I use PC 2% BHA gel every night before I go to bed. I have acne-prone "combo" skin and this is the only product that works for me. (Neutrogena had a 2% BHA gel that was great, but they have reformulated it and it made me break out all over.) I had been to the dermatologist, and the minocycline he gave me worked, for a while. After a few months on the minocycline, I began to get ear infections, one after another, and had to go on another antibiotic to cure those. Ear infections are pretty uncommon in your late 30's (and they HURT, I really feel for babies and little kids!). My primary care doc agreed with me that I was probably getting the ear infections because I was on minocycline all the time. So I stopped taking it. Didn't see any change in my skin after I stopped the minocycline. (BTW, antibiotics also make birth control pills less effective, so I had to use a back-up method, probably TMI, but I am a nurse and the parent of young adults and am amazed that most doctors don't tell their patients this "tiny" bit of info.)
When I began using her BHA solution (about age 39) I had just read one of Paula's books. (It was either the "Beauty Bible" or 'Blue Eyeshadow Should Still Be Illegal.") It said that you'd get worse before you got better while using the BHA solution. And I did get worse for at least 3 weeks. The BHA solution (now I use the gel) basically unclogs your pores, bringing all the crap to the surface. So I broke out some more, but I could see some of the acne healing, so I hung in there to see what would happen. Kept washing with Cetaphil, applying the BHA (twice a day back then but I was oiler then, I'm 47 now)all over my face and applying 5% benzyl peroxide to the individual blemishes, using a clay mask once a week. This cured me of all but the "monthly" acne.
Over the years I've changed my routine a bit as I am not as oily (heading towards menopause and everything is changing). Now I wash with Cetaphil in the AM, apply MK moisturizer to the fine lines around my eyes and between my eyebrows. At night I remove my eye makeup with MK remover (I wear a lot of eye makeup and this takes it off without any rubbing), wash with a combo of about 2/3 Cetaphil and 1/3 J&J Head-to-toe babywash (breaks up and removes all of my foundation), apply PC BHA 2% gel to face and neck, let dry, apply MK moisturizer to fine lines around eyes and in-between brows again.
I do Queen Helene mint julep mask once a week to my t-zone, and use a dry-skin one from Sally's on my cheeks about once a week. When I see a "monthly" breakout starting, I apply 5% benzyl peroxide to it after the BHA dries. If a couple of days of that doesn't "cure" it, I apply the Queen Helene mint julep mask to just the break-out area before bed and sleep with it on, remove in AM. That does the trick in a day or two.
I hope this helps, probably too much info, but I figured it would help to know how my skin was and how it is now.
I also use PC eyeshadows, creamy lipsticks, lipliners, nail polish and have a full set of her brushes, both regular and travel-sized. Like them all. The matte lipsticks were too drying for me, and I have a powder blush that I intend to try when I use up the Cover Girl cheekers I'm currently using.
Paula's has reasonably-priced sample sizes. I'm currently figuring out what samples I'd like to try so I can add them to my next order.
Meg
