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Paula's Choice vs Clinique

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes · How the Fit score works

Paula's Choice and Clinique are American skincare brands known for their thoughtful ranges of serums, cleansers, moisturizers, and toners built around hydrating hyaluronic acid, nourishing glycerin, and vitamin c or caffeine. Paula's Choice fits oily skin and combination skin best, whereas the brand suits dry sensitive skin and oily skin best because of its comforting, balancing ingredients. Both brands differ in their founding dates, parent companies, and specific targeted solutions for acne-prone, dark-spotted, and mature skin, though their key ingredients like glycerin significantly increase skin hydration and restore barrier function.

Paula's Choice is an American skincare brand founded in 1995 and owned by Unilever since 2021.

unilever.comtracxn.com

Clinique is an American skincare brand founded in 1968 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc..

en.wikipedia.orgelcompanies.combusinesswire.comglossy.co

This page compares some of the most popular Paula's Choice and Clinique products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Paula's Choice vs Clinique products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceClinique
  • Lightweight and fast absorbing Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Provides an internal level of hydration without leaving any heavy finish. — Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner”
    • “Absorbs quickly and leaves no greasy residue behind. — Paula's Choice Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer”
    • “absorbs instantly — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “sinks in immediately — Clinique moisture surge”
  • Gentle and non-irritating Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “never irritated my eyes — Clinique All About Eyes”
    • “No stinging eyes — Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm”
    • “cools the heat in my cheeks — Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Relief Cream”
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Smoothes texture and refines pores Mostly MentionedRarely Noted
    • “skin becomes very smooth — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “pores look smaller — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
    • “bumps be gone — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
    • “leaves face porcelain smooth — Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream Rinse-Off Formula”
  • Glow and radiance Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “softens lines and wrinkles — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “acne scars faded — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “wake up glowing — Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask”
  • Unclogs pores and clears acne Often MentionedNot noted
    • “cleared my bumps — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “Helped clear my cystic acne — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “heals blemishes faster — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
  • Firms and plumps Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “skin looks plumper — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
    • “improved neck texture — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “glass skin look — Clinique moisture surge”
    • “visibly plumped up — Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum”
  • High price and small size Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “surprisingly small bottle — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “jar is too small for the cost — Clinique moisture surge”
    • “quite pricey — Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum”
  • Causes purging or breakouts Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “peeling and flaking — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “skin purged — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “Woke up with whiteheads on my chin — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+”
    • “gave me tiny bumps — Clinique moisture surge”
  • Unpleasant smell or scent Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Smells like nail polish remover — Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2”
    • “Smells like old oil — Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm”
    • “Has a weird plastic-like smell — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+”
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Drying and flaking Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Not hydrating enough for winter. — Paula's Choice Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer”
    • “dryness and scaliness — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “Made my skin flaky — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “skin felt tight — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel”

Paula's Choice vs Clinique routines for dry skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · AED 1,244.08 · 85% fitBuy Clinique routine · AED 1,605.23 · 66% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Paula's Choice vs Clinique routines for oily skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · AED 1,660.65 · 89% fitBuy Clinique routine · AED 1,002.51 · 79% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Paula's Choice vs Clinique routines for combination skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · AED 1,512.70 · 89% fitBuy Clinique routine · AED 790.89 · 72% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Clinique: which is better?

Paula's Choice is better for most skin concerns on this page, achieving a High routine fit across nearly all skin types, whereas Clinique is more variable with an Average fit for dry, combination, acne-prone, and dark spot skin. Both brands offer fragrance-free products, but Paula's Choice is notably better for smoothing texture, unclogging pores, and boosting radiance.

What is the difference between Paula's Choice and Clinique?

Paula's Choice generally offers a High routine fit across all skin types, whereas Clinique's fit ranges from Average to High depending on the skin type. Paula's Choice products on this page excel at smoothing texture, unclogging pores, and providing a glow, while Clinique is often noted for gentle, hydrating formulas.

Paula's Choice or Clinique for dry skin?

Paula's Choice is a better choice for dry skin, offering a High routine fit compared to Clinique's Average fit on this page.

Paula's Choice or Clinique: which cleanser is better?

Paula's Choice cleansers have a Lovi fit that is generally superior for oily and acne-prone skin on this page, while Clinique cleansers vary widely from high to warning levels depending on the specific product and skin type. Both brands list no fragrance in their products on this page.

Which is more affordable, Paula's Choice or Clinique?

Both Paula's Choice and Clinique share a high price point as a common drawback noted by reviewers, meaning neither brand is clearly more affordable than the other on this page.

Between Paula's Choice and Clinique, which brand is better for mature skin?

Paula's Choice is better for mature skin, achieving a High routine fit compared to Clinique's Average fit. Furthermore, the products on this page help smooth texture and provide anti-aging benefits.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

How do Paula's Choice and Clinique compare for skin with dark spots?

For skin with dark spots, Paula's Choice achieves a High routine fit on the products on this page, whereas Clinique is rated Average. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppresses melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Which brand has better options for dry sensitive skin?

Paula's Choice has a High routine fit for dry sensitive skin, whereas Clinique reaches an Average level. The products on this page help hydrate and soothe dry sensitive skin with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Paula's Choice or Clinique for oily skin?

Both brands offer a High routine fit for oily skin, but Paula's Choice is often noted for a smoother texture and effective pore-refining products. Niacinamide helps reduce pigmentation and regulate sebum production.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Paula's Choice or Clinique: which moisturizer is better?

Paula's Choice is generally better for moisturizers on this page, as Lovi rates its overall routine fit for dry, combination, and acne-prone skin as High compared to Clinique's Average. Paula's Choice focuses heavily on key ingredients like niacinamide and ceramides, which helps support skin barrier function.

Antioxidants, 2021

Paula's Choice or Clinique for sensitive skin?

Paula's Choice is a better fit for sensitive skin, achieving a High routine fit level compared to Clinique's Average routine fit level. The products on this page list no fragrance in their ingredients.

Paula's Choice or Clinique for acne-prone skin?

Paula's Choice helps acne-prone skin better than Clinique, as Lovi rates Paula's Choice as having a High routine fit for this skin type compared to Clinique's Average fit level. Paula's Choice products on this page help clear pores and reduce acne effectively, while maintaining a fragrance-free formula.

Research behind their key ingredients

Behind this comparison

Lovi compares products by their fit scores, calculated 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.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

How does it fit your skin?

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