My Favorite Things: Paula's Choice

This is something that I did on a previous 'blog, and I liked it a lot, so I am going to try and do it on this one as well. Once a week, I will post (well, try to post anyway) about some of my favorite products, places, things, etc. The "My Favorite Things" concept is borrowed after one of my favorite movies of all time, The Sound of Music :-)

This week, I am featuring the skin care line that saved my life! I am genetically predisposed to bad skin. As with all things in life, sometimes you come out on top and other times you end up on the shit end of the stick. My siblings and I ended up on the less desirable end of the stick when it comes to skin. I really don't understand, because both my parents have great skin, but the three of us have had skin trouble almost all our lives. I've been the luckiest in that I've had the least trouble, but I have horrible combination skin that breaks out in the oddest places, then sometimes it gets super oily, sometimes it will flake from dryness, etc. It is totally unpredictable, and for the longest time, I was fighting my skin to get it to do what I wanted to.

I am a product whore, and I have tried almost everything short of going to a dermatologist and getting prescribed a treatment (my brothers have been on everything from Retin-A to Accutane). I have tried almost every over-the-counter treatment, cleanser, moisturizer, etc., that you can find. It was not until a few months ago when I decided to actually do some research on skin, breakouts, etc., and join in online discussions that I finally started to understand WHY I was breaking out. One of the products that was raved about was a line called Paula's Choice.

Paula's Choice products are amazing! I can't recommend them for everyone, but I started out by ordering these two products and in a matter of a few weeks, my skin literally cleared up:

Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Cleanser



Paula's Choice Exfoliating 2% BHA Liquid


I also have the blemish spot treatment, but I haven't had to use that in a while since I no longer break out! :-)

The Cleanser is light and refreshing on your skin. I use it every night after I take off my makeup. It is strong enough to remove the last trace bits of my leftover makeup, but it is still gentle enough that it doesn't irritate my skin.

The BHA Liquid is what really saved my skin. If you are just starting out using BHA (salicylic acid), you may want to start with the 1% solution. Start with using once daily, and then move to twice a day. I apply the BHA Liquid at night after I shower. Apply a small amount to a cotton ball and then distribute evenly over your entire face. The liquid is not drying and in weeks, I noticed that my pores were smaller, and my skin tone and texture were more even.

Another important factor in good skin care is to protect it from the sun!! I used to think that fancy moisturizers and creams were helping me, but honestly, all you need is a good moisturizer with SPF. I use Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion in SPF 15 in the morning, and I carry around a trial-size version with me so that I can re-apply during the day if necessary.

Consistent use of these products have saved my skin! I really wish I had before and after pictures, so you can see the difference, but honestly, I don't know why it took me so long to discover Paula's Choice! Her products are *not* incredibly cheap, but they are well worth it, and the products last several months. They are available only through her website -- www.paulaschoice.com, and shipping is very fast!