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Paula's Choice vs Olay

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

Paula's Choice and Olay are established skincare lines offering serums, cleansers, moisturizers, and toners. Paula's Choice relies on hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c, suiting oily and combination skin best with targeted options for acne, dark spots, and mature concerns. Meanwhile, Olay features nourishing niacinamide and glycerin to care for sensitive and acne-prone skin through dedicated eye products, creams, and more. While the first brand centers on formulations for specific complexions, both utilize ingredients like glycerin to support hydration.

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs Olay products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceOlay
  • Improves Skin Texture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin becomes very smooth — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “skin is insanely soft — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
    • “skin feels baby soft — Olay Retinol24”
    • “Skin feels like silk — Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Moisturizer”
  • Lightweight and Fast Absorption Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “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 quickly — Olay Super Serum”
    • “absorbs quickly — Olay Vitamin C Serum”
  • Glow, Brightening and Even Tone Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “acne scars faded — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “Discoloration almost gone — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “iridescent glow — Olay Super Serum”
  • Gentle and Non-Irritating Formula Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “no stinging — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “doesn't strip my skin — Olay Regenerating Cream Cleanser”
    • “fragrance-free — Olay Eye Lifting Serum”
  • Intense and Deep Hydration Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “Instantly smoother, softer, and more hydrated — Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream”
    • “hydrates the skin — Olay Advanced Eye Cream”
    • “My skin feels so hydrated and plump. — Olay Regenerist Regenerating 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”
    • “clears up puffiness — Olay Advanced Eye Cream”
    • “Helps my skin and eye wrinkles — Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream”
  • High Price Point Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “expensive for drugstore — Olay Super Serum”
    • “expensive — Olay Super Serum Night Repair”
    • “small quantity (0.5 oz) — Olay Eye Lifting Serum”
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Packaging Issues and Flaws Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “dropper leaks — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “dropper can be unpredictable — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
    • “Cap broke immediately — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “hard to dispense — Olay Super Serum”
  • Unpleasant Smell and Scent Issues Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “smells like plastic — Olay Retinol24”
    • “Smells like plastic — Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Moisturizer”
    • “too perfumey — Olay Vitamin C Serum”
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”

Paula's Choice vs Olay routines for dry skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · AED 1,244.08 · 85% fitBuy Olay routine · AED 586.47 · 74% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Paula's Choice vs Olay routines for oily skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · AED 1,660.65 · 89% fitBuy Olay routine · AED 897.24 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Paula's Choice vs Olay routines for combination skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · AED 1,512.70 · 89% fitBuy Olay routine · AED 877.60 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Olay: which is better?

Both brands offer great options, but Paula's Choice delivers a High routine fit for dry skin compared to Olay's Average fit. Paula's Choice also excels specifically in brightening and even tone.

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

Paula's Choice offers a high routine fit for dry skin, whereas Olay provides an average fit for dry skin. Paula's Choice performs better for glow, brightening, and even tone, while Olay is noted for offering more intense and deep hydration.

Paula's Choice or Olay for dry skin?

Paula's Choice is a better choice for dry skin, as Lovi rates its routine as High while Olay's routine is Average. Paula's Choice offers several products tailored for dry skin, such as the Advanced Replenishing Toner, which has a Superior fit level for dry skin.

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

Paula's Choice cleansers generally achieve a Superior Lovi fit level for oily and acne-prone skin types across the products on this page, whereas Olay cleansers mostly reach a High fit level for those skin types. Both brands offer fragrance-free cleanser options, though Olay also includes scented formulas.

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

Olay is more affordable, as the review themes for the products on this page show that Paula's Choice suffers from a high price point while Olay does better on price.

Paula's Choice or Olay: which brand offers better fragrance-free options?

Paula's Choice offers better fragrance-free options because every single product on its page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, whereas Olay includes fragrance in at least one product on its page. Both brands are mostly fragrance-free, but Paula's Choice is entirely free of added scents across all its products.

How do the founding years and corporate ownership of Paula's Choice and Olay compare?

Paula's Choice was founded in 1995 in the United States and has been owned by Unilever since 2021, while Olay was founded earlier in 1952 and has been owned by The Procter & Gamble Company since 1985.

Paula's Choice or Olay: which brand performs better for glow, brightening, and even tone?

Paula's Choice performs better for glow, brightening, and even tone among the products on this page. Topical niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppress melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Paula's Choice or Olay for oily skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Olay offer products that have a high routine fit for oily skin. The products on this page for both brands feature key ingredients like niacinamide and salicylic acid, which help control oil and improve skin texture.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

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

Paula's Choice offers a better routine fit for dry skin with its Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50, whereas Olay provides a wide range of options like the Regenerist Whip Face Moisturizer SPF 25. Both brands feature lightweight sunscreens that help protect the skin against UV damage, though Paula's Choice is formulated without added fragrance.

Paula's Choice or Olay for sensitive skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Olay fit sensitive skin at a High level. Paula's Choice stands out for having no fragrance across the products on this page, whereas Olay includes fragrance in one of its items.

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

Both Paula's Choice and Olay fit acne-prone skin at a High level overall. Paula's Choice features the products on this page with no fragrance at all, whereas Olay has options with fragrance.

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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