🇦🇺Australia

Paula's Choice skincare

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

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

Paula's Choice's products on this page cover serums, cleansers, moisturizers, toners, and more, built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c. Paula's Choice products fit oily skin and acne-prone skin best. For acne-prone skin, Lovi rates the Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner highest; for skin with dark spots, the 1% Retinol Treatment; and for mature skin, the Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant. Its key ingredients: glycerin significantly increased skin hydration and restored barrier function.

This page covers some of the most popular Paula's Choice products; for the whole Paula's Choice range, with a fit score for every product, use the Lovi app.

Paula's Choice serums and treatments

Other Paula's Choice products

People Say

★4.5Overall rating based on 30.5k+ reviews

Reviewers most often praise Paula's Choice for improved skin texture, lightweight textures, and effective acne and breakout reduction. The most common complaints are skin irritation or dryness and high prices for small quantities.

Highlights

  • Smooth texture and anti-aging serums Sometimes Noted
    • “skin becomes very smooth — 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “softens lines and wrinkles — 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “acne scars faded — 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • High price and packaging issues Mostly Mentioned
    • “surprisingly small bottle — Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “tiny tube — 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “turned orange in weeks — C15 Super Booster”

Sources: lovi.care, amazon.com, sephora.com, paulaschoice.com, paulaschoice.com.au, sephora.sg, and more

Questions and answers

Is Paula's Choice good for oily skin?

Yes, Paula's Choice is well-suited for oily skin. Lovi rates the Paula's Choice-focused routine Superior for oily skin.

Is Paula's Choice worth it?

Paula's Choice is worth it for shoppers seeking fragrance-free formulas with active ingredients like retinol and niacinamide. Lovi rates the brand-focused routines High for dry skin and Superior for oily and acne-prone skin, though reviewers note that high prices and packaging issues are common.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Which Paula's Choice moisturizer is best for dry skin?

Replenishing Moisturizer is the best Paula's Choice moisturizer for dry skin, as Lovi rates it High for dry skin. Clinical Ceramide-Enriched Firming Moisturizer and Water-Infusing Electrolyte Moisturizer are also on this page, but Lovi rates both Average for dry skin.

Does Paula's Choice cause breakouts?

Paula's Choice is unlikely to cause breakouts, as the brand-focused routines for acne-prone skin rate Superior on Lovi. Furthermore, the Paula's Choice products on this page are fragrance-free, which helps prevent irritation.

Is Paula's Choice fragrance-free?

Yes, the Paula's Choice products on this page are fragrance-free as every product lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

What are the key ingredients in Paula's Choice products?

The key ingredients across the Paula's Choice products on this page include hyaluronic acid, glycerin, vitamin C, licorice root, niacinamide, salicylic acid, green tea, and vitamin E. These ingredients help provide antioxidant, anti-aging, and brightening effects while supporting skin barrier health.

Drug Delivery, 2017Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

How do I build a Paula's Choice skincare routine?

To build a Paula's Choice routine for dry skin, start your morning with CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser, Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner, and Replenishing Moisturizer. In the evening, cleanse with CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser before applying Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster and Replenishing Moisturizer. Lovi rates the Paula's Choice routine High for dry skin.

Where can I buy Paula's Choice, and how much does it cost?

Paula's Choice is available at stores in Australia, with prices on this page ranging from A$32.00 to A$102.00 and most items falling between A$42.00 and A$84.00.

What are good alternatives to Paula's Choice?

Good alternatives to Paula's Choice on Lovi include CeraVe, Cetaphil, Neutrogena, Kiehl's, Dermalogica, and Good Molecules.

Paula's Choice vs CeraVe: which is better?

Lovi rates Paula's Choice Superior for oily skin, sensitive skin, and acne-prone skin, while CeraVe rates High for those skin types, and both rate High for dry and combination skin. The Paula's Choice products on this page list no fragrance in their ingredients.

Who owns Paula's Choice, and where is it from?

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

Is Paula's Choice cruelty-free?

Yes: Leaping Bunny lists Paula's Choice as cruelty-free.

Leaping Bunny

Is Paula's Choice good for dry skin?

Lovi rates Paula's Choice High for dry skin. The Paula's Choice products on this page are free of added fragrance and help keep dry skin soft and smooth with ingredients like hyaluronic acid and ceramides.

Drug Delivery, 2017

Which Paula's Choice cleanser is best for oily skin?

The CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser is the best Paula's Choice cleanser for oily skin, rating Superior, while the CALM Ultra-Gentle Cleanser and Hydrating Gel-To-Cream Cleanser rate Average.

Is Paula's Choice good for sensitive skin?

Yes, Paula's Choice is good for sensitive skin, and Lovi rates the brand-focused routine Superior for sensitive skin. The Paula's Choice products on this page list no fragrance in their ingredients, which helps keep the skin calm.

Which Paula's Choice sunscreen is best for sensitive skin?

Lovi rates Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50 Average for sensitive skin, making it the sunscreen for sensitive skin among the Paula's Choice products on this page.

Is Paula's Choice good for acne-prone skin?

Yes, Paula's Choice is well-suited for acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates the brand-focused routine Superior for this skin type. The Paula's Choice products on this page are fragrance-free and feature ingredients like green tea that help improve acne by modulating intracellular targets and inhibiting P. acnes.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2013

Is Paula's Choice good for mature skin?

Yes, Paula's Choice is well-suited for mature skin, as Lovi rates its fit as High across several anti-aging treatments and serums. Topical retinol and niacinamide help smooth skin texture and reduce signs of aging by supporting collagen accumulation and managing pigmentation.

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

Research behind Paula's Choice's key ingredients

Behind these ratings

Lovi rates every product from its 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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