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Paula's Choice vs Elemis

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

Paula's Choice and Elemis are established skincare brands offering serums, cleansers, moisturizers, toners, and more. Paula's Choice relies on hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c to best suit oily and combination skin, while the British brand harnesses nourishing ingredients like glycerin and shea to best suit mature and dry sensitive skin. Both lines feature targeted solutions for concerns such as acne-prone skin, dark spots, and aging, yet they differ through distinct active formulations and their respective American and British heritages.

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

Elemis is a British skincare brand founded in 1989 and owned by L'Occitane Group since 2019.

elemis.comau.elemis.comen.wikipedia.org

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs Elemis products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceElemis
  • Improving Skin Texture and Smoothness Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “skin becomes very smooth — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “bumps be gone — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
    • “skin is insanely soft — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
    • “baby soft — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads”
  • Fast Absorption and Lightweight Texture Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Absorbs quickly and leaves no greasy residue behind. — Paula's Choice Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer”
    • “absorbs instantly — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “Absorbs almost immediately, and my skin feels well hydrated all day. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
    • “weightless serum — Elemis Pro-Collagen Advanced Eye Treatment”
  • Instant and Deep Hydration Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “The cream really hydrates and my face looks amazing. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Night Cream”
    • “Quenches thirsty skin... immediate improvement. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
    • “skin feels baby soft — Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm”
  • Glow, Radiance, and Brightening Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “Discoloration almost gone — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “healthy glow — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads”
    • “instantly fresh glow — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash”
  • Pleasant Scent Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like a spa — Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm”
    • “smells like a holiday — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
    • “smells like a tropical cocktail — Elemis Superfood Midnight Facial”
    • “Doesn't smell at all — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Anti-Aging and Firming Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “skin looks plumper — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
    • “softens lines and wrinkles — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “improved neck texture — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “My neck doesn't sag... plumps my skin to look more youthful. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Night Cream”
  • High Price and Value Issues Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “Sooooo expensive — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “Complete waste of money for me. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
    • “very expensive — Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm”
  • Packaging Issues and Small Size Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “jar looks half empty — Elemis Superfood Midnight Facial”
    • “tube feels half empty — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
    • “pump broke quickly — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash”
    • “surprisingly small bottle — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
  • Unpleasant Smell or Scent Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “smell is overpowering — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash”
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”

Paula's Choice vs Elemis routines for dry skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · AED 1,244.08 · 85% fitBuy Elemis routine · AED 2,268.50 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Paula's Choice vs Elemis routines for oily skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · AED 1,660.65 · 89% fitBuy Elemis routine · AED 1,630.94 · 77% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Paula's Choice vs Elemis routines for combination skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · AED 1,512.70 · 89% fitBuy Elemis routine · AED 1,644.88 · 79% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Elemis: which is better?

Paula's Choice and Elemis are both great brands, with Paula's Choice doing better for improving skin texture and Elemis offering a more radiant glow.

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

Paula's Choice leans toward oily and acne-prone skin with fragrance-free formulas and key ingredients like Niacinamide and Salicylic acid, while Elemis focuses on mature and dry sensitive skin using Shea butter and scented products on the page. Reviewers note that Paula's Choice does better for improving skin texture and anti-aging, whereas Elemis provides better deep hydration and radiant glow.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Paula's Choice or Elemis for dry skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Elemis achieve a High routine fit for dry skin. Paula's Choice offers fragrance-free options like the Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner, whereas Elemis provides deeply hydrating formulas such as the Pro-Collagen Night Cream.

Drug Delivery, 2017

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

Paula's Choice offers cleansers like the CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser, which has a Superior Lovi fit level for oily acne-prone, oily, acne-prone, and combination skin on this page. Elemis also features options like the Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash, which has a High Lovi fit level for mature, skin with dark spots, oily acne-prone, sensitive, and dry skin.

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

Both brands share the same level for high price and value issues as highlighted by reviewers on this page.

Between Paula's Choice and Elemis, which brand offers better anti-aging and firming results?

Paula's Choice does better than Elemis for anti-aging and firming results according to the review themes on this page.

How do the fragrance options compare between Paula's Choice and Elemis products?

Paula's Choice products on this page list no fragrance in their ingredients, whereas 18 out of 22 Elemis products on this page contain fragrance. This difference means Elemis may carry a stronger scent, which reviewers sometimes note as a skin irritation risk.

Which brand performs better for providing instant and deep hydration, Paula's Choice or Elemis?

Elemis performs better for providing instant and deep hydration, as highlighted by reviewers favoring its hydrating moisturizers on this page.

Paula's Choice or Elemis for oily skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Elemis offer a high routine fit for oily skin. Paula's Choice features fragrance-free formulas with key ingredients like salicylic acid and niacinamide, whereas Elemis products on this page frequently include added fragrance.

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

Both Paula's Choice and Elemis offer great moisturizers, with Paula's Choice focusing on ingredient variety like ceramides and niacinamide, while Elemis emphasizes rich hydration through products like the Pro-Collagen Marine Cream.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Paula's Choice or Elemis for sensitive skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Elemis achieve a High routine fit for sensitive skin on the products on this page. Paula's Choice features fragrance-free formulas, while Elemis may provide a radiant glow and hydrating moisturizers.

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

Both Paula's Choice and Elemis offer a high routine fit for acne-prone skin on the products on this page. Paula's Choice is often noted for improving skin texture and smoothness.

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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