Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Booster
- Anti-aging
- Anti-oxidation
- Exfoliation
- Moisturizing
- Evens skin tone
- Anti-blemish
- +3 more
- retinol
- avena sativa kernel extract
- ceramide 3
- palmitoyl tripeptide-1
- allantoin
- carthamus tinctorius seed oil
- dipotassium glycyrrhizate
- epilobium angustifolium flower/leaf/stem extract
- glycerin
- pyrus malus fruit extract
- +7 more
FULFILLED
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Formula review
WIMJ summary
This product can help reduce breakouts and clogged pores because it contains the following ingredient: retinol. This ingredient is used for treating acne and can have a noticeable effect.
| Ingredient | Effectiveness | Concentration | Irritancy |
|---|---|---|---|
HIGH |  |  | |
LOW
| | | |
LOW
| | |
Promise
What does the product description say?WIMJ summary
This product can help reduce and prevent fine lines and wrinkles, improve skin elasticity and firmness because it contains retinol.
These ingredients in the product can also be helpful, even though there is less evidence for their effectiveness: palmitoyl tripeptide-1.
Keep in mind that it typically takes at least 6 weeks to notice any results because the changes that are needed to improve fine lines and elasticity happen in the deeper layers of the skin. No topical anti-aging product can “erase” wrinkles or fully reverse signs of aging.
| Ingredient | Effectiveness | Concentration | Irritancy |
|---|---|---|---|
HIGH | | | |
MEDIUM
| | |
Promise
What does the product description say?WIMJ summary
This product can help reduce hypepigmentation and even out the skin tone because it contains the following effective ingredients: retinol.
The following ingredient (ingredients) in this product might be helpful, but there is no evidence to confirm that it actually can help even out the skin tone: glycyrrhiza glabra root extract.
Keep in mind that you would need to apply any topical skincare targetted at hypigmentation consistently for a couple of months to get a result. No topical skincare product can help get rid of hyperpigmentation (including post-acne marks and age spots) instantly.
| Ingredient | Effectiveness | Concentration | Irritancy |
|---|---|---|---|
HIGH | | | |
LOW
| | | |
LOW
|  | |
WIMJ summary
This product can help exfoliate the skin. In other words, it helps break down the bonds between dead cells on the surface of the skin and speed up the skin turnover. Skin often appears softer and brighter after exfoliation, but overdoing it can result in disrupted skin barrier. The following ingredient is doing the exfoliating job in this product: retinol.
| Ingredient | Effectiveness | Concentration | Irritancy |
|---|---|---|---|
HIGH | | | |
LOW
| | | |
LOW
| | |
WIMJ summary
This product can help improve hydration of the skin with the two types of ingredients.
The first type is called “humectants”:
these ingredients help attract water.
When humectants are on the surface of the skin, they “pull in” the moisture from the outside environment, or from
within deeper layers of the skin. The following ingredients in this product do the job:
allantoin, glycerin.
This product also contains ingredients called “occlusives”. They help reduce the speed with which our skin loses moisture to the outside environment. These ingredients also help soften the upper layer of the skin, so it feels less tight and nicer to the touch. The following ingredients in this product do the job: carthamus tinctorius seed oil, caprylyl glycol.
The following ingredients in this product are especially good for supporting the skin barrier and helping with the hydration level: ceramide 3, palmitoyl tripeptide-1
| Ingredient | Effectiveness | Concentration | Irritancy |
|---|---|---|---|
HIGH | | | |
HIGH | | | |
HIGH | | |
WIMJ summary
This product contains antioxidants (retinol) that can help neutralize free radicals in skin. By doing so, they can lessen the damage the skin gets from the UV light (sun).
The following ingredients - epilobium angustifolium flower/leaf/stem extract also can have an antioxidant effect, but there is less evidence to confirm their effectiveness in skin.
| Ingredient | Effectiveness | Concentration | Irritancy |
|---|---|---|---|
HIGH | | | |
MEDIUM
| | | |
LOW
| | |
Potential irritants
| Ingredient | Irritancy | Skin Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| pyrus malus fruit extract | | |
| retinol | | |
| glycyrrhiza glabra root extract | | |
Ingredients by volume
| Ingredient | Estimated concentration |
|---|---|
|
Plain old water
| 45% - 55% |
| | 7.1% - 8.7% |
|
One of the best moisturizing ingredients. Naturally present in skin. It attracts water to the upper layer of the skin working as a humectant
| 3.9% - 4.8% |
|
An emollient that helps soften the skin and might help calm down inflammation
| 3.1% - 3.8% |
|
Helps dissolve other ingredients in a formulation
| 2.3% - 2.8% |
| | 1.9% - 2.3% |
|
Used to create a nice product texture and help delivery of other ingredients. Might be somewhat helpful in attracting water to the upper layer of the skin
| 1.6% - 2% |
|
Can have some moisturizing properties due to its sugar content
| 1.4% - 1.7% |
|
Helps oil and water mix together
| 1.2% - 1.5% |
|
Two steps removed from the active form of vitamin A - retinoic acid. Once converted to the retinoic acid in the skin, retinol is proven to be effective against all signs of aging. It improves skin cell turnover, helps fight blemishes and clogged pores, can regulate excess oil production and even skin tone. It can, however, be quite irritating
| 0.95% - 1.15% |
|
A plant extract that can help lighten the skin and calm down inflammation. Might be helpful in neutralizing free radicals
| 0.55% - 0.85% |
|
A type of lipid similar to ceramides naturally present in skin. Helps to soften the upper layer of the skin and supports the skin barrier function to keep it hydrated. Can help to prevent inflammation in skin
| 0.6% - 0.95% |
|
A type of peptide. Peptides are excellent moisturizers and might be able support collagen production reducing fine lines and wrinkles
| 0.55% - 0.85% |
|
An effective moisturizing and skin barrier repair ingredient. Helps calm down inflammation and has some anti-oxidant properties
| 0.5% - 0.75% |
|
A plant extract that might contain antioxidants
| 0.4% - 0.65% |
|
Plant extract. Has some anti-microbial and anti-oxidant properties. Can be irritating
| 0.45% - 0.65% |
|
A plant extract that can help neutralize free radicals in skin. It contains a compound salicin that can theoretically be converted into salicylic acid that, in turn, helps reduce inflammation in skin, but the evidence of effectiveness in skin is lacking and the extract is usually not used in a concentration that would enable an exfoliating effect
| 0.35% - 0.6% |
|
Helps calm down inflammation in skin and can help reduce itching. Helps to repair the skin barrier and keep skin hydrated
| 0.3% - 0.55% |
|
A salt derived from licorice. Works as an emollient to soften the upper layer of the skin and can help calm down inflammation. Might be helpful for skin lightening
| 0.3% - 0.5% |
|
Helps preserve products and creates a nice product texture
| 0.25% - 0.5% |
|
Helps water and oil mix together
| 0.25% - 0.45% |
| | 0.25% - 0.45% |
|
Helps improve stability of sunscreen filters and boost their effectiveness
| 0.2% - 0.35% |
|
Helps to retain moisture by creating a protective barrier on the skin. Rich in fatty acids. Improves product texture and helps with the penetration of other ingredients.
| 0.2% - 0.35% |
| | 0.15% - 0.25% |
|
Stabilizes the product formulation
| 0.15% - 0.25% |
|
A preservative
| 0.1% - 0.2% |
|
Used to create a thicker product consistency
| 0.1% - 0.15% |
|
A preservative. It helps prevent bacterial growth in cosmetic products
| 0.1% - 0.2% |
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Questions
Skincare resources
Scientific Sources
- Glycerol and the skin: holistic approach to its origin and functions
- Retinoids in the treatment of skin aging: an overview of clinical efficacy and safety
- Improvement of naturally aged skin with vitamin A (retinol)
- A comparative study of the effects of retinol and retinoic acid on histological, molecular, and clinical properties of human skin
- Topically Applied Ceramides Interact with the Stratum Corneum Lipid Matrix in Compromised Ex Vivo Skin
- Therapeutic Potential of Polyphenols from Epilobium Angustifolium (Fireweed): Polyphenols from Fireweed
- Contact dermatitis as an adverse reaction to some topically used European herbal medicinal products – part 1: Achillea millefolium–Curcuma longa
- Efficacy and Safety of White Willow Bark (Salix alba) Extract
- An evaluation of the effect of a topical product containing salicin on the visible signs of human skin aging
- Ameliorating effect of dipotassium glycyrrhizinate on an IL-4- and IL-13-induced atopic dermatitis-like skin-equivalent model
- Final report on the safety assessment of Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Potassium Glycyrrhetinate, Disodium Succinoyl Glycyrrhetinate, Glyceryl Glycyrrhetinate, Glycyrrhetinyl Stearate, Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate, Glycyrrhizic Acid, Ammonium Glycyrrhizate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Disodium Glycyrrhizate, Trisodium Glycyrrhizate, Methyl Glycyrrhizate, and Potassium Glycyrrhizinate.