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Paula's Choice vs No7

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

Paula's Choice and No7 are two established skincare brands, founded in 1995 and 1935 respectively. The American brand is known for serums, cleansers, moisturizers, and toners built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c, while the British brand offers serums, eye products, moisturizers, and sunscreens built around vitamin c, shea butter, and hyaluronic acid. Paula's Choice fits oily skin and combination skin best, whereas No7 suits mature skin and dry skin best. They differ primarily in their formulation focus, as glycerin significantly increased skin hydration and restored barrier function in the former, while shea butter protects diapered skin and mitigates erythema in the latter.

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

No7 is a British skincare brand founded in 1935 and owned by Sycamore Partners since 2025.

cosmeticsbusiness.comen.wikipedia.org

This page compares some of the most popular Paula's Choice and No7 products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Paula's Choice vs No7 products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceNo7
  • Absorption and Lightweight Feel 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”
    • “rich but not heavy — No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Night Cream”
    • “absorbs quickly — No7 Restore & Renew Multi Action Eye Cream”
  • Pores and Texture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “cleared my bumps — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “skin becomes very smooth — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “skin feels so soft — No7 Total Renewal Micro-Dermabrasion Exfoliator”
    • “skin feels velvety — No7 Pure Retinol”
  • Glow, Brightening and Anti-Aging Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Softened fine lines — No7 Pure Retinol 1% Night Concentrate”
    • “healthier glow — No7 Total Renewal Micro-Dermabrasion Exfoliator”
    • “lines on forehead diminished — No7 Pure Retinol”
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
  • Acne and Blemish Control Mostly MentionedRarely Noted
    • “Helped clear my cystic acne — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “heals blemishes faster — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “Removes all my makeup easily — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “Lightened sun spots — No7 Pure Retinol 1% Night Concentrate”
  • Gentle and Non-Stripping Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “Doesn't strip my skin — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “zero irritation — No7 Pure Retinol Eye Cream”
    • “soothing on skin — No7 Restore & Renew Multi Action Eye Cream”
  • Deep Hydration and General Feel Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “Skin feels softer — No7 Future Renew Damage Reversal Serum”
    • “Skin feels moisturized — No7 Future Renew Damage Reversal Night Cream”
    • “absorbs instantly — No7 Pure Retinol”
  • Packaging and Size Issues Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Runs out quickly (2-3 weeks) — No7 Future Renew Damage Reversal Serum”
    • “Pump breaks — No7 Future Renew Damage Reversal Serum”
    • “instructions were in larger font — No7 Pure Retinol Eye Cream”
    • “surprisingly small bottle — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
  • High Price Point and Value Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “Expensive for amount provided — No7 Future Renew Damage Reversal Serum”
    • “Sooooo expensive — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Lack of Visible Results Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Did not notice any difference in my pores. — Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner”
    • “did nothing — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
    • “No change in wrinkles/spots — No7 Future Renew Damage Reversal Serum”
  • Unpleasant Scent or Fragrance Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Too much fragrance — No7 Future Renew Damage Reversal Night Cream”
    • “overpowering — No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Night Cream”
    • “Scent is overpowering — No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Day Cream”
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”

Paula's Choice vs No7 routines for dry skin

Buy No7 routine · AED 542.59 · 89% fitBuy Paula's Choice routine · AED 1,244.08 · 85% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Paula's Choice vs No7 routines for oily skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · AED 1,660.65 · 89% fitBuy No7 routine · AED 1,027.22 · 85% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Paula's Choice vs No7 routines for combination skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · AED 1,512.70 · 89% fitBuy No7 routine · AED 966.25 · 88% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or No7: which is better?

Both brands are great choices, as Paula's Choice excels for acne and blemish control while No7 delivers better results for glow, brightening, and anti-aging. Retinol helps stimulate collagen accumulation in naturally aged skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

What is the difference between Paula's Choice and No7?

Paula's Choice is better for acne and blemish control, while No7 does better with glow, brightening, and anti-aging. No7 also achieves a Superior routine fit for mature skin, compared to High for Paula's Choice.

Paula's Choice or No7 for dry skin?

Both Paula's Choice and No7 are a High fit for dry skin, offering effective routines for this skin type. Paula's Choice is best known for its oily, combination, and acne-prone routines, while No7 focuses on mature, dry, and sensitive skin.

Paula's Choice or No7: which moisturizer is better?

Both brands offer solid moisturizer choices, but they cater to different preferences since Paula's Choice focuses more on oily and acne-prone skin while No7 is better suited for mature and dry skin. No7 frequently includes nourishing ingredients like shea butter in products such as the Future Renew Damage Reversal Night Cream, whereas Paula's Choice relies on options like the Clinical Ceramide-Enriched Firming Moisturizer to help repair the skin barrier.

Which is more affordable, Paula's Choice or No7?

Reviewers note a high price point for both brands, and No7 specifically faces negative feedback regarding its price and value. Paula's Choice is owned by Unilever while No7 is owned by Sycamore Partners, though direct cost comparisons are not detailed.

Which brand is better for mature skin, Paula's Choice or No7?

No7 is better for mature skin with a Superior routine fit, whereas Paula's Choice has a High routine fit. No7 does better for glow, brightening, and anti-aging among the products on this page.

Do Paula's Choice products contain fragrance?

Every Paula's Choice product on this page lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

Which brand performs better for glow, brightening, and anti-aging?

No7 performs better for glow, brightening, and anti-aging compared to Paula's Choice. Its products frequently target these benefits with ingredients like vitamin C and retinol, which helps improve skin texture and appearance over time.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Archives of Dermatology, 2007

Paula's Choice or No7 for oily skin?

Both Paula's Choice and No7 are well-suited for oily skin, with Lovi giving both brands a High fit level for this skin type. Paula's Choice offers dedicated products on this page like the CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser that target oily skin with a Superior fit level.

Paula's Choice or No7: which sunscreen is better?

Paula's Choice offers Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50, which is a High fit for dry, combination, and dry sensitive skin, and an Average fit for acne-prone, oily, oily acne-prone, dark spots, sensitive, and mature skin. No7 features Lift & Luminate Day Cream and Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Day Cream as sunscreens, with mature skin seeing a High fit and other skin types mostly seeing an Average or High fit.

Paula's Choice or No7 for sensitive skin?

Both Paula's Choice and No7 are a High fit for sensitive skin, offering gentle products across their ranges. Paula's Choice helps avoid scents completely since every product on its page lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

Paula's Choice or No7 for acne-prone skin?

Both brands are a High fit for acne-prone skin, but Paula's Choice does better for acne and blemish control. The products on this page help target breakouts using key ingredients like salicylic acid and niacinamide.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

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

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