Paula's Choice Discoloration Repair Serum for dry skin

How to apply

Questions and answers

What the research says

• A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.

  Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017

• Topical bakuchiol 0.5% applied twice daily compared with retinol 0.5% applied daily significantly decreased wrinkle surface area and hyperpigmentation with no statistical difference between the compounds in 44 patients over 12 weeks, while retinol users reported more facial skin scaling and stinging.

  The British Journal of Dermatology, 2019

• Topical post-laser application of human adipocyte-derived mesenchymal stem cell media combined with niacinamide significantly improved wrinkle index, melanin index, patient satisfaction, and investigator esthetic improvement scores compared to vehicle cream in patients with aging skin.

  Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021

• Topical nicotinamide prevented solar-simulated UV-induced immunosuppression in healthy volunteers, and men experienced immunosuppression at solar-simulated UV doses three times lower than those required for women.

  The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2008

• Topical 5% niacinamide applied twice daily for 12 weeks reduced fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmented spots, red blotchiness, and skin sallowness, and improved skin elasticity compared to vehicle control in 50 female white subjects with facial photoaging.

  Dermatologic Surgery, 2005

• A dermocosmetic containing bakuchiol, Ginkgo biloba extract, and mannitol improves inflammatory lesions, Investigator Global Assessment, and seborrhea intensity when added to adapalene 0.1% gel in patients with acne vulgaris.

  Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2015

• Topical application of a serum containing supramolecular Bakuchiol and Terminalia chebula extract significantly improved barrier function, reduced redness and sensitivity, and improved wrinkles and elasticity in 34 Chinese subjects with sensitive skin after 28 days.

  Health Science Reports, 2025

• Bakuchiol functions as an anti-aging compound through retinol-like regulation of gene expression, producing significant improvements in lines, wrinkles, pigmentation, elasticity, firmness, and photo-damage after 12 weeks of twice-a-day facial application without usual retinol therapy-associated undesirable effects.

  International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2014

• The emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.

  Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020

• Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.

  International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001

• Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.

  Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012

• Topical 0.5% silymarin-loaded antioxidant serum applied twice daily significantly reduced clinical acne severity, lesion counts, and melanin pigmentation in 22 Korean acne patients over 4 weeks without associated adverse events.

  Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023

• Cosmetic eye and facial creams containing palmitoyl peptides, Silybum marianum seed oil, and vitamin E improve facial wrinkles, elasticity, dermal density, and skin tone in healthy volunteers with aged skin after 4 weeks of application compared to pre-application.

  Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine, 2016

• Topical silymarin cream 1.4% showed comparable results to salicylic acid 30% peels in reducing acne severity in 30 patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris.

  Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery, 2024

Ingredients

Water, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Tranexamic Acid, C13-15 Alkane, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Ethyl Macadamiate, Behenyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Butylene Glycol, Silybum Marianum Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Lactobacillus Coconut Fruit Juice Ferment Filtrate, Lecithin, Bakuchiol, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Allantoin, Glycine Soja Oil Soybean Oil, Hexylene Glycol, Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract, Glycine Soja Soybean Sterols, Citric Acid, Sodium Phytate, Malic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin

Behind this fit score

Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.