Paula's Choice : RESIST Weightless Body Treatment with 2% BHA

The Paula's Choice RESIST Weightless Body Treatment with 2% BHA is a wonderful product. I've been using it for a couple of years now. While it is marketed for body, this is a cost-effective way to get ample amounts of BHA that is safe to use on the face. If you've shopped Paula's Choice you'll notice the BHA's sold for the face are considerably more expensive per ounce. And a little of this goes a long way. Typically I reorder every 3-6 months (timing it to when they have a good discount sale and I get an extra to stick away). Though marketed to body, even PC states this is perfectly fine for the face as well. It has a very light lotion texture, isn't irritating or overly drying, and is effectively pH balanced to penetrate skin and do its job. I co-mingle it with other products that are drying (BP) and find using this type of BHA (lotion) keeps it from drying me out less (or rather I don't have to apply as heavy of a moisturizer afterwards). Some people complain about the smell ' which I assume is from the melon extract they use. Not sure why it's in there other than as a possible antioxidant, but I don't mind the hint of melon and it doesn't linger. Besides I've known people to be so fed up with their skin issues, that had their products all smelled of turpentine, as long as they worked, they didn't care. For how I use this product in combination with others, please see my regime at the bottom of the review. First, a little background about my acne issues: A couple of years ago I abandoned birth control as I was only taking it to "help" keep my skin clear, and yet I was still breaking out, just not AS bad. I've suffered from cystic acne since I was a young teen (over 25 years now) and had very little guidance for how best to treat my skin. My mother never struggled with acne, and while my dermatologist is very competent, she too was at a loss. Like many of you reading this, I've tried seemingly everything under the sun (drugstore and prescribed), and nothing seemed to work. Finally fed up (again, about 2+ years ago) I threw out everything and started from scratch. I scoured through various online sources to find what might work well for me. I have mature, [photosensitive] ultra-fair, sensitive, combination skin, that flares up whenever I'm super stressed (which in the last few years has been often). I'll note I have a healthy diet in general (little meat or dairy), I don't drink soda or intake large amounts of sugar, I don't smoke, I don't make a point to tan, and I cut out several of the key stressors in my life. Also, I assessed I was just doing too much to my skin, perhaps encouraging the destruction instead of helping it. I digress. After some thorough research, I found I needed to find products that were fragrance-free, pH-balanced for effectiveness, and essentially free of most if not all possible irritating (superfluous) ingredients - because what do I care if my face wash smells like faux grapefruits or flowers? I've ditched most everything that has a scent (shampoos and body-washes included). I was never one for scrubs or masks, but I'd never really understood the best use and purpose for an exfoliant until I read how they assist in encouraging skin shedding/turnover and improve the performance of other topical products. I had used BP in the past, but in higher doses. So here is my regime that seems to be working for me: I use a mix of Paula's Choice + Acne.org products (unless I'm able to supplement with something from the drugstore). For example, face wash. While both companies make excellent, basic, fragrance and irritant free washes, they also recommend drugstore alternatives like Purpose, Clean & Clean for Sensitive Skin (which is formulated exactly like Purpose, same manufacture, and cheaper), and or I use Trader Joe's Nourish All-in-One Facial Cleanser. I wash my face once a day. Yeah, I find washing it less causes less breakouts. But more specifically, I wash with any of the aforementioned washes at night after I've removed my makeup. In the morning, I splash a little water on my face and pat dry. So technically I wash twice, but I only use cleanser at night. Morning ' As stated, I splash a little warm water on my face and pat dry. I then apply either a nickel sized amount of the Paula's Choice RESIST Weightless Body Treatment with 2% BHA or one of her other 2% liquid BHA products all over my face and neck. I follow with moisturizer/sun screen/ and makeup. If I have any trace of a breakout looming (or for good measure about 2-3x a week) I will treat with the 2.5% (Acne.org) or 5% (PC) benzoyl peroxide in my target areas of break out after applying the BHA and before my moisturizer. This is typically in my lower cheek, jaw line area. Again, I have a T-zone of combination skin. But as my forehead has never really broken out, I mess with it as little as possible. Evening ' I wash with one of the recommended cleansers and pat dry. I apply a nickel sized amount of the PC Resist Weightless 2% BHA and follow up with a generous swipe of Acne.org's BP and then moisturizer. I order the 16oz container, which for my face [only] lasts about a year. I recently decided to start treating my sporadic body acne using Acne.org's suggested combination of 2.5% BP + 10% AHA+. I just order the products, but if it clears up the hyperpigmentation, I guess I'll have to order the BP more often. I tried using the Paula's Choice RESIST Weightless Body Treatment with 2% BHA on my body and noticed very little improvement; perhaps because the skin on my body is slightly different than the skin on my face (more oily or dry).

If you are suffering from back and chest acne, I really urge you try this! I'm currently 16 and was suffering from acne (whiteheads, blackheads) that covered almost every inch of my back ever since I was 12 or 13. I had tried many products including Proactiv and natural treatments which never seemed to really improve my back. As a result of not being able to treat my back acne, the acne began to occur on my chest as well. Finally, I had had enough and did some research and stumbled upon this product. I religiously used this everyday in combination with a few other products and within 2.5 months my back and chest were completely clear! Also, this product is quite light and moisturising which means that I didn't experience any dryness and it certainly wasn't too greasy. I would apply this after I had a shower at night and cleansed my back with the Mario Badescu AHA Botanical Body Soap. In the morning, I would then spray my back and chest with Paula's Choice Clear Acne Body Spray with 2% Salicylic Acid. I cannot recommend this product enough and is definitely a must-try!

I hope anyone suffering with chest and back acne tries this.