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Paula's Choice vs The INKEY List

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

Paula's Choice and The INKEY List are well-known skincare brands offering a range of serums, cleansers, moisturizers, toners, and more, built around hydrating ingredients like glycerin. The American brand Paula's Choice is known for treatments featuring vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, and glycerin, fitting oily skin and combination skin best. Conversely, the British brand The INKEY List focuses primarily on glycerin-centric formulas that suit sensitive skin and combination skin best. Both brands differ in their specific formulations and origins, though their shared use of glycerin significantly increases skin hydration and restores barrier function.

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

The INKEY List is a British skincare brand founded in 2018 and owned by Brand Evangelists for Beauty Limited.

cosmeticsbusiness.comprnewswire.comtheinkeylist.comtracxn.com

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs The INKEY List products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceThe INKEY List
  • 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”
    • “sits beautifully under makeup — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
    • “Gel consistency — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
  • Improves texture and smoothness Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “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”
    • “Skin feels softer — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
  • 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”
    • “Great for sensitive skin — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
    • “Never tight or stripped — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
  • Affordable price and value Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “Good for the price — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
    • “One of the best balms for quality and also price — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
    • “unbeatable value — The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Serum”
  • Radiance, glow, and dark spots Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “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”
    • “Visibly reduces acne scars — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
  • Reduces redness and soothes skin Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Safe and gentle especially for my dry, sensitive skin — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
    • “calmed my menopausal redness — The INKEY List ECTOIN HYDRO-BARRIER SERUM”
    • “calms redness instantly — The INKEY List 10% Azelaic Acid Serum”
    • “calmed redness immediately — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Packaging issues and small size Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “surprisingly small bottle — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “dropper leaks — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “Pump breaks easily — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
    • “Very difficult to squeeze out at first — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
  • High price and poor value Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Unpleasant smell or scent Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Smells like BBQ/meat — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
    • “Smells like chemicals — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
    • “smells plasticky — The INKEY List ECTOIN HYDRO-BARRIER SERUM”
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”

Paula's Choice vs The INKEY List routines for dry skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · AED 1,244.08 · 85% fitBuy The INKEY List routine · AED 474.43 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Paula's Choice vs The INKEY List routines for oily skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · AED 1,660.65 · 89% fitBuy The INKEY List routine · AED 776.59 · 87% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Paula's Choice vs The INKEY List routines for combination skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · AED 1,512.70 · 89% fitBuy The INKEY List routine · AED 725.13 · 89% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or The INKEY List: which is better?

Both brands offer solid options, but Paula's Choice is often noted for smooth textures and anti-aging serums while The INKEY List is known for affordable pricing and hydration. Lovi finds that Paula's Choice fits sensitive skin at a High level and The INKEY List fits sensitive skin at a Superior level.

What is the difference between Paula's Choice and The INKEY List?

Paula's Choice is an American brand founded in 1995 and owned by Unilever, while The INKEY List is a British brand founded in 2018 and owned by Brand Evangelists for Beauty Limited. The products on this page from Paula's Choice fit best for oily, combination, and acne-prone skin, whereas the products on this page from The INKEY List fit best for sensitive, combination, and oily acne-prone skin.

Paula's Choice or The INKEY List for dry skin?

Both Paula's Choice and The INKEY List offer a high routine fit for dry skin, with Paula's Choice featuring key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin across the products on this page.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015

Paula's Choice or The INKEY List: which cleanser is better?

Both brands offer top-tier cleansers for different needs, with Paula's Choice excelling in oil control and The INKEY List providing budget-friendly hydration. Reviewers note that both face similar minor packaging issues across their product lines.

Which is more affordable, Paula's Choice or The INKEY List?

The INKEY List does better for affordable price and value, while Paula's Choice is mostly mentioned for high price.

Between Paula's Choice and The INKEY List, which brand does better for reducing redness and soothing skin?

The INKEY List does better for reducing redness and soothing skin, as shown in the review themes on this page.

How do Paula's Choice and The INKEY List compare in terms of improving texture and smoothness?

Paula's Choice does better than The INKEY List at improving texture and smoothness. Reviewers note that the products on this page from Paula's Choice help refine skin texture with smooth anti-aging serums and advanced exfoliants.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

Which brand performs better for radiance, glow, and dark spots according to the review themes?

Paula's Choice performs better for radiance, glow, and dark spots.

Paula's Choice or The INKEY List for oily skin?

Both Paula's Choice and The INKEY List deliver a high routine fit for oily skin. The products on this page for both brands feature no fragrance and offer various options to help manage oily skin.

Paula's Choice or The INKEY List: which moisturizer is better?

Both brands offer moisturizers that help hydrate and nourish the skin well. The products on this page provide options with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin to support different skin types.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Paula's Choice or The INKEY List for sensitive skin?

The INKEY List offers a Superior Lovi fit level for sensitive skin, making it a stronger choice than Paula's Choice, which reaches a High fit level.

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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