I have been using the RESIST C15 Super Booster for almost a month now (thank you for the trial size, Paula's Choice Philippnes!) and this tiny dropper bottle has never let me down! It instantly brightens my skin after use which makes up a lot for the other discouraging skin imperfections I wince from-- pock marks and huge pores.

A moisturizer or a serum?

The website does not particularly mention it's a serum (like it does with its other products) but I'd say it is one. It is described as a concentrated, light-as-water liquid treatment product designed to supercharge serums or may be used alone. It is a blend of 15% stabilized vitamin C (l-ascorbic acid) at a pH of 3.0, vitamin E, ferulic acid, and peptides which altogether repairs visible signs of aging and stimulates collagen production for smoother, brighter, and firmer skin.

The wonder booster promises to:

• Quickly brighten the skin
• Visibly reduce brown spots
• Promote firmer-looking skin

                                                 Paula's Choice RESIST C15 Super Booster, trial size 3.5ml- P500

How I Used It:

The 3.5ml trial bottle can last 3-4 weeks despite it being designed for a two-week consumption. Directions for use is to apply once or twice daily after cleansing, toning, and exfoliating & dispense 2–3 drops and add to your favorite Paula's Choice serum, or use alone and follow with moisturizer where needed. 

First week: I used Paula's Choice RESIST C15 Super Booster 2x/day after cleansing & applying clindamycin, my antibacterial toner. I follow with Neutrogena ultra sheer or Banana Boat Sport sunblock in the AM and retinoic acid gel in the PM.

Second week: I cut down use and applied at night only. I observed results were not very far from the twice-a-day habit.

Third week: I've read that this product can oxidize over time rendering it less potent so I got back to using it twice-a-day. I thought I could skimp on this as once-a-day usage works mighty fine as using it 2x/day.

I dot three drops on my face using my fingertips in this fashion:

Little Pain, Big Gain

Two things cringe-worthy about it is that it feels sticky upon application which consequently takes time to get absorbed, and it's not the best-smelling skincare product out there. However, it is able to improve skin clarity in an instant giving the skin a healthy, supple and bright aura. I have not noticed a significant improvement in skin texture in 3+ weeks of use.

I like using the treatment in the morning as it helps face bases look a lot cleaner against the skin. Best news is that throughout the time I've used it (almost a month already!), Paula's Choice RESIST C15 Super Booster proved to be hypoallergenic & non-comedogenic.

Other things I like about it are:

1. It is economical to use, thanks to the dropper. Each bottle can last few more days/weeks than it actually should and that's always a good thing.
2. The bottle and dropper-type cap are specially designed to prevent the product from unnecessary light & air exposure which can degrade Vitamin C and E.
3. Trial size bottle is great for travel!

The trial size was very promising I decided to buy the full size! I'm hoping to achieve a firmer skin texture a few more weeks into this serum.  (List of Paula's Choice Resellers in Manila, Cavite & Laguna, bought mine from Skin Box/Amanda Castilo, free shipping till May 15!)

Paula's Choice RESIST C15 Super Booster, full sixe 20ml- P3000; trial size 3.5ml- P500

What It's Not

It's not a moisturizer, nor a pore shrinker, or a zit zapper. Also, the significant improvement in skin clarity dies down within the day. I would recommend constant use of the product may it be once or twice a day. Trial size is suuuper sulit at P500!

A Quick Note on Ferulic Acid

I stumbled upon the Journal of Investigative Dermatology and learned how ferulic acid can provide additional stability to topical Vitamin C and acts as a photoprotector rendering Vitamin C effective even in the morning. What's even better is that with the right amount of ferulic acid in the solution, thymine dimer formation can be reduced thus lowering the risk for skin cancer!

Final Thoughts

I've always known that with a brighter skin complexion, I can somehow get away with huge pores and acne marks. And true enough, I do. Oral glutathiones have addressed my dull & sallow skin but the weight gain is unforgivable. With Paula's Choice RESIST C15 Super Booster, I'm getting radiant skin everyday and people hardly notice I'm only getting around 4 hours of sleep on a daily basis. I will have to restructure my schedule to be able to get a healthier amount of rest and who knows, I might be able to make the temporary skin brightening effect permanent!

One Super Final Thought on the Super Booster

And because this is a comeback post and especially on a super great product, I won't pass up the chance to get goofy & exciting by doing a follow-up after the final thoughts heading and naming it the super final thoughts section. If that confused you, this won't: I'm giving away a trial size of the Paula's Choice RESIST C15 Super Booster to one lucky reader!!! Jump to the separate post about the giveaway to keep comments in this review a lot less spammy :)

Last October 2, 2013, Paula's Choice Philippines celebrated their formal brand launch at the Manila Marriott's The Den. You can say I was more than excited to finally catch their top acne-clearing products as I once wanted to get hold of their Skin Perfecting line. It was also difficult back then not to get curious about their RESIST Skin Resurfacing System when Trang blogged about how effective it was.

What is Paula's Choice?

Lifestyle & Beauty bloggers were all ears as Paula's Choice Pte Ltd. Southeast Asia Managing Director, Naree Mongkol,  introduced everyone to the brand's role in catering to individual skin concerns. One of the highlights include an apple experiment showcasing the Vitamin C serum, RESIST C15 Super Booster (for brown spots and wrinkles, to be made available in the coming months), as it effectively reverses the rusting of an apple.

Paula's Choice's wide range of effective skincare products originates from its founder, Paula Begoun's, discriminating habit of choosing what she puts on her skin-- a habit formed from a past trauma when she realized acetone was in her skincare staple.

The brand banks and puts emphasis on the science of skincare in coming up with each product, making sure they contain well-researched and proven effective ingredients. Since its creation, consumers worldwide have been drawn to their serums, exfoliants, sunblocks and anti-acne & redness line.

Paula's Choice Bestsellers

The brand's crème de la crème include:

• Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid (P1120/100mL)
• Skin Perfecting 8% AHA Gel (P1120/100mL)
• RESIST Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum (P1420/30mL)

I've had my eye on the BHA and AHA bottles for the longest time as I've read countless great reviews for both. What I appreciate more is that the brand cared enough to get these two powerful exfoliators in separate bottles. Most brands would have AHAs and BHA in one bottle when there are skin types that are highly sensitive to salicylic acid (BHA).

What's exciting is that these two exfoliators are modestly priced at P1,120! I'm definitely getting the BHA Liquid ASAP before others beat me to it. 

Paula's Choice Philippines

Paula's Choice products can be purchased via placing an order on:

• Paula's Choice Facebook page
• Phone: (02) 8410468
• Email: info@paulaschoice.com.ph

Soon, they will also be available via Zalora and Lazada shopping sites.

Special Prescription

After the event, I grabbed the chance to talk to Ms. Naree Mongkol, who I learned was also the Advisor to the World Anti-Aging Academy of Medicine. She coyly confesses she's 41 when I asked how old she was. Naturally, I shot her the how-can-i-get-that-skin? question and she started to examine my face and asked for my skin type.

She noticed some obvious redness (from my previous fractional CO2 laser treatment) and jotted down a two-phased recommendation:

Part I- Anti-Redness:

• Skin Recovery Cleanser
• Clinical Anti-Redness Relief
• Skin Recovery Moisturizer

Part II- Youthful, Lustrous and Zit-Free Skin (after completely addressing redness):

• Hydralight One Step Cleanser
• Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner
• Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid
• RESIST Super Light Antioxidant Serum (a lighter, fast-absorbing counterpart of the best-selling serum listed above)
• RESIST Anti-Aging Clear Skin Hydrator

She advises I stick with the products that already work for me and pick out the "new stuff" I'd like to try out in strengthening my skin care. We decided I should go for all those listed in phase 2 minus the Hydralight cleanser.

Before leaving, I had to ask what her top three favorite Paula's Choice products are. And she starts gushing about how she cannot live a day without her three favorites and we find ourselves chatting for another 30minutes!

• Earth-Sourced Cleansing Gel
• Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Lquid
• RESIST Super Light Antioxidant Serum 

I am too excited for words about Paula's Choice coming to Philippine shores! Its unexpected popularity in Thailand and Korea is a good sign that there's something about these tubes and bottles worth trying out. I am now too addicted surfing their website as it offers so much information for each product. If you have any recommendations from the brand, drop me a note so I can finalize my to-buy list!