer to cover up the uneven texture or blemishes. Also my skin looks like it radiates through my makeup now. I saw someone say in the comments here how it’s like having instagram filter IRL. I totally agree. I don’t need no instagram filter! It’s called real life glowy skin! To add to the usage of this product, I also did make a switch in my routine by adding Cetaphil Purifying Clay Mask. I used the clay mask every other day. So it could be a combination of reasons for these results. But I think my comparison photo speaks for itself - Please give it one month of consistent use. Be consistent and you will see huge results! Hope that helps :)

First off, I don’t do reviews unless a product is really bad or really good, because I expect that a product should do what it is advertised to do. I’m also HIGHLY skeptical when it comes to beauty products. I was told in my 20’s that once you get large pores, you can’t shrink them. So, I made the best I could with the pores on my nose that had already started to get more noticeable. I used all sorts of things, pore strips, clay masks and charcoal masks. My regimen still includes steaming, then putting a clay mask on my t zone over night once a week or so. I’m 49, and I was still under the belief that I would have to deal with enlarged pores, along with the fine lines I’ve started to develop, all as a normal part of aging. But this year, when face primer and makeup was no longer hiding my pores, I had enough! I would like to say quickly, my pores are clean, they aren’t blackheads, they are just large, and numerous. So, looking on Amazon I came across this product. I read the reviews and it seemed as though this worked for others, and wasn’t ridiculously priced, so I bought it a month ago, and started using it as directed. Twice a day, morning and night, after I wash my face, I apply it to my entire face, neck, and chest. Once upon a time I was also told, whatever you do for your face, do for your entire neck and chest, this is called your décolletage, and you will thank yourself when you are older, because if you don’t apply your beauty routine to the whole area, you will have a crepey neck and wrinkly cleavage, which will stand out because it won’t match your face. In the immortal words of Dolly Parton in Steel Magnolias: “Honey, time marches on and eventually you realize it's marchin' across your face!” So there is no getting away from aging, but we can at least keep moisturized and looking our best. I have sensitive skin, and can’t just use anything on my face, other reviewers said the same, and they had no issues with this product irritating their sensitive skin. Absolutely did NOT irritate my skin! I wash my face, apply it, then apply my lotion. No burning of any sort. It was so gentle, I was half thinking it might not even have anything in it to even do what it says it can do! A month later, I can tell you, my pores haven’t completely disappeared, but are smaller, and have become shallower as well. You can still see them, but I am looking with a super high magnifying mirror. I hope that it will continue to make them smaller, but even if I have hit the maximum that it can do for me, I will keep buying it and using it to make sure to keep them the same level I’ve achieved so far. With a primer and makeup, I’m very happy that my nose pores no longer stand out! 5 stars, highly recommend, and I’m putting this on my list of subscriptions so I never run out! If you got to the bottom of this, you have the patience to buy this and give it a chance. Tell ‘em Large Marge sent ya! ;)

Started using this and it comes off as any other exfoliant where it starts burning. I do have sensitive skin with large pores so I was excited and looking forward to this product. After a couple weeks, I feel like my pores are visibly smaller so it is actually working. The bottle size is great for the price. The only reason why it is 3 stars is because it burns on my skin :(. Still going to use it more and see how well my skin will look like.

My skin type: - Very Dry, easily dehydrated - Oily nose - Prone to stubborn acne and closed comedones - Redness on chin and cheeks (not rosacea) I already use a nightly Tretinoin cream (.04% concentration) to help with my acne and premature signs of aging but decided with my derm that incorporating a BHA would be a good idea to help with my seriously stubborn closed comedones and some irritating textural issues. It was between this and the Cerave SA lotion and I ultimately decided on this due to the higher concentration of salicylic acid. It's moisturizing, and feels sticky for the first 5-10 minutes after application but seems to sinks in to something of a satin finish on me and I can no longer feel it on my skin. You just have to be a little patient. My skin feels well hydrated and plump after it settles and looks really smooth and my pores aren't as obvious. It sits just fine under makeup for me but I'm not a new user to chemical exfoliants so I don't have lots of dead skin pilling up or sloughing off when I use it, my skin is, for the most part, already very smooth outside the acne and CCs. Occasionally I'll apply it further down my neck/decolletage than usual and WOW do I old skin just ball up and peel right away - it's so gross but also satisfying. So those that don't exfoliate often or are new to BHA/AHAs will likely have issues with foundation until their skin adjusts (but it will adjust). My advice in those cases is to either use this at night for the first few weeks or just accept going barefaced for a little while if you can. I'd strongly suggest not applying this product over anything that you feel does not dry down fully, the times I've attempted to use it after serums or heavier products it takes forever to sink in and sometimes never fully does. I save all my serums and essences for after this has absorbed and it's far easier to work with it as a result. My steps go like this most days: ACWell Licorice toner --- PC 2% BHA --- 10% Niacinamide serum --- TO Matryxil serum --- Secret Key Black Snail cream or Syn-ake cream w/ 3 drops Stratia Fortify oil --- Sunscreen. It works fairly quickly IMO, on my neck where I typically don't apply my Tret at night I noticed the peeling and balling of dead skin on day one and on my face where I have a patch of really awful CCs I noticed them getting smaller and smoother by around day 3-4. I'm going on about 8 days now and they're barely visible unless I'm right up in the mirror and feel as if they're almost gone when I touch my fingers to that area. I do have some slight peeling of the skin around my mouth and nose but it's not terrible (likely because I already exfoliate the heck out of my skin with the tret). Some tips and things keep in mind: 1) DO NOT RINSE IT OFF. I don't understand some of the top reviews advising people to do that, it says on the bottle not to rinse and nearly all chemical exfoliators are meant to be left on until the next cleansing specifically so they can do their job. If you rinse it off you're either going to prevent it from properly exfoliating or end up irritating the hell out of your skin. If you have oily skin and feel this might be heavy on you than you can probably just use this on bare skin and then sunscreen if you use in the AM or a lightweight lotion/cream and be done with it, but you need to leave it on your skin. 2) You have got to use sunscreen while you're using this product! Any BHA or AHA exfoliant causes increased sun sensitivity and you have to address that in your routine. You should already use sunscreen daily but it becomes a must when you incorporate a chemical exfoliator or you risk sun damage. 3) Less is more! Don't slop this on your face or soak a cotton pad in it, a little goes a long way and you'll be kicking yourself if you apply way too much and have to wait 20+ minutes for it to sink in. Use a shake or two and add more if needed but go easy. 4) Expect some irritation initially. Chemical exfoliants can be harsh and rough even on sturdy skin and you have to give yourself time to adjust. Over-exfoliation is a possibility but sometimes just introducing a BHA or AHA into your routine can cause some sensitivity. Don't panic and just be gentle to your skin. Use ceramides (like Cerave Skin Renewing cream) or fatty oils to soothe your face if needed and try to stay away from any harsh products or acids like Vitamin C right after applying this to avoid really burning your face.