Is Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment worth it?

The gurus are split. 6 of the 8 gurus give it their stamp of approval while 2 would skip it, which lands it in the middle at a Guru Score of 67%.

What is Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment's Guru Score?

Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment holds a Guru Score of 67%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 8 expert reviewers we have collected.

Who is Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment best for?

Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment is generally suited to mature skin.

Paula's Choice

Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment.

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Retinoids

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About this product

A 1% over-the-counter retinol treatment for the face, designed to support skin texture and anti-aging as part of a nighttime routine.

Full ingredients

Aqua, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Isononyl Isononanoate, Castor Isostearate Succinate, Glyceryl Stearate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, PEG-33, Polysorbate 20, Behenyl Alcohol, Retinol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Ceramide 2, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Sodium Hyaluronate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Avena Sativa (Avena) Kernel Extract, Arctium Lappa (Burdock) Root Extract, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Glycine Soja Sterols, Lecithin, Allantoin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Sorbitan Laurate, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Hydroxide, Tribehenin, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Pentylene Glycol, PEG-100 Stearate

Guru Score

67%

Mixed

8 experts · Strong agreement

What the gurus are saying

The 1% retinol is the detail the experts keep returning to, since it sits in the gentler over-the-counter group with less irritation. Several gurus see it as a good first retinol, though others place it at the intermediate level for those already used to retinol. Anyone nervous may want to apply a moisturizer first and use it only at night, and one take found it expensive.

Synthesized from 8 expert reviews · most recent take August 2026

What they liked

Gentle enough for retinol newcomers
Hydrating ingredients ease retinization
Thinner texture absorbs quickly

What they flagged

Price increased significantly
Thinner formula may need moisturizer underneath

Best for

Mature skin

Type

RetinoidsDrops & dropper

Key actives

Vitamin C Retinoid Hyaluronic acidVitamin ECeramidesPeptides

Formula notes

Fragrance-freeNo drying alcohol

Where to buy

Sephora → Amazon → Google →

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What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored

No BS Beauty

89k subs

~Yay

"One of the first retinoids I used was the retinol from Paula's Choice, and it contained a lot of hydrating ingredients, so I didn't have a ton of the retinization that can happen when you start using retinol, like flakiness, redness, itchiness, scratchiness, and dryness."

All 3 takes from No BS Beauty

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"The Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment is the other one that gave me a noticeable difference. I will admit that's because it's the first retinol I ever tried, so probably almost any retinol would have that effect, but I just loved it."

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"The packaging has changed since I finished my last bottle of it, but it's $65 for 1 oz. This is amazing that it's only 1 oz. So this is basically the same amount as what's in here, and it looks like it's 8 times the size, you know what I mean? The packaging is funny, isn't it? The main ingredients in here are 1% retinol, allantoin, peptides, vitamin E, and a type of vitamin C derivative."

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Darnell Cox | 50+ Healthy Aging Expert

55k subs

~Yay

"Paula's Choice makes a 1% retinol formulation, which I love."

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"The more steps it takes to convert to retinoic acid, which is prescription strength, the weaker the formula. So when we're talking about over-the-counter, we're usually talking about retinols. [...] I love the Paula's Choice 1%, but those are the over-the-counter retinols. They're the weakest because it takes them two steps to get over to prescription strength, so over-the-counter retinols are the most easily tolerated on our skin because there's less irritation."

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"This is my top retinol, [...] my number one choice for an at-home retinol, if you guys are just now beginning, or even if you're past just beginning. If you want to [...] step your retinol down a little bit, say you've got a function coming up and you don't want to be peely or red or anything like that, this is what you use."

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"I like Paula's Choice, that's nice. [...] I think it's a 1%, and Paula's Choice makes a great 1% retinoid."

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"It's just a great all-around retinoid. Does it help with sunspots? Yes. Does it help with melasma? Absolutely. But if you have major melasma and you want to get it down to where it's more treatable with over-the-counter retinoids and things like that, I would suggest going on a prescription-strength hydroquinone first, for three to four months, then getting off of it. Once the melasma is lightened, protect, protect, [...] protect."

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"Paula's Choice always makes a really great 1% retinol product."

Your neck is snitching on you

"Paula's Choice makes a 1% retinol that is also great for the neck."

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"Paula's Choice makes a 1% retinol formulation, which I love."

Doctorly

3.59M subs

~Yay

"They have a 1% retinol that's going to be your intermediate. It's for somebody who's a little bit used to retinol and wants something that's gentle but still effective."

All 4 takes from Doctorly

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"They have a 1% retinol that's going to be your intermediate. It's for somebody who's a little bit used to retinol and wants something that's gentle but still effective."

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"It also has allantoin, which is calming and soothing, and licorice root. It also has several different peptides that help support the skin barrier, so it's just a good combination. But it's that high concentration of retinol that's going to be really effective for anti-aging in general and for maintaining a healthy skin barrier. I've used this one for a long period of time and had a lot of good success with it personally, so I absolutely love this one."

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"Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment is a great one too."

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"Of course it uses a solid concentration of retinol at one percent but it also has a lot of good supporting ingredients: peptides, THD ascorbate which is a form of vitamin C, oat which is calming and soothing, [...] willow bark which is actually where salicylic acid came from in the first place, and so it has a lot of complementing and supporting ingredients that make it just overall a great retinol for somebody who doesn't have one of these specific issues."

Sincerely Miss Ash

195k subs

~Yay

"This is a product I've always raved about, because not only does it have the retinol, it also has vitamin C and peptides. So it's going to help firm and address fine lines and wrinkles, it's going to brighten, and it's going to improve texture. It's great for acne-prone skin as well. It really does it all. All you need is a pea-sized amount to apply to your face, and then another pea-sized amount to cover your neck area. Yes, this is designed for your face, but I wasn't using it on my face."

All 7 takes from Sincerely Miss Ash

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"The one product that I am literally the most consistent with is the Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment. There are a lot of actives that I can't use on my neck because it's a very sensitive area for me personally, and I know it's sensitive for a lot of people as well, because we don't have the same amount of oil glands on our neck as we do on our face, so our neck can be prone to irritation."

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"I actually use it on my neck and my chest in my nighttime skincare routine, but sometimes I'll bring it onto the tops of my hands. [...] Using a retinol, or even a little bit of retinol, can really help to improve texture and tone and crepiness, and it can help to produce new collagen as well. It makes the biggest difference when you're consistent with a retinol product on the hands, and it can really help with wrinkles too. So I would say this is going to be one of the best things you can do."

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"I love the Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment. This also has peptides as well as vitamin C, so it's a great option to look into."

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"The formula is exceptional. It's very moisturizing, it does help to soften fine lines, and it gives a brighter look to the skin. It also contains vitamin C and peptides, and my skin tolerates it so well. Now, of course, if you don't use tretinoin but you're looking for a retinol for your face, this can be used on the face as well, and it's exceptional. I have used it on my face many times and I've never had irritation from it."

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"I honestly feel like this is really gentle as well. I use this on my neck all the time, and my neck can be very sensitive to retinol and just active ingredients in general. In my opinion, this is gentle, but for someone else it might be too much. We're all different. This one also has vitamin C and peptides in the formulation, and I do feel like it's quite moisturizing as well. And even if you have to start with the sandwich method first, then do that."

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"I really like the Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment. I like it because it's moisturizing and it's quite gentle, but it also contains peptides and vitamin C. I like using it on my neck and my chest, but I've also used it many times on my face as well, and I really love that formulation."

Dr. Shereene Idriss

1.73M subs

~Yay

"You can easily just go for [...] a face retinol like Paula's Choice, or any sort of retinol. [...] If you're nervous, put a moisturizer on first, and then apply it. Only do it at night, and don't try to do it twice a day."

Dr. Vanita Rattan

1.23M subs

~Nay

"So we're getting quite expensive now. This is £58 to 72, and I'm expecting gold at this point. Oh, nice packaging, nice heavy packaging. It's NAIF safe again. The ingredients here are water, squalene, glycerin, and a combination of retinol plus retinaldehyde at 0.1%. They don't tell you the exact split, but some sources say it's 0.5% and 0.5%, so half and half. This one I'd say is more for intermediate users, to be honest."

Mad About Skin

731k subs

~Nay

"The Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment, which is a one percent strength, has also disappeared from the market. I know it's a firm favorite with so many people out there."

Nadine Baggott

164k subs

~Yay

"This is Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment with peptides and vitamin C. I swear by it. It's wonderful, I would go back to it in a heartbeat, and it's absolutely brilliant. I've probably been through at least 20 tubes of it in my time. [...] The way vitamin A is metabolized within the skin is what makes it your skin's cheerleader. It balances the overproduction and underproduction of melanin, it balances barrier function, it balances sebum production, and it boosts collagen production."