Paula’s Choice Testing Panel

I’ve always appreciated that Paula’s Choice does not do animal testing. While I have not yet boycotted brands that do, I like buying from those that do not. My skin is sensitive, so I get reactions from products. It is still nice to try as many new products as possible, and I use Beautypedia (an expert site once affiliated with Paula’s Choice that uses scientific research instead of opinions for reviews) as a first stop in seeing what ingredients may have caused my reaction. Both sites are a great source of information. Anyone can sign up for Paula’s Choice Testing Panel to test products and give feedback. Panelists immediately fill out a short skin care profile. When Paula’s Choice needs a new item tested, it reviews profiles. A short survey determines whether the panelist moves forward. Those who do take part in the test fill out an exit survey by the deadline. Successfully complete one test to qualify for more.

There is no social media sharing required of panelists. Paula’s Choice does not even tell you what product you are testing, so it does not want you to share that information with anyone. I sometimes write an article after a test to remind people of the service. As I cannot share a ton of details about my tests, I do not write an article every time I test something. It has been a while since my last article, so I figured I would write a new one to go over the program.

I received an email 05/21/18 asking me to complete a pre-qualification survey for a product. This one required a before picture (above) for consideration. Between picking and hormones, I’ve had a lot of acne of my chin all year.

On 05/31/18, I received an email that I got selected for this test. The email stated the products had shipped. Testing items never get a shipping confirmation. They typically arrive via USPS within days of receiving the email you got in.

One thing I really like about testing for Paula’s Choice is the samples are large. Products are purposely kept looking vague, so I am unsure exactly how big this one is. My guess is bigger than 0.5oz, but smaller than 1oz. I am not allowed to tell you what the product is (not that I know anyway), but I can say I still had plenty left after testing it for two weeks as directed. Well, I was only able to test it for 13 days from the day it arrived until the 06/18/18 deadline to review it.

I definitely noticed an improvement in my skin, and it took me less than 10 minutes to go over that in the exit survey. That (above) is what my skin looked like at the deadline. After the deadline, I continued to use the product until it was gone (which was yesterday). The longer I used it, the better the results. This article is not about the product, since again, I do not even know what it is. Thus, I am not going to give a full review (now) or in my empties when I write that article. What I will say is I would consider purchasing this (if I knew what it was) in warm weather. It would not be a match for me in cool weather.

If you like testing products as much as I do, you may enjoy this. Those who love exploring Beautypedia may also love this. The only drawback to this testing panel and similar ones is you do not know which product you’re testing, so it will be hard to avoid it if you hate it or buy it if you love it. Should you be lucky enough to love what you’re sampling and figure out what it is, remember to check all offers before placing a Paula’s Choice order. This program really is more of a means to assist research than to sample before you buy. There are other programs to test products that I trust as well. Some of those offer rewards for sampling products or the chance to receive products where you know what you’re testing. See all Paula’s Choice and Paula’s Choice Testing Panel articles. View my main page for the guide map to the site and deeper deal exploration.

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